A HISTORY OF SPANISH RAILWAYS: VOLUME ONE - EUZKADI, NAVARRA AND EASTERN CANTABRIA

A dense rural and urban population, rich farmland, abundant timber resources, and diverse and plentiful minerals were all factors that contrived to endow the four provinces of Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa, Áraba and Navarra with numerous and varied rail-based transport systems. In this book we trace the history of these railways. Starting with the 1,674 mm gauge trunk line from Madrid to the French border - a phenomenal engineering feat completed in just eight years - and its branch from Miranda del Ebro to Bilbao, we subsequently examine the evolution of the great complementary web of metre gauge public railways, many of which are still with us. Separate chapters are devoted to the urban and interurban tramways, funiculars and public lifts of Donostia and Bilbao. Finally, we consider the plethora of industrial and mineral transport systems - railways, inclined planes, ropeways, endless chain railways - and even a monorail!