The information provided was informative and intriguing. I was thinking of movies and books that starred some of the railways mentioned BUT so many of the photos were missing that I did not feel I could give a comprehensive review of the book. With the photos I imagine one who loves trains and the history of them would find this a delightful book to read.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The author has combined historical photographs and maps with text to take you on an armchair train journey. The writing is clear and easy to read and the research is well done. The real highlights of the book are the photographs. You can tell the author laments the demise of many of these railways. Enjoy the journeys

As the title says, this book gives an insight into the sad loss of historic rail lines around the world, as the rise of the automobile meant that people no longer had to rely on the train to travel long distances. It is impossible not to feel regret that these journeys can no longer be made by rail. Beautifully illustrated, it takes the reader on a trip into the past to see what has now been lost (in a few cases still running but mostly as tourist attractions). This would make a marvellous gift for any rail enthusiast, or indeed those interested in history.
Thanks to the publisher for a digital review copy.

Beautiful vintage photographs and maps of lost railway that is no longer traveled. The book is organized by continent with 33 trips portrayed in four to six pages. You travel lost railway in Great Britain, France, Spain, India, Australia, Africa, Ireland, Rocky Mountains, and many more. You learn about the railway communities, porters, and dinning and sleeping cars. Great pictures and research went into this book. This would make a perfect gift for any train enthusiast.

Well researched. Stunning photos. A great look back at the golden era of train travel. A must for train enthusiasts.

LOST RAILWAY JOURNEYS: PASSENGER JOURNEYS THAT TIME HAS ERASED
Written by Anthony Lambert
2018; Quarto Publishing Group/White Lion Publishing (208 pages)
Genre: nonfiction, history, travel, trains

(Review Not on Blog)

RATING: 4 STARS

I love old trains, and that is one of the reasons I love old movies so much. I love the images presented in this book! It is like going back in time - all over the world - seeing what trains and the journeys people took at the time. A fun book for any train lovers!

***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***

I got a digital copy where the text wasn't really there - so on the text I can't give a review on that. But the images and set up are really nice. It does seem like a book for those who are interested in trains or railways in any way.

I got this book because my sons loves trains and I always wanted to take a long train ride on the Orient Express. So this book was a pleasant surprise. It not only tackled passenger train routes like the famous Orient Express but other lesser known (but no less great) lines in various countries. For train enthusiasts, this should be a goldmine of information. For those curious like me, you can't go wrong with this book. It would make a great coffee table book.

A look at historic and important rail lines from all over the world that have been destroyed or discontinued over time.

I went into this thinking it would be a unique microhistory and an interesting look at bygone days. It is most definitely a unique microhistory and interesting look at bygone days, but what I had not anticipated is that it is quite technical and those who are not train buffs may get lost in the railway terms. I am nowhere near up to speed on the various train engines that have come and gone, nor the train cars and I found myself decidedly not the target audience. After reading the first couple of chapters I ended up skimming the rest of the book. I did appreciate learning that in the scramble to become more up to date, many countries destroyed train lines that they could really use now for mass transport. It's a good lesson to not be in such a scramble to be more modern that you fail to think long term. I also appreciated the extensive inclusion of period photographs of these historic lines throughout the book. I enjoyed looking at those. If you're looking for a light train history, this is not necessarily it. But it is a good resource to have on hand for the history of transportation research. And if you are looking for the perfect gift for that train buff friend or relative, look no further.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This coffe-table type book is a treasure trove of photographs of trains, each associated with a particular journey. Divided into chapters based on the continents, each article contains a narrative that describes the route, including its history and interesting stories, most relating to the trains themselves. Also included are a map of the route and several photos of both the train and some of the scenery along the route. Browsing this book, you'll find some very interesting photos of unusual trains and railroad infrastructure, such as the oddly designed locomotives of the Listowel & Ballybunion Railway in Ireland or the massive trestle in Myra Canyon, Canada. If you're a railroad buff, this will be a very interesting book.

This is definitely, certainly and incontrovertibly going to be a hit with the usual audience of such books. Whether the author has been to see the places he writes of, or uses armchair research only, he gets us to the sites of these derelict and much forgotten train track beds, and discusses their routes, successes and endings in succinct four or six page chapters. It's not perfect for the layman, as he rattles off the engine configurations and names, and uses technical terminology without a by your leave, but it's still a marvellous book. It inspired me to find the world's ugliest mode of transport on youtube (the Listowel and Ballybunion monorail), and I just hope it inspires someone to write a novel about the insular community of Riccarton Junction and its wicked wives, for there surely is a book in those mysterious goings-on. Highly pictorial, for those who can absorb all the minutiae of 2-4-0 and 0-10-0 and whatnot, this is first class – pun intended.

Thank you Quatro - White Lion Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC.

Unfortunately it appears only the photos downloaded as there were blanks on the pages and no writing throughout my copy,

The title tells all: some world-famous and some locally famous trips that are no longer among us memorialized in photos.
The introduction features some strong feelings, to the point of calling some closures “criminal” and claiming they led to deaths. The text isn’t as heavy-handed, thankfully, but there’s a lot of asides that are sometimes humorous and sometimes failing at it. It just doesn’t feel like a typical book of this class, and whether that’s good or bad depends on you.
I suppose it’s not much of a surprise that the photos from Europe are mostly black and white. And I have to keep reminding myself that those old photos of bridges were not taken from drones.
The most intriguing early on was the Lawrence of Arabia special through Jordan.
To be fair, some of these are short lines; the title doesn’t exclude them, but it doesn’t seem fair to lump them in with the Orient Express and Ghan.
My fave, from the photos and having been in the vicinity, was the Colorado-Denver & Rio Grande, though the ones in Africa looked pretty spectacular too. But even though I’m a fan of trains, I’m not this much. I had to take it in small bites, but even then it was tough to stay interested.

