British Rail 1948-83: A Journey by Design

Three decades of British Rail design development with a broad survey of the first 120 years.

The character of the British Rail network today — its locomotives and trains, uniforms, liveries and posters, hovercraft and shipping fleet, etc is the outcome of a tremendous design effort by engineers, architects and designers made in the three decades since nationalisation. In order for the reader to understand the problems they were initially faced with, Brian Haresnape first of all takes us on a broad survey of the preceding 120 years of railway development, through the Victorian and Edwardian days of elegance; the effects of the formidable competition of the emergent motor vehicle; the glamorous period of the streamlined trains, and on to the enormous demands of World War II, with its subsequent emphasis upon austerity and economy. Taking up the story proper in 1948, the author demonstrates how the planned development of steam design and operation was overtaken by the urgent need to modernise. A splendid pictorial tribute to the men of steam celebrates the last decade of steam design, 1948-1959, whilst the story goes on to show how the diesel and the electric were developed, and how the poor appearance of some of the first items of new equipment built under the Modernisation Plan aroused public disappro-val, and how the railways reacted to this by setting up a Design Panel to advise on the appearance and amenity aspects of all their new equipment.

His personal work for, and close contact with, the Design Panel over the past 20 years has enabled the author to provide a deep and fascinating insight into their problems and achievements, culminating with the design of the High Speed Trains and Advanced Passenger Trains, also the latest hovercraft, car-ferries and uniforms.

A number of projects that did not come to fruition, and some still in the future, add further interest to the story, whilst, wherever relevant, examples of railway design in Europe and America are contrasted with British practice. Over 300 carefully selected illustrations, and a text which skilfully avoids technical jargon, make this book an invaluable reference work for enthusiast and layman alike. A special colour feature depicts the development of BR liveries since 1948.

The first edition of this classic design history filled a hitherto neglected area of railway practice and proved a major publishing success, In the second, updated edition, Brian Haresnape has added a survey of developments since 1979 and corrected any minor aberrations in the text.