Track Research

My preliminary test of wooden track has led me to further investigations into wooden track and early metal track designs and usage. It has been very interesting and provided me with a fuller understanding of the development of the railway track to the current design. I have also been surprised by how the vocabulary and track part designations dates back to the very earliest railways and plateways. Two books have been particular helpful.

A snapshot of the two books providing a wealth of info on track history and development. As a coincident the most recent newsletter of the Danish Industrial Railway Society had an article on wooden track.

Much info is packed into the above books. "Early Wooden Railways" by M. Lewis deals with the railways' ancient ancestors; wooden railways in primarily mining service. In "The Railway - British Track Since 1804" Andrew Dow takes over as mechanical traction on the tracks was introduced.The books really are a winning combination. As companions they describe tracked transport systems from the middle ages to modern high-speed lines today. I recommend both titles to any enthusiast with a serious interest in railway track.