Paddington to Birkenhead
Explores the fascinating history of the Great Western Railway route from London to Birkenhead, covering its diverse landscapes, competition with rivals, and legacy.One of the most diverse, complex and thus most interesting railway routes in the land. It set out as part of Brunel's Great Western Railway plan to cover the country in Broad Gauge tracks but, faced with competition from its great rival, the London and North Western Railway, the Broad Gauge never got beyond Wolverhampton and eventually succumbed to the four feet, eight and a half inches proponents. However, by then the GWR had established itself as the principal provider of passenger and freight trains between London and Birkenhead, on the west bank of the Mersey, facing, and on occasions, snarling at, the LNWR opposite. Its most powerful locomotives, the Kings, powered its expresses from 1927 until the end of steam as far as Birmingham and Wolverhampton, whilst Stanier Pacifics worked those between Euston and Liverpool Lime Street. The route passes through the manicured fields and hunting country of the Chilterns, then plunges into that was once the deeply industrial, polluted but still productive Black Country, before emerging into Shropshire, now essentially rural but where the Industrial Revolution may be said to have originated. As the line approaches the important junction of picturesque Shrewsbury, possessor of a station built out over the River Severn and the largest traditionally worked signal box in the world, the Welsh mountains appear on the western horizon. The line then enters the Principality before returning to England at Chester, and the final stretch, along the banks of the Mersey, to journey's end.
A Visual History of Motorhomes
Explore over a century of motorhome evolution, from early designs to the modern leisure vehicle boom.Following on from Andrew's A Visual History of Caravans, this new title takes a look at the motorhome's heritage, spanning over 100 years. The motorhome is a popular leisure vehicle with an ever-growing demand in the UK as well as abroad. From the early designs often built by one-man bands, this book shows how the motorhome was to evolve in the 1920s but was to be outsold by the popularity of the touring caravan. Images from all decades are mainly from the author's own vast archives, while some have been loaned and supplied from motorhome industry personnel. These pictures demonstrate how the motorhome developed with the advent of smaller chassis cabs from the 1950s major manufacturers such as Bedford, Austin, Morris and Ford.Covering UK-brand motorhomes as well imported models, the book shows how different UK tastes were to the imported makes. Although not an A-Z of motorhomes book, the author has chosen images that represent as many manufacturers as possible. Andrew includes some rare images of coachbuilt motorhomes and shows how the motorhome boom began in the mid-1960s. With the further development of chassis cab designs in the 70s with brands such as Commer, Toyota and Leyland more manufacturers of motorhomes would emerge as the boom carried on.Caravan's International motorised division was re-named Autohomes, and became the biggest UK manufacturer of coachbuilt motorhomes, going on to also be built in Germany. Well-known maker Dormobile concentrated on campervans, though several coachbuilt motorhomes such as the classic-looking Debonair were produced. From those early days, A Visual History of Motorhomes will make interesting reading to motorhome users, showing how the leisure vehicle took shape.
Vorsprung
From a rebellious engineer in Kaiser-era Germany to a silicon-smart contender on the 2026 Formula 1 grid, Vorsprung traces 125 years of Audi with the verve of a turbo spool and the precision of a CNC mill. It opens in brass-era Zwickau, where August Horch coins "Audi" in Latin, and closes in carbon-negative factories humming with solid-state batteries. Along the way you'll witness snow-flung quattro rallies, Bauhaus design revolutions, Dieselgate reckonings and electric‐desert triumphs at Dakar.Every chapter marries narrative drama with engineering clarity. Board-room battles unfold beside exploded-view breakdowns of five-cylinder turbos; Le Mans night stints segue into thermodynamic deep-dives on FSI injection. Vivid anecdotes-Michele Mouton spraying champagne in Sanremo, Tom Kristensen chasing dawn at Le Sarthe, Carlos Sainz surfing dunes in a series-hybrid buggy-bring life to torque curves and CAD drawings. Exclusive interviews with designers, racers and sustainability chiefs reveal the thinking behind aluminium space frames, sphere concepts and Mission: Zero carbon plans.Illustrated by a curated gallery of landmark models and anchored in rigorous sourcing, Vorsprung is both a gear-head's feast and a strategist's case study. Whether you're drawn to roaring V16 Silver Arrows, whisper-quiet e-trons or the algorithms steering tomorrow's robo-taxis, this book shows how Audi keeps its rings shining in an era where speed, software and sustainability must coexist.