If you love train trips, travel, and maps with sprinklings of history you are sure to enjoy this book. It has beautiful photography and maps and is very informative. A very interesting read.

To appear as a book feature on my history blog and my book review blog in 2019.

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https://sonyaheaneyblog.com/

All Aboard

At the end of his introduction to this book Anthony Lambert observes, "...we don't need to have witnessed the real thing to feel nostalgic for it. It often helps if we haven't." At first I thought that established an odd sort of tone for this book, but upon reflection, and especially after getting a few chapters into the book, I realized that that charming and modest observation really did capture the appeal of this project. We are allowed to go on thirty three trips that might as well be imaginary journeys into lost or never-were worlds.

And rest assured we will in fact travel the world - Austria, France, Spain, Great Britain, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Central Australia, Patagonia, Brazil, the Rocky Mountains, Zimbabwe - these are all roads less traveled, or no longer traveled at all.

Each trip, which usually is covered in four or five pages, opens with a bit of geographical background and some operational history for the line. There are descriptions of the rolling stock, many of which tend toward the romantic, which suited me fine. This is all complemented by vintage photos and maps. (There have to be route maps; this is all meaningless without route maps.) Lambert has a nice eye and ear for the telling detail or amusing anecdote, and the result is that while the commentary is often detailed and always knowledgeable it never becomes excessive or tedious. And while we are allowed to wax nostalgic, the narrative is not especially hectoring regarding what has been lost.

I am not a devoted or intense railway buff, and have no idea where this book would rank amongst true devotees. But, while I am confident that I will never be in a position to visit any of these lines in person, I am delighted to have gotten to know them with this congenial companion.

(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

I think there must be something wrong with the download as I only have photographs, i.e. no annotations or writing of any kind. This isn’t a review but it’s now the only way to communicate with the publisher. I would like to read this book if possible.

Magic of trains is impressive. It has always been (never catch an airplane so I can't tell you any impression yet) my favorite public transportation service; it's possible to discover in fact an universe pretty different and diversified, meeting always wonderful people and chatting with them of a lot of topics. At the same time it is great for socializing, but also for staying alone, thinking; a train means freedom, landscapes, new places, new faces.

For this reason I decided to see this book by Quarto: Lost Railway Journeys From Around the World by Anthony Lambert a writer addicted and passionate of trains and their history.

What a remarkable nostalgic, beautiful photographic book about remarkable lost railway journeys, using the expression of the author across the world. These realities don't exist anymore, replaced by quickest methods of transportation.
Passing through Europe to Asia, Australia, America, this book takes in consideration all the most remarkable realities, sometimes legendaries, like the Orient Express was.

If you love trains, if you think that old-fashioned transportation was poetic, beautiful, this book is for you.

Perfect book for a gift to a passionate of trains.

I thank NetGalley and Quarto for this eBook.

Books about trains; railway journeys and the genesis of tracks built in a former age hold so much fascination, such publications will always be in demand.
Reading Anthony Lambert’s detailed account of “Lost Railway Journeys from Around the World” that he has done a tremendous amount of research.
There have been many book about Great Railway Journeys here is a book where those passenger routes have ceased in most cases for good.
The author has also provided maps which are simple but interesting in themselves and sourced many photographs to bring his narrative alive.
His range is also worldwide and it is evident that in most places the industrial revolution of Europe was at work wherever engineers and construction skills were in demand. Colonial powers led the way tapping into home land knowledge.
For reasons of freight movements railway lines tend to come into being. Modern travellers see the tourist value but passengers tended to jump on board originally ‘cos there is gold in them hills.
Passenger services did take on some value but in some areas very few people lived.
The actual logistics of gangs of railways workers being brought in and living in shanty towns is mind blowing. Notwithstanding that labour was cheap; food and shelter was needed. Sadly the terrain and hardships of disease living in close proximity did for vast numbers.
It was also interesting to read about new railway communities being established; few people in total but needed to keep the line open. Their kids and families relying on the railway for trips to school or healthcare.
I found each Railway was well presented, the format varied but covered the same few pages and as stated well illustrated by vintage photographs. Detailed historical information is shared about the funding; setbacks and rolling stock employed.
Each story is fresh and although similar issues are mentioned they are quite standalone pieces and unique in their presentation.
A book for all, about forgotten times and motivations but showing the industry of people to drive railways into hostile lands, up ridiculous gradients and fight the onset of competition from roads and the air.
What did annoy me was some repetitive details about the lack of investment by short sighted politicians or corrupt government officials who had a bias or personal investment in road haulage. Does anything ever change. Should we look again at HS2?

This book examines trains, bridges, tunnels and stations. It contains interesting facts and great photos. Each is divided according to location. Each train sections contains a route map and historical information.

While the writing tends to be a bit dry, this book is great for the train enthusiast in your life.


I received an eBook ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affects my opinions or ratings of this book.