Impact of the Railway on Society in Britain

Jack Simmons, perhaps more than any other scholar, is responsible for the advancement of the academic study of transport history. As well as being a co-founder of the "Journal of Transport History", he wrote extensively on a variety of transport related topics and was instrumental in developing the London Transport and the National Railway museums. Whilst his death in September 2000 at the age of 85, was a sad loss to the world of transport history, the achievements of his life, highlighted by this festschrift, remain a lasting legacy to succeeding generations of historians. Concentrating on the theme of the railways, and how they dramatically affected the development of Britain and her society, this collection touches on numerous issues first highlighted by Professor Simmons which are now mainstays of academic study. These include the men who built the railways, those who financed the enterprise, how the railways affected such everyday issues as tourism, the arts, sport and politics, as well as the lasting legacy of the railways in a country now dominated by the private car. This volume written by former friends, students and colleagues of Professor Simmons reflects these interests, and offers a tribute to a man regarded by many as one of the truly great British historians of the 20th century.