Fifty-eight years old. Retired academic with business/management background. Educated at Queen's University Belfast in earth sciences at graduate level and business (MBA) at post-grad level. Manager for several years in public transport industry, then went into academia for more than 20 years. Involved in railway preservation in Northern Ireland at management level. Have written two books on transport subjects and a third on the stocks. Keen photographer, varied subjects. Very wide range of interests and this is reflected in my library. Just finished a number of Terry Pratchet books I received for C'mas. Loved them! Currently reading a book on the 1957-8 International Geophysical Year. very wide musical tastes from Opeth to Mozart. Making a tentative foray into fiction with the three-headed dragon. Have a second fiction in preparation and will carry it forward if THD gets a good response here.

My passion is ...

Reading

I know too much about ...

Railways

My parents always told me ...

Always have a go. You can do anything if you try hard enough.

My childhood ambition ...

To go to university

My favorite memory ...

The book launch of my first book in 2000

Why I write ...

For enjoyment

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

Terry Pratchett books I received for C'mas

My first job ...

Manager in local bus company

My best moment ...

Publication of my first book

My inspiration ...

The world around me.

Arts & Humanities > History (Other) History of the steam locomotive

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A short history of Irish steam railmotors and railcars

Introduction
From the late 1840s, a number of combined engines and carriages, so-called Steam Carriages' were built for light passenger work in various parts of the British Isles

The original reason for using such vehicles was that in the early days of railways little passenger traffic existed as people had not yet become used to the idea of travelling by train. It was found that a small engine with its own permanently attached carriage capable of hauling when necessary an additional vehicle or two was sufficient for what traff...

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