Two Centuries of Railway Signalling: 2nd Edition: 0 - Tapa dura

First published in 1998 and quickly reprinted, this new and fully revised second edition will be warmly welcomed by all enthusiasts. This detailed history of the development of railway signalling from the earliest days through to the introduction of the disc and crossbar signal, to semaphores and colour lights and all the modern communications systems of the 1990s is compiled by two highly regarded railway authors who have had a life-long interest in signalling and safe operation of the railway. They show that Britain's railways, already the safest form of travel, continue to strive for absolute safety but, despite the best part of 200 years of experience it is still possible for things to go disastrously wrong!

Alan Williams writes a column in Modern Railways magazine.