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→Railways: ref to review of Engines of change in latest Journal
Given the fact and detail that ooze from every page, it is reassuring that there are endnotes for each chapter, an exhaustive (11 page) bibliography and an index, although there is no listing by name of the 45 or so railway administrations (or groupings) that existed in the imperial period nor one of the 16 zones that currently make up Indian Railways. There is also scant coverage of the railways of the Princely States.
With the caveat that there is no personal or genealogical data covered, this is a compelling and enjoyable read, wholeheartedly recommended, but maybe a bit pricey in the UK. (The full review by Hugh Wilding, FIBIS Trustee, appears in FIBIS "Journal" no. 22 (Autumn 2009), pp. 54-56)
This is the latest in the series of handy guides to sources being produced by the Families in British India Society. Inspired by the discovery that a great grandfather had been an employee of the Indian Railways, the author has over the past fifteen years made himself thoroughly acquainted with all UK sources for researching ancestors connected with the Indian railway system. After an introduction which includes an article by Anthony West, another FIBIS researcher in this field, Wilding provides comprehensive lists of the relevant UK archives covering not only the India Office Records, but also The National Archives, the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and the Centre of South Asian Studies. There is also a very full book list, a glossary, and – something which has probably never before been attempted – a complete finding list of railways known to have operated in India between 1853 and 1947. (reviewed by David Blake, FIBIS Trustee)
==Communications==
