Transport - Rail

Between 1863 and 1971 the steam locomotive was the best known part of railways, and these steel kings of the steel road touched everyone’s lives. Stories abound regarding the steam locomotive and what made them special. This is a history of the steam locomotives owned by New Zealand’s national railway system. Numbering more than a thousand, they were enormously varied – ranging from little over five tons to almost 148 tons in weight, and from the occasional failure to trend-setting designs of international sign... read more

A celebration of the building, maintaining and operating the North Island Main Trunk railway from the days of steam through the diesel electric and electric locomotives. Not forgotten are the country stations, refreshment rooms, goods yards and passenger trains. A great book for all interested in railways and New Zealand history.

Contains 150 evocative photos of the period when diesel power was replacing steam, with commentary text.

Keith G. Brown documents Addington Workshops rich history from formation to closure and details his own experiences working as a tradesman carpenter at Addington from 1949 to 1987. The first book to document Addington's leading role in the manufacture and repair of rolling stock for New Zealand Railways, this is a fascinating look behind the fence of this once-famous facility. Lavishly illustrated with colour and black and white photographs, the workshop buildings, manufacture and repair of locomotives, carriages and wagons are all... read more

DoP 2009, Auckland 150x210mm / 44pp Pictorial works of New Zealand railway stations.

One hundred years since it was opened, the North Island Main Trunk linking Wellington and Auckland remains the country's most important railway and a symbol of what railways have stood for in New Zealand's history. From the early aspirations of colonial politicians to its long and at times troubled construction; from its boom years to the later decline of passenger services; from competition with road to electrification, the North Island Main Trunk has charted the ebb and flow of New Zealand's railway history. This book brings toge... read more

Each journey is accompanied by a map of the route and is described in terms of the technical challenges of building the railroad as well as the stunning views to be seen while travelling on the trains. Some of the railway journeys featured include the Harz narrow-gauge railroad in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany; the Indian Pacific which runs across Australia from Perth to Sydney; India's Darjeeling Himalayan Railways; and the spectacular railroads in the Canadian Rockies.

Designed by Oliver Bulleid for the Southern Railway, although the prototype was not completed until after nationalisation, the 'Leader' class was revolutionary. The locomotives had an unusual configuration with two power steam bogies, utilising sleeve valves and chain drive rather than more conventional valve gear. The body was streamlined, looking more like a diesel locomotive than a conventional steam engine. Initially, five locomotives were to be constructed but only one, No 36001, was completed. This was exhaustively tested and... read more

Forging of the main trunk between Te Kuiti and Marton, construction of tunnels, bridges and other civil engineering feats are covered in detail. Accompanied with maps, diagrams, and 58 interesting photographs of construction and operation.64 pages

A great record of some of New Zealand's railway locomotives' history which will be enjoyed by all raiway enthusiasts..

The Midland Railway between Christchurch and Greymouth is rightly acclaimed as the most spectacular in New Zealand and one of the great railway journeys of the world. Likewise, State Highway 73, which generally follows the same route, is one of the most spectacular roads in the country. This book provides brief histories and notes of interest on places along the way that can be seen from the train and the road, as well as practical information.

After it went out of print in 2000 the publisher received at least one request a week for this book. Accordingly they decided to produce a strictly limited second printing of this comprehensive history of primitive forest railways in New Zealand as used by sawmillers to transport felled logs from the cutting sites to the sawmills and finished timber from the sawmills to wharfs and railheads. Lots of details on the equipment and technology used and operating methods, with comprehensive text and wonderful photos. 192 pages in ... read more

Now representing a quarter of the present-day KiwiRail network, the South Island Main Trunk stretches 1000 km from Picton in the Marlborough Sounds to Bluff at the bottom of the South Island, along the way passing through an impressive variety of terrains: mountains, coastline (for some 100 km both at the same time) hill country, plains, and of course, cities. This book relates the history of the two sections of the railway, which were completed nearly seven decades apart, as well as features of engineering and scenic interest, th... read more

Last train to paradise describes the halcyon days of New Zealand rail, some of which the author was fortunate enough to experience personally. The 'name' trains and journeys cover a considerable period of New Zealand's history, from the late 1800's, through the 'golden' era of train travel (the first four decades of the 20th century). Amoung the special journeys covered are the Prince of Wales' royal progress through New Zealand in 1920; travelling the Rotorua Limited to take the waters in 1930; and boarding the 'Test Match Special... read more

Britain's railways have seen some of the most fascinating steam locomotives of an era which, beginning in the early 1800s, spanned over 150 years. Illustrated Guide to Classic British Locomotives covers the story of the first, fines and fastest locomotives ever to run on rails.

This Bible of Railways contains the historical facts and stories of:- *The Main Lines - the vital veins of both islands. *The 86 branch lines that once provided a lifeline to rural areas. *The stations that served our cities and country districts. *The passenger trains from the steam hauled Limited Express to the Tranz Alpine of today. *The special purpose trains from boat trains, to excursion trains, to race day trains, to stack trains, to suburban trains. *The bridges, viaducts, ferries, gradients, junctions, refreshment rooms, ... read more

This book is about a railway, not just the trains. It sets out to illustrate and comment upon the major changes that took place in New Zealand's railways in the second half of the 2oth century,complete commentaries on photographs, as well as three short case studies which summarise the transition of New Zealand's railways from their mixed national, local and regional role at the beginnning of the period to their essentially national and arterial role at the end.

A fascinating selection of images from the Getty Images collection documents the pioneers of transportation by rail and by road.