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Home | The Machines | The Presenters | The Experts | Find out more
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Amphicar | Biber submarine | Combine harvester | Fireboat | Hovercraft | M10 tank | Model T Ford | Scammell Scarab | Snow Trac | Steam crane | Steam lorry | Tram | Credits
Books | Websites | Organisations
Ways of the World: A history of the world's roads and of the vehicles that used them by M G Lay (Rutgers University Press, 1992) USA edition only, available through online bookshops.
This starts with the footpath, goes on to the technology of asphalt and bridge-building, including a list of extant Roman arched bridges, and also covers the internal combustion engine and its predecessors.
Association for Industrial Archaeology
www.industrial-archaeology.org.uk/
The national organisation for people who share an interest in Britain's industrial past and are working to protect its industrial heritage.
British Engineerium
www.britishengineerium.com/
A beautifully restored working Victorian pumping station and museum of mechanical antiquities with a magnificent collection of steam-driven engines. Located in East Sussex.
Old Glory Magazine
www.oldglory.co.uk
Magazine for anyone interested in the restoration of old machinery, with beautiful colour images of engines past and present.
National Motor Museum
www.beaulieu.co.uk
In the heart of the New Forest the National Motor Museum houses a collection of over 250 classic motor vehicles.
Subterranea Britannica
www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/index.shtml
Champions and documents all types of underground space, from deneholes to dugouts and from souterrains to subways.
Chiltern Open Air Museum
Newland Park
Gorelands Lane
Chalfont St Giles
Bucks HP8 4AB
Tel: 01494 871117
www.coam.org.uk/
A fascinating collection of over 30 historic buildings, including barns, granaries, labourers' cottages, a chapel and a village hall, toll house, a reconstructed Iron Age house and a fully furnished 1940s prefab. They also have a 1927 steamroller and several diesel rollers.
Royal Armouries Museum
Armouries Drive
Leeds LS10 1LT
Tel: 0113 220 1916
E-mail: enquiries@armouries.org.uk
www.armouries.org.uk/
The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds opened in 1996 as the new home for the national collection of arms and armour, and has five themed galleries covering war, tournament, self-defence, hunting and the arms and armour of the Orient as well as lots of live events.
Amphicar.com
www.amphicar.com/
The official website of the International Amphicar Owners Club, with loads of info and links to national clubs.
Amphicar.net
www.amphicar.net/
A much more irreverent American site with some great history. Did you know that the original floating car was a steam boat/lorry dating from 1805?
Amphicars.com
www.amphicars.com/
David Chapman, Salvage Squad's Amphi owner, has his own website that's worth checking out for all things Amphi going on in the UK.
All the Amphibious Vehicles in the world
www.amphibiousvehicle.net/
A rather spookily-designed Dutch site in English (sort of) with links to dozens of amphibious vehicle sites worldwide.
Fleet Support Limited
www.fleet-support.co.uk
Website of the company that repairs ships for the Royal Navy, who provided workshops and expert advice to help Salvage Squad restore the Biber submarine.
Hitler's Lost Sub
www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lostsub/hist1939.html
Over 400 years of submarine history from 1580 to 2000. Also has some excellent black and white images of submarines and U-boats.
How an Automobile Torpedo Works
www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lostsub/torpworks.html
Ever wondered How an Torpedo Works? Now's your chance to find out on this excellent site, with nice, simple diagrams.
Ian Clark Restoration
www.ianclarkrestoration.com
Website of Ian Clark, the submarine expert on the programme.
Imperial War Museum, Duxford
www.iwm.org.uk/duxford/naval1.htm
The X-Craft exhibition tells the story of the development and use of midget submarines during the Second World War.
Imperial War Museum, London – Submarines
www.iwm.org.uk/lambeth/wotson2.htm
A hands-on exhibition for kids on submarines which runs through 2004.
Royal Navy Submarine Museum
www.rnsubmus.co.uk
Houses a number of subs, the German Biber is one and HMS X24 another. The website includes the history of World War Two submarines.
Rumic UK
www.rumic.co.uk/SubRescue/UKSRS.html
UK Submarine Rescue Service whose chief pilot, Tom Heron, piloted Salvage Squad's restored submarine.
100 Years of Royal Navy Submarines by Jeremy Flack (Crowood Press, 2002)
Story of the evolution of the Royal Navy's submarines over the last century. Each class is illustrated and described in detail. This volume shows the transition from that submersible gunship to killer subs seeking out targets and launching torpedoes from beneath the surface.
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Midget Submarines of the Second World War by Paul Kemp (Caxton Editions, 2003)
In-depth text by the leading author in the field, covering the development and operational history of the human torpedoes, submersibles and midget submarines of Italy, Germany, Japan and Great Britain. Includes data tables, operational summaries and a collection of illustrations such as rare Italian photographs, and a separate set of large-scale plans for model-makers of the British X-Craft and the German Seehund.
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Underwater Warriors: The fighting history of midget submarines by Paul Kemp (Cassell Military, 2000)
The fascinating and elite world of secret naval units, the frogmen and commandos who waged war with midget submarines and human torpedoes, their machines and the dramatic actions they fought under impossible conditions.
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An Illustrated History of Combine Harvesters by J Wilkie (Ian Allan Publishing Ltd, 2001)
Traces the development of the combine harvester and its antecedents from the earliest days of mechanisation to the modern age.
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Harvesting Machinery (Shire Album) by Roy Brigden (Shire Publications Ltd, 1989)
Mechanical means of helping with the hard work of bringing in the crops were first used in Roman times but the story of harvesting machinery really belongs to the 19th and 20th centuries.
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Massey Ferguson
www.masseyferguson.com/mfagcomain/
The official Massey Ferguson website, which includes information on modern machines as well as an account of the history of the company and its machines, right back to the 19th century.
London Fire Brigade Museum
www.london-fire.gov.uk/about_us/visit_our_museum.asp
Information on the history of firefighting from the Great Fire of London in 1666 to the present day. Part of the London Fire Brigade's site.
National Registry of Historic Vessels
www.nhsc.org.uk/NRHV/index.cfm
A database maintained by the National Maritime Museum and the National Historic Ships Committee. The site hosts a discussion group and searchable database.
The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships
www.adls.org.uk
The aim of the association is to keep as many of the original Dunkirk Little Ships afloat for as long as possible. The site includes a long article on the Massey Shaw.
The Massey Shaw
www.thames.org.uk/pages/massey.html
Website of the Massey Shaw & Marine Vessels Preservation Trust, with the full story of this fireboat and contact details for those who want to see it in action.
Great Fires of London by Neil Wallington (Sutton Publishing, 2001)
Historical account of the life and times of firefighters of the London Fire Brigade, from its origins in 1833 right through to its work in the 21st century.
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Fireboats by Paul C Ditzel (Fire Buff House, 1986) Out of print
An introduction to the history of fireboats.
Griffon Hovercraft
www.griffonhovercraft.com
Website of John Gifford, the hovercraft expert on the Salvage Squad programme. His company produces the largest range of hovercraft available in the world today.
Hovercraft Club of Great Britain
www.hovercraft.org.uk/hcgb.htm
Encourages the safe operation of light hovercraft for sport and recreation and provides assistance in the design and construction of sporting hovercraft. The site has lots of info with pages for those who would like to have a go at building their own, plus links to sellers of craft and kits.
Hovercraft Consultants Ltd
www.hovercraftconsultants.co.uk/
Designs and manufactures skirts for hovercraft, and helped restore the Salvage Squad machine.
Hovercraft Museum Trust
www.hovercraft-museum.org
Online encyclopaedia describing the history of hovercraft.
Hovercraft on the Isle of Wight
www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A471412
BBC history of the hovercraft, including the Cockerell-designed research vessel first launched on the Isle of Wight in 1959.
NASA for Kids: How air pressure affects you
http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/archive/air_pressure/
All about air pressure, atmospheric and otherwise.
Resistive Force of Friction
www.school-for-champions.com/science/friction.htm
Good page on the physics of friction from the School for Champions site.
Scrapheap Challenge 2002
www.channel4.com/science/microsites/S/scrapheap2002/ challenges/Hovercraft/index.html
Step back in time with the Scrapheap Challenge teams that had to build a hulking great hovercraft machine that could race at speed over a testing course of land and water.
Sir Christopher Cockerell
www.hythe-hants.org.uk/pages/famous/cockerill_biog.htm
Nice tribute to the British inventor of the hovercraft who started testing his theory in 1955 using an empty Kit-e-Kat cat food tin inside a coffee tin, an industrial air blower and a pair of kitchen scales.
Jane's Surface Skimmers: Hovercraft and hydrofoils edited by Roy McLeavy (S Low, 1971) out of print
Part of a series about hovercraft and similar vehicles.
The Hovercraft by Alan Blunden (Ladybird Books, 1985) out of print
A history of the hovercraft.
The Tank Museum
www.tankmuseum.org
Website of the UK National Tank Collection in Bovington, Dorset, which gives an outline of their collection and the regular special events plus an extremely detailed links page.
The War and Peace Show
www.thewarandpeaceshow.com/
Huge military vehicle show organised by Rex Cadman, the owner of the M10 tank restored by Salvage Squad. The show is held in July at Paddock Wood, Kent. The site includes lots of links.
The Military Vehicle Trust
www.mvt.org.uk
UK-based charitable organisation with worldwide membership. MVT members own vehicles from before the First World War to the present day, from bicycles to tanks. There is a fee of £25 to join but this includes a subscription to their magazine Windscreen and regular newsletters.
Military Vehicles Mailing List
http://skylee.com/mil-veh.html
A military vehicle forum covering the operation, maintenance and restoration of privately owned military vehicles all over the world. Participants range from complete newcomers to real experts with years of experience.
The M10 and M36 Tank Destroyers 1942-53 by Steven J Saloga (Osprey Publishing, 2002)
Comprehensive illustrated book covering the design, development and history of both the M10 and the M36 tanks.
Get this book
British and American Tanks of World War Two: The complete illustrated history of British, American and Commonwealth tanks, 1939-45 (Arms & Armour) by Peter Chamberlain and Chris Ellis (Weidenfeld & Nicholson Military, 2000)
An illustrated history of British, American and Commonwealth tanks, gun motor carriages and special-purpose vehicles between 1939 and 1945.
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Jane's World War II Tanks and Fighting Vehicles: The complete guide by Leland Ness (Collins, 2002)
Encyclopaedia of all the combat vehicles of World War II, from Somaliland to Japan. The profiles include technical specifications and the vehicles' strengths of design and limitations. The book is highly illustrated with maps, photographs and diagrams.
Get this book
Classic Military Vehicle Magazine
Kelsey Publishing Ltd
PO Box 13
Westerham
Kent TN16 3WT
E-mail: cmv.info@kelsey.co.uk
Website: www.cmvmag.co.uk
Detailed articles and features on both modern and historic military vehicles from the Great War right up to date. Published monthly on the second Friday of each month, available through newsagents and by subscription: £36.30 (UK); £41.80 (Europe); £ 47.30 (rest of world).
Beyond the Model T: The other ventures of Henry Ford by Ford R Bryan (Wayne State University Press, 1997)
An enthusiastic entrepreneur, Henry Ford launched projects in a multitude of areas, from education to rubber production. Bryan presents an unknown Henry Ford, focusing on his experimental and business enterprises.
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Brooklands: The complete motor racing history by William Boddy (Motor Racing Publications, 2001)
Definitive history of the world's first purpose-built motor racing course. The author first visited Brooklands as a child in the 1920s and quickly became a fixture at the track, where motor racing and motor industry testing took place, until World War II brought it all to a halt in 1939.
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Farewell to Model T: From sea to shining sea by E B White (Little Bookroom, 2003)
The early 20th-century writer pays tribute to the Model T Ford, describing its unique qualities and imperfections, and the exhilaration of driving the automobile across America as a young man.
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The Model T Ford by Jonathan Wood (Shire Publications, 1999)
Fully illustrated with many rare contemporary photographs from the Ford archives, this charts the model's 19-year evolution and explains how this quirky, ingenious motor car put the world on wheels.
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The Model T Ford: The car that changed the world by Bruce W McCalley (Krause, 1994)
Traces the evolution of the 'Tin Lizzie' from 1908-1927, debunks popular myths, provides data on specific Model T parts, lists engine serial numbers by day of production, and provides over 1,000 photos.
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Model T: How Henry Ford built a legend by David Weitzman (Crown Books, 2002)
Meticulously documents the development of the assembly line and the many innovations and adaptations Ford put to use in making his famous 'Tin Lizzie'. With detailed drawings and fascinating quotes from Ford employees, this gives young readers a look at a mechanical genius in action.
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The Story of Model T Fords by David K Wright (Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2002)
Surveys the history of the Model T, the car that brought motoring to ordinary people.
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Brooklands
www.brooklandstrack.co.uk/index.htm
The story of Brooklands, with photographs and biographies of drivers including Malcolm Campbell, Parry Thomas and Henry Segrave.
Brooklands Museum
www.brooklandsmuseum.com/motoring_history.cfm
The world's first purpose-built motor racing circuit in Surrey was the centre of British motor sport for three decades.
Channel 4 – Speed Machines
www.channel4.com/science/microsites/S/speedmachines/
Follows the story of eight battles to design and build the fastest car, ship, plane, boat and train. Follow the twists and turns of each land speed record race with timelines of the crucial events and images of classic cars like Malcolm Campbell's Bluebird.
Landracing
www.landracing.com/news/history.htm
Lists land speed records from 1813 to 2001, with images of most of the vehicles, including the Bluebird, driven by Malcolm Campbell.
The Life of Henry Ford
www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/hf/
Excellent biographical information on Henry Ford and his Ford Motor