The subject of the book is the history of the planned use of Polish railway infrastructure during the Cold War as part of the strategic plans of the Warsaw Pact. Analysing both technical and operational issues related to railway military transportation in a historical perspective, the author presents the history of the military transportation service of the Polish Army and provides a detailed characteristics of the organizational structure, equipment and tasks of the military transportation units and railway troops. The book also deals with rail transports of the Soviet Army on the Polish State Railways. The work is not only the result of archival queries and interviews with retired officers of the military transportation service but also field research of railway infrastructure.

Includes 4 figures, 13 maps and 4 tables. Renowned Military Historian Dr Christopher Gabel investigates the effects of the Railroad on the strategies employed by both the Union and Confederate Generals of the Civil War. According to an old saying, “amateurs study tactics: professionals study logistics.” Any serious student of the military profession will know that logistics constantly shape military affairs and sometimes even dictate strategy and tactics. This excellent monograph by Dr. Christopher Gabel shows that the appearance of the steam-powered railroad had enormous implications for military logistics, and thus for strategy, in the American Civil War. Not surprisingly, the side that proved superior in “railroad generalship,” or the utilization of the railroads for military purposes, was also the side that won the war.

This manual, “Army Rail Operations,” describes the organizations, processes, procedures, and systems involved in the rail operations across the military spectrum. The focus of this manual is for the reader to gain an understanding of the Army rail system and how it functions. Rail transport operations in developed nations are considered to be a HN-provided service. In contingency areas, US rail units may have to be employed to support the theater of operations. This Field Manual sets forth transportation rail doctrine and organizational structure. It is written to explain the functions of rail transport operations service in a theater of operations. It provides basic information for commanders and staffs of supporting units and for staff officers of high HQ. It is also intended to serve as a text for student instruction and training of rail unit personnel. There are found primary functions of rail transport operations for military and commercial railways. These include train operation, maintenance of way, maintenance of equipment and train control.

The culmination of decades of nationalist aspiration and cynical Realpolitik, the Second War of Italian Unification saw Italy transformed from a patchwork of minor states dominated by the Habsburg Austrians into a unified kingdom under the Piedmontese House of Savoy. Unlike many existing accounts, which approach the events of 1859–61 from a predominantly French perspective, this study draws upon a huge breadth of sources to examine the conflict as a critical event in Italian history. A concise explanation of the origins of the war is followed by a wide-ranging survey of the forces deployed and the nature and course of the fighting – on land and at sea – and the consequences for those involved are investigated. This is a groundbreaking study of a conflict that was of critical significance not only for Italian history but also for the development of 19th-century warfare.

Over 4,100 total pages ... Just a sample of the contents: 256 page Army TRAIN RAILROAD RAILCAR Manual FULL TITLE: MAINTENANCE OF RAILWAY CARS. Published by the Department of the Army on 28 August 1972 (current). 174 page U.S. Technical RAILROAD Design FULL TITLE: Technical Instructions: Railroad Design and Rehabilitation. Published 1 March 2000. 207 page U.S. Navy RAILROAD Handbook FULL TITLE: NAVY RAILWAY OPERATING HANDBOOK, 207 pages. Published by the Department of the Navy, June 1999. U.S. Army RAILROAD LOCOMOTIVE Operations Manual FULL TITLE: RAILWAY OPERATING AND SAFETY RULES. Published by the Department of the Army on 17 July 1989. 139 page Army RAILROAD Rolling Stock Manual Six Lessons; 139 pages on CD-ROM. FULL TITLE: RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK. Published by the Department of the Army on 1 June 1997. 274 page B-B-160 LOCOMOTIVE Operator Manual FULL TITLE: OPERATOR AND UNIT MAINTENANCE MANUAL - LOCOMOTIVE, DIESEL-ELECTRIC, 56-1/2-INCH GAGE, 80-TON, 670 HP, 0-4-4-0 WHEEL, MODEL B-B-160/160-4GE747-A1. Published by the Department of the Army on 22 May 1991. 268 page Army BALDWIN LIMA Locomotive Manual FULL TITLE: OPERATOR AND UNIT MAINTENANCE MANUAL LOCOMOTIVE, DIESEL-ELECTRIC, 56-1/2-INCH GAGE, 60 TON, 500 HP, 0-4-4-0 WHEEL, MODEL RS-4-TC-1A. Published by the Department of the Army on 8 January 1987. 419 page Army GE B-B-160 Locomotive Manual FULL TITLE: INTERMEDIATE DIRECT SUPPORT AND INTERMEDIATE GENERAL SUPPORT MAINTENANCE MANUAL LOCOMOTIVE, DIESEL-ELECTRIC, 56-1/2-INCH GAGE, 80-TON, 670 HP, 0-4-4-0 WHEEL, MODEL B-B-160/160-4GE747-A1. Published by the Department of the Army on 21 July 1987. 396 page B-B-160 LOCOMOTIVE Parts Manual FULL TITLE: UNIT, INTERMEDIATE DIRECT SUPPORT AND GENERAL SUPPORT REPAIR PARTS AND SPECIAL TOOLS LIST LOCOMOTIVE, DIESEL-ELECTRIC, 56-1/2-INCH GAGE, 80-TON, 670 HP, 0-4-4-0 WHEEL, MODEL B-B-160/160-4GE747-A1 NSN 2210-01-158-2980. Published by the Department of the Army on 31 March 1993. 90 page 1955 Davenport LOCOMOTIVE Maintenance Manual FULL TITLE: LOCOMOTIVE DIESEL ELECTRIC 56½ GAGE, 44 TON 0-4-4-0, 400 HP DAVENPORT BESLER Published by the Department of the Army on 8 November 1955.