{"title":"Books by Colin Alexander","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781398109346","title":"Great Innovators of North East England","description":"North-east England, defined here as the historic counties of Northumberland and Durham, has a long, proud tradition of producing great innovators, some very well known and others almost forgotten.This book explores their stories and legacies, examining such titanic figures as the Stephensons, Swan and Hunter. The partnership of Richard Grainger and John Dobson, who together transformed Newcastle from a cramped medieval port to a beautiful Victorian city, also feature.Lavishly illustrated throughout, this is a terrific celebration of the industrial and civic achievements of north-east England.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43204243849394,"sku":"9781398109346","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781398109346.jpg?v=1786018570"},{"product_id":"9781398101579","title":"The Tyne \u0026 Wear Metro","description":"August 2020 marked the fortieth anniversary of the opening of the first section of the Tyne \u0026amp; Wear Metro between Haymarket and Tynemouth. It is an exciting time for the system, with a new fleet of trains about to be ordered, and extensions to the network being proposed.This book explores the decline of the BR suburban lines that were replaced, the phased opening of the new system from 1980, and subsequent extensions. It also looks at those being considered in the future. The successful integration of the Metro with bus and ferry services is considered, alongside the inclusivity of the railway’s design, which allows disabled people unprecedented access to public transport. It also illustrates Metro’s unique combination of brand-new tunnels, spectacular viaducts and underground stations, taking in the magnificent Victorian infrastructure of the former North Eastern Railway and Blyth \u0026amp; Tyne Railway.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56298284581237,"sku":"9781398101579","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781398101579_39cae532-15c6-4a7b-80d2-84c62052ca66.jpg?v=1786018339"},{"product_id":"9781398107908","title":"Railways of the British Empire: Africa","description":"Long before Brexit, the Common Market and even the Commonwealth, Britannia truly did rule the waves. Perhaps more unsung is the fact that she also ruled the rails over much of the world, for Britain’s engineers effectively exported the Industrial Revolution and specifically the railway around the globe. This was especially true in that forerunner of the Commonwealth, the British Empire. In those parts of the world that were coloured pink on schoolroom maps, the rapidly expanding colonial railways were supplied by British companies like Neilson Reid, Bagnall, Kitson, Cravens and Cammell-Laird.This book tells the story of the expansion of the railways of the British Empire in Africa, featuring stunning photographs, contemporary maps, posters, travel brochures and extracts from other interesting documents.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56298395664757,"sku":"9781398107908","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781398107908_7f1f8b4f-9ee4-4506-b760-345ffe7b28d5.jpg?v=1786018519"},{"product_id":"9781445674285","title":"The North British Locomotive Company","description":"The North British Locomotive Company came into existence in 1903 as an amalgamation of three established Glasgow locomotive manufacturers: Dübs \u0026amp; Co., Sharp Stewart and Neilson Reid. Each of these companies enjoyed an excellent reputation for its products both at home and abroad.The amalgamation that formed NBL created the largest locomotive builder in the British Empire, building on the worldwide renown of its predecessors and exporting its products all over the world to places as diverse as Palestine, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada. Its locomotive output was as varied as its clients, with steam locomotives of every gauge, and ranging from tiny tank engines to massive Beyer-Garratts.Moving with the times, North British entered the market for diesel and electric traction after the Second World War and its lack of success in this field ultimately brought the company to its knees.Here, Colin Alexander and Alon Siton present a lavishly illustrated exploration of one of Britain’s greatest locomotive companies, including the products of its three Victorian constituents and official works photographs, images of locos in service and some of the many preserved Dübs, Sharp Stewart, Neilson and North British locomotives on heritage railways and in museums around the world.