Modern Railroads

To convey modern China’s history and the forces driving its economic success, rail has no equal. From warlordism to Cultural Revolution, railroads suffered the country’s ills but persisted because they were exemplary institutions. Elisabeth Köll shows why they remain essential to the PRC’s technocratic economic model for China’s future.

A lavish celebration of the glory and grandeur of the great American railroad, from the first steam-powered trains of the early 19th century to the high-speed commuter trains of today.

Martin (history, formerly Harvard and Bradley) details the expansion of the US from a coast-hugging nation to its current population distribution along the rails. He is confident that environmental pressures and the efficiency of trains will return railroads to their deserved place at the top of land transport. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

An epic and revelatory narrative of the most important transportation technology of the modern world In his wide-ranging and entertaining new book, Tom Zoellner—coauthor of the New York Times–bestselling An Ordinary Man—travels the globe to tell the story of the sociological and economic impact of the railway technology that transformed the world—and could very well change it again. From the frigid trans-Siberian railroad to the antiquated Indian Railways to the Japanese-style bullet trains, Zoellner offers a stirring story of this most indispensable form of travel. A masterful narrative history, Train also explores the sleek elegance of railroads and their hypnotizing rhythms, and explains how locomotives became living symbols of sex, death, power, and romance.

This report from the second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2), which is administered by the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, examines the procedures that highway agencies and railroads follow to develop agreements for highway projects that cross or lie alongside railways. It provides a comprehensive collection of successful practices and standard processes that promote cooperation between railroads and public agencies and that can help them reduce the time and cost of project reviews. The report also includes a series of model legal agreements.

All aboard the Engineering Express! Readers will embark on a scientific exploration of steam power and locomotive engineering in this versatile volume. Along the way they’ll gain insight on American history, the epic Transcontinental Railroad, and other pivotal moments in the locomotive’s long lifetime. Full-color photographs and a reader-friendly map illustrate the journey for visual learners, while kinesthetic learners will love the concluding hands-on engineering activity. This multi-subject text serves as a Grand Central Station of academia, making it the perfect addition to any curricula.