Railways of Southern California

Railways of Southern California written by Colin J. Marsden and published

by Key Publishing - £30.00 - Hardback - Pages 160

Passing through some of the most picturesque scenery in the world, several main

routes traverse Southern California. Most are freight corridors, but there are a handful

of long-distance passenger services, primarily worked by Amtrak. Some of the long-

distance and heavy freight services can be powered by up to ten locomotives, equating

to around 50,000hp. One of the most scenic routes is on the Union Pacific-owned track

between Mojave and Bakersfield, which climbs over the Tehachapi Mountains, reaching

a height of over 4,000ft above sea level, requiring locos to work hard on the climb either

side of the line’s summit. The route over Cajon, one of the busiest freight routes in the

world, is also covered, as well as the routes between Barstow and Needles, the central

California line, and the highly photogenic Pacific “Surfliner” route between Los Angeles

and San Diego. Lavishly illustrated with 200 images, this book is divided into the main

routes in the area, showing the diversity in scenery and train types found. With informative

captions explaining the locos, their routes, and the best places for rail enthusiasts to

see these trains for themselves, this is the ultimate guide to the railways of Southern

California.

I jumped at the chance of reading and reviewing this book mainly because I love anything American, trains and landscape photography and this book combines all of those. The sight of American trains moving along against the back drop of the American wilderness just in my opinion looks glorious and picturesque. This book look at all different kinds of rail transport from freight to Amtrak passenger train transport to industrial rail transport working in industry. So the book has around 200 photos with an image of a train in movement with the backdrop of the train going through a town, landscape or working in an industrial scene. So you have the beautiful picture but there is a couple of paragraphs accompanying each picture usually setting the scene or a few details about the locomotive in the picture. But what I enjoy is the fact that there isn’t too much info, the balance has been struck with picture and info, so it doesn’t get too technical. A thoroughly good, interesting and beautiful book, most definitely a book to recommend to others, ideal for the model maker, photographer or train fan.

The Brunels Father & Son

The Brunels: Father & Son written by Anthony Burton and published by

Pen & Sword Books - £25 - Hardback - Pages 232

Isambard Kingdom Brunel has always been regarded as one of Britain’s great heroes

and an engineering genius. His father Marc Brunel has not received the same degree

of adulation, but this book will show just how important a part Marc played in his son’s

works and will also look at his own great achievements. Marc Brunel arrived in Britain

as a refugee from revolutionary France, after a short time working in America. He was

a pioneer of mass production technology when he invented machines for making blocks

for sailing ships. He had other inventions to his name, but his greatest achievement was

in constructing the very first tunnel under the Thames. Isambard spent his early years

working for and with his father, who not only encouraged him but throughout his career,

he was also able to offer practical help. The famous viaduct that carried the Great

Western Railway over the Thames at Maidenhead, for example, was based on an earlier

design of Marc’s. Isambard’s greatest achievements were in revolutionising the shipping

industry, where he was able to draw on his father’s experience when he served n the

navy. The book not only looks at the successes of two great engineers but also their

failures. Primarily, however, it is a celebration of two extraordinary men and their amazing

achievements.

I remember reading last year in a book about the work and accomplishments of Isambard’s father Marc and thinking this fella seems interesting, I should read more about him. Then with life, I ended up forgetting and never got around to it until I got the chance to review this book of man and boy. Both were clearly intelligent men with minds needing to let that intelligence and skill out into the open. These two men are known for some of the world's important constructions or inventions from building the first tunnel under the Thames, a number of bridges, and technological advances in construction and were heavily influential in the development in the railways. This of course was during a period of the industrial revolution when Britain was concentrating on advancement in industry and society.

This was a fascinating read in which we learned how a family worked its way up from adversity to become people of influence and industrial leaders, and how Isambard was a real chip off the old block. The book was an interesting read and I would fully recommend it to others if you’re interested in the industrial world and how it came about in Britain.