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56299566367093,"sku":"9781445674285","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781445674285_540509a1-0894-4f16-a351-6f213ead3b1e.jpg?v=1786020963"},{"product_id":"9781445690261","title":"Railways of the British Empire: The Indian Subcontinent","description":"Long before Brexit, the Common Market and even the Commonwealth, Britannia truly did rule the waves. Perhaps more unsung is the fact that she also ruled the rails over much of the world, for Britain’s engineers effectively exported the Industrial Revolution and specifically the railway around the globe. This was especially true of the forerunner of the Commonwealth, the British Empire. In those parts of the world that were coloured pink on schoolroom maps, the rapidly expanding colonial railways were supplied by British companies like Neilson Reid, Bagnall, Kitson, Cravens and Cammell-Laird.This book tells the story of the expansion of the railways of the British Empire in the Indian subcontinent, featuring stunning photographs, contemporary maps, posters, travel brochures and extracts from other interesting documents.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56300112150901,"sku":"9781445690261","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781445690261_1e1b049e-8591-4abd-885b-4c502a58ee9a.jpg?v=1786020575"},{"product_id":"north-yorkshire-moors-railway","title":"The North Yorkshire Moors Railway","description":"The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is Britain's most popular heritage railway, and runs for 18 miles through the national park of the same name. The journey commences at the market town of Pickering, whose station has a recently restored overall roof. It continues through remote Levisham and into the spectacular glaciated gorge of Newtondale and onto Fen Bog, where George Stephenson floated the railway on a bed of sheep fleeces and timber. Once over Goathland summit, the line descends steeply to Goathland station, famous as both Aidensfield in Heartbeat and Hogsmeade station in the Harry Potter films. From Goathland the line drops at a continuous gradient of 1 in 49 to Grosmont, junction with the Esk Valley Railway and site of the busy engine sheds.Today, many NYMR trains continue to the coast at Whitby, a journey of 24 miles from Pickering, mostly on Stephenson's 1836 route.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57484139037045,"sku":"9781445661841","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781445661841.jpg?v=1786266176"},{"product_id":"the-british-railways-pilot-scheme-diesel-locomotives","title":"The British Railways Pilot Scheme Diesel Locomotives","description":"British Railways’ Modernisation Plan of the 1950s started, sensibly, with small orders for a variety of diesel locomotives, intended for different purposes, from a range of manufacturers including its own workshops at Swindon and Derby. This was the Pilot Scheme, and the idea was to analyse the reliability and performance of these 174 locomotives of fourteen types in service before placing larger orders.Unfortunately, in its haste to eradicate steam traction, the railway then ordered large quantities of many of these designs before they had been thoroughly tested; this resulted in failures, early withdrawals and even the re-equipping of one large class with new engines at great expense and inconvenience. Some of the designs (e.g., some of the Class 20s and 26s), however, were ultimately successful and perpetuated, lasting in service until the 1990s in some cases. The railway itself was not fully prepared for its expensive new toys, and the new diesels had to share facilities with steam locomotives – not an ideal environment for such temperamental machines.The British Railways Pilot Scheme Diesel Locomotives showcases the work of numerous railway photographers, curated and annotated by Colin Alexander, covering the chequered career of the Pilot Scheme Diesels from the 1950s to their present-day life in preservation. All the author’s profits from the sale of this book will be divided equally between the group restoring D5705 to working order and the group creating the eleventh ‘Baby Deltic’, D5910, at Barrow Hill.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57705611460981,"sku":"9781445665566","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781445665566.jpg?v=1793377334"},{"product_id":"beyer-peacock-company-of-manchester","title":"Beyer, Peacock \u0026 Company of Manchester","description":"The world-famous Beyer, Peacock works of Gorton, Manchester, is remembered principally for its remarkable Beyer-Garratt articulated locomotives, which ran in forty-eight countries. The firm would also turn out steam lorries and steam tram engines. Among the company’s iconic domestic designs were the 4-4-0T condensing engines for the pre-electrified Metropolitan Railway in London, the narrow-gauge 2-4-0 tank engine that is synonymous with the Isle of Man and the stylish and powerful diesel-hydraulic Hymeks for British Railways’ Western Region.Beyer, Peacock exported many of its 8,000 steam, diesel and electric locomotives all over the world and this book illustrates a variety of these throughout the company’s 112-year existence, beginning in 1854.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57705613492597,"sku":"9781445685878","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781445685878.jpg?v=1793377347"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-colin-alexander.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}