How to Build a High-Performance Mazda Miata MX-5, 2nd Edition
Build the Miata of your dreams with this all-encompassing, photo-illustrated modification guide. Across four generations and for more than three decades, Mazda's Miata MX-5 has proven itself one of the most popular and versatile sports cars ever created. Its ability to fulfill any goal from street cruising to on-track competition has spawned an extensive performance aftermarket, making it possible for owners to build their dream Miata. In fact, the selection of parts is so broad that it can be difficult for many would-be builders to select and tune the proper combination to achieve their MX-5 goals. Enter author, MX-5 expert, and Flyin' Miata co-owner Keith Tanner and How to Build a High-Performance Mazda Miata MX-5. This thorough manual--revised and updated throughout to cover the fourth-generation Miata--will guide you through how to best modify your car to suit your goals. Key chapters in the book cover: Engine management systems, intake/exhaust, and forced inductionClutch and transmissionSuspension and handlingBraking, wheels, and tiresBody and chassisEngine swapsBeginning with a modification philosophy, Tanner then discusses which upgrades will help you reach your goals and how to tune your MX-5 to maximize its potential. From cross-country touring to autocross to track racing, the Miata can do it all and How to Build a High-Performance Mazda Miata MX-5 ensures you know how to make it happen!
New Ford Bronco Perf Modifications
In 1966, when Ford launched its first-generation Bronco, the other Detroit manufacturers didn't produce anything quite like it. The new little Bronco had utility and charm, and it was more refined than the Jeep of the era. Beginning in 1978, Bronco chassis mirrored the F-150 until 1996. At that time, market forces dictated a change to a vehicle that was more practical, such as the Ford Expedition, which replaced the Bronco.In response to consumer demand and nostalgia, an entirely new generation of Bronco was launched in 2021. However, the planning process began several years later. Ford confirmed the return of the Bronco at the 2017 North American International Auto Show and spent the next four years building excitement for the vehicle's launch.In New Ford Bronco: Performance Modifications, off-road veteran and expert Don Alexander assembled this guide, which includes options to make the new Bronco an even more capable vehicle. Covered are model histories, suspension, brakes, tires, electronics, tops, armor, recovery, drivelines, overlanding, and more. If you already have a Bronco that you want to modify or you are thinking about purchasing one in the future and want to know your options, this guide is vital.
Turbo
The photos in this edition are black and white.Turbochargers are incredibly appealing to performance enthusiasts because of their ability to add free horsepower - and lots of it - to almost any engine or vehicle. Today, it seems easier than ever for the average gearhead to harness the incredible power-building capability of turbochargers. Those who want to increase the performance of their existing turbo system, or those who want to add a turbo to an existing engine, have never had so many components, vendors, and information resources to choose from. Unfortunately, this wealth of options and opinions can be hard to understand and navigate. That's where Turbo: Real World High-Performance Turbocharger Systems comes in. This book is the most complete, detailed, up-to-date resource on anything and everything to do with turbochargers. Whether you're running gas or diesel, 4, 6, 8, or more cylinders, this book will teach you to design, test, install, and maintain your high-performance turbo system. You'll learn how turbochargers work, how to choose the right turbo or turbos for your engine by reading flow maps, and how to tune your engine to run perfectly with your turbo system. Author Jay Miller uses more than 300 photos and the perfect blend of technical and common-sense information to help you build boost fast and make more horsepower and torque. He discusses the various components of a turbocharger and explains how to decode complicated turbocharger model numbers, compressor maps, and other specs. If you run into problems with your turbo system, there's also a detailed chapter on failure analysis to help you figure out what went wrong and how to fix it.
