Download or read book The Times History of Britain's Railways written by Julian Holland and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Follow the development, decline and later revival of Britain's Railways from bestselling railway author Julian Holland. The history is told through commentary, photographs and archive material from a lifetime of railway research. Britain's railways have claimed many world firsts, ranging from Richard Trevithick's Penydarren of 1802 (the first steam railway locomotive), George Stephenson's Stockton & Darlington Railway of 1825 (the first public railway) and his Liverpool & Manchester Railway (the first inter-city railway) to Nigel Gresley's iconic streamlined locomotives of which Mallard holds the world speed record for steam of 126mph achieved in 1938. Chapters include: * In the Beginning (1603-1825) * The first intercity and trunk railways (1826-1840) * Expansion and Railway Mania (1841-1850) * The Great Victorian Age (1850-1900) * The early 20th century (1901-1922) * The Big Four, streamliners and war (1923-1947) * Nationalisation, rationalisation and modernisation (1948- 1963) * Dr Beeching, contraction and the end of steam (1963-1993) * Privatisation and High-speed (1993 onwards).