In these frustrating days of modern electric trains and light rail, it is hard to remember
the smell of coal smoke, the hiss of steam, and sting of cinders flying into your eyes
as you hung out a window. There was romance then, whether travelling for work or
pleasure being on a steam train was a daily experience.
Artist John Bradley has been painting fabulous pictures of trains for 47 years and
now he has used these images with his passion for the olden days has bound stories
from drivers and gangers, stokers and crossing guards, their families and everyone
in between, to create a collection of adventures that tell in their authentic voices of
the funny, dramatic and hilarious times of a world long past.
This is an epic book about the steam locomotives of Australia from the earliest days.
It is a picture book as well as a reference book that is brimming with facts figures
but also information about where they operated or still operate plus minute details
which often fascinate the railway historian. The book is laced with brilliant colour
plates of John’s steam train paintings to emphasise various points and the selection
includes some of the most famous of the steam trains ever to be built in Australia"
If you are passionate about steam locomotives, or know someone who is, then Living
Steam is the perfect companion.
John Bradley takes readers into the fascinating and grand story of steam
transportation over ten vital decades of transformation in Australias history. This
book is so much more than a history or a set of lists, it is about the great tapestry of
transport weaved by the steam locomotive, and John details how the nation was
galvanised with economic growth delivered by steam.
John tracks key steam locomotives that traversed Australia during critical stages of
our nations development and transported soldiers to fields of conflict as we fought in
two world wars.
For a century, from 1850 to 1950, steam locomotive haulage dominated Australias
various rail systems and, during that period, rail networks expanded from a few short
routes in the big capital cities to huge networks reaching every corner of each state.
The book also covers the great named express trains hauled by steam locomotives
over the decades: Puffing Billy, The Ghan and 3801.
This new train book is titled “Living Steam” with 100 pages packed with including 35
of his train paintings including “Puffing Billy” and “Sydney Bound”
A superb hard-cover book by artist John A Bradley covering the history of rail in
Australia. John is an authority on this fascinating subject. 100 pages his paintings of
trains and black and white images and an incredible amount of information.