How To Restore Your Volkswagen Beetle
The photos in this edition are black and white.It's about time a thorough, hands-on restoration book has been authored by authorities who know the Beetle like the back of their hands. With this book, you will have everything you need to bring your old or new Beetle project back to life. Perhaps the most charismatic automobile ever, the Volkswagen Beetle was the longest-running, most-manufactured automobile on a single platform of all time. From 1938 to 2003, more than 21.5 million "Bugs" were assembled, distributed, and sold on nearly every continent in the world. Throughout the Beetle's successful run, many of these cars have been relegated to project car status due to their age or condition. Airkooled Kustoms, a VW restoration shop in Hazel Green, Alabama, brings its expertise in restoring these cars to book form with this all-encompassing compilation. Restoring your Beetle is covered through step-by-step sequences from unbolting that first nut through polishing the paint on your freshly restored Bug. The specialists at Airkooled Kustoms walk you through the proper disassembly methods, restoring versus replacing components, and reassembling your restored Bug, covering everything related to the body, undercarriage, and interior along the way.
The Pioneer Route and Electric Railways of Northeast Ohio
The Pioneer Route and Electric Railways of Northeast Ohio presents mass transit in the nineteenth- and twentieth-century urban United States from a business history perspective. Starting in the 1890s, a revolution in transportation--interurbans--emerged from Ohio's largest cities and, within a single decade, extended throughout the surrounding countryside. These systems of interconnecting electric railways were made possible by a favorable political and business culture and fed by an insatiable demand. Driven by a growing population and the desire for efficient transportation services, nascent business organizations acquired the cash, approval of local governments, and essential support of the incipient electrical goods manufacturing industry. In all of this, Ohio would be the leader. Ohio's people, businesses, and resources cultivated the emergence of the electric railway industry to a scale unsurpassed elsewhere in the US. The rise and fall of one of its' largest systems, the Cleveland, Southwestern & Columbus Railway, demonstrates how this marvel of transportation engineering and business acumen developed in Ohio and the effect it had on the Cleveland metropolitan region. Known originally as the Pioneer Route, the Cleveland, Southwestern & Columbus Railway was constructed by a group of investors, bankers, promoters, and industrialists. The CS&C is an ideal example of how an interurban led the way to the development of a modern rural infrastructure in the region.
How to Hop Up Chevrolet & GMC Engines
This Roger Huntington classic will help you understand how things were done in 1951! This book is a reprint of the original edition first published in 1951. Some of the items covered are speed tuning theory and practice, building costs, as well as horsepower and torque specifications for 1937-54 Chevrolet 6 cylinder engines, including the 228, 248, and 270 GMC engines. Procedures and components detailed include fitting the block, stock and special Wayne and Horning cylinder heads, rocker arms, pushrods, cams, boring for larger pistons, rings, drilled crank-shafts, intake manifolds, exhaust headers, ignitions and superchargers.Also highlighted are classic speed equipment components developed and manufactured by Barker, Belond, Besasie, Champion, Clark, Edelbrock, Edmunds, Chet Herbert, Hilborn, Horning, Howard, Iskenderian, Italmeccanica, JE Pistons, Mallory, McGurk, Newhouse, Nicson, Spalding, Tattersfield, Venolia, Vertex, Wayne, Wico and Zoller.Explanation of the Chevy power family is included, as well as the path to power, block modification and assembly, estimating horsepower, and planning the job to get the most performance for your money. Clearances and general operating instructions are provided for the Wayne-equipped engine. Whether you want to hop up your Chevrolet 6 for a period correct build, or are just curious about how things were done in 1951, this little guide will be a fun addition to your library.
