Railways in the formative years, 1851-1895, (Railways of the world in colour) By O.S. Nock
Railways in the Formative Years: 1851–1895 (Collectible First Edition)
A Global Chronicle of the Golden Age of Steam Expansion in Full Colour
A Global Chronicle of the Golden Age of Steam Expansion in Full Colour
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: Railways in the Formative Years, 1851–1895
- Author: O.S. Nock (Oswald Stevens Nock)
- Publisher: Blandford Press Ltd, London
- Publication Date: 1973
- ISBN-10: 0713706120
- Edition Details: First Edition, First Impression. Part of the highly celebrated Railways of the World in Colour series, serving as the official companion volume to The Dawn of World Railways 1800–1850.
- Binding: Hardcover with original publisher's cloth boards, housed in the original illustrated dust jacket under a protective archive cellophane wrapper.
- Physical Format: Duodecimo (12mo), 156 pages. Beautifully illustrated with 150 meticulously detailed full-colour plates of global locomotives by Clifford and Wendy Meadway, supported by comprehensive engineering notes.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Very Good (VG)
- Exterior / Boards: The original publisher's cloth boards are clean, firm, and uniform across all edges. The spine is completely straight, robust, tightly bound, and remains structurally undamaged with bright, crisp lettering.
- Interior: Superbly preserved. The internal text pages and fine colour locomotive plates are remarkably clean, intact, clear, and bright. Free from handling soils, foxing, finger marks, previous owner gift inscriptions, or dealer pencil notations.
- Protection: This pocket-sized reference work has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far, now beautifully preserved in a professional, removable archival cellophane sleeve.
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The Dust Jacket: Used – Very Good (VG)
- Condition: The original illustrated dust jacket is complete and unclipped. It exhibits some typical, limited signs of storage-related shelf edge wear and tiny surface stress lines along the top and bottom edges of the spine. It is bright, free from sun fading, and presents beautifully behind its protective archival cellophane cover.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published in 1973 by the legendary Blandford Press, Railways in the Formative Years is an authoritative, exquisitely illustrated historical study of the definitive era of global railway engineering. Spanning the critical decades between 1851 and 1895, world-renowned transport historian O.S. Nock chronicles the phenomenal transition of railways from crude regional lines into massive, interconnected transcontinental networks. This volume highlights the dramatic engineering leaps in locomotive design, steam pressure efficiency, boiler technology, and passenger luxury across the United Kingdom, Europe, America, and the colonies. Backed by Clifford and Wendy Meadway’s famous, highly accurate colour drawings of iconic locomotives, Nock provides meticulous mechanical profiles and operational histories for every machine. This first impression remains a cornerstone resource for transport modelers and an indispensable collectible for railway bibliophiles.
Published in 1973 by the legendary Blandford Press, Railways in the Formative Years is an authoritative, exquisitely illustrated historical study of the definitive era of global railway engineering. Spanning the critical decades between 1851 and 1895, world-renowned transport historian O.S. Nock chronicles the phenomenal transition of railways from crude regional lines into massive, interconnected transcontinental networks. This volume highlights the dramatic engineering leaps in locomotive design, steam pressure efficiency, boiler technology, and passenger luxury across the United Kingdom, Europe, America, and the colonies. Backed by Clifford and Wendy Meadway’s famous, highly accurate colour drawings of iconic locomotives, Nock provides meticulous mechanical profiles and operational histories for every machine. This first impression remains a cornerstone resource for transport modelers and an indispensable collectible for railway bibliophiles.
Author Profile: O.S. Nock
Oswald Stevens Nock (1905–1994) was one of the most prolific, respected, and internationally celebrated railway historians and mechanical engineers of the 20th century. A graduate of Imperial College London, Nock worked extensively for the Westinghouse Brake and Signal Company while simultaneously establishing himself as a titan of transport literature, authoring more than 140 books and serving as the president of the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers. Renowned for his absolute technical accuracy, firsthand steam locomotive performance testing, and deeply engaging prose, his mid-century Blandford pocket guides remain highly prized globally as the gold standard of visual railway reference material.
Oswald Stevens Nock (1905–1994) was one of the most prolific, respected, and internationally celebrated railway historians and mechanical engineers of the 20th century. A graduate of Imperial College London, Nock worked extensively for the Westinghouse Brake and Signal Company while simultaneously establishing himself as a titan of transport literature, authoring more than 140 books and serving as the president of the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers. Renowned for his absolute technical accuracy, firsthand steam locomotive performance testing, and deeply engaging prose, his mid-century Blandford pocket guides remain highly prized globally as the gold standard of visual railway reference material.
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