The book, The Pictorial Encyclopedia of Railways, represents a comprehensive collection of railway photographs that documents the evolution of railways from the first Babylonian "rutways" to the modern 100 mph monorail passenger trains.  This book also tells the story of the social impact of railways, the opening up of unpopulated deserts, the use of trains in support of military strategy and its furtherance of the industrial revolution.  In addition, "The Pictorial Encyclopedia of Railways" relates the inside story of railways themselves including the development of steam, electric and diesel locomotives along with a review of the infastructure features including tracks, bridges, railway architecture, signaling systems and viaducts.  The major sections of "The Pictorial Encyclopedia of Railways" is as follows: 1) Introduction; 2) Primeval Steam; 3) Victorian Steam; 4) Railway Conquest; 5) Railway Buildings; 6) Carriage Design; 7) Steam Locomotives of the 20th Century; 8) Tracks, Bridges and Viaducts; 9) Electric Main Lines; 10) Mountain Railways; 11) Passenger and Freight Handling; 12) City Railways; 13) Main Line Diesels; 14) Railway Miscellany; 15) Signals and Telegraphs; 16) Acknowledgements and 17) Index.  In addition to the 30,000 words of informative narrative, "The Pictorial Encyclopedia of Railways" includes over 800 black & white and color photographs.  "The Pictorial Encyclopedia of Railways" is an important reference book that is sure to appeal to both railway historian and train enthusiasts alike.  This book is 591 pages and is in excellent condition.  The author is Hamilton Ellis.  Edition published in 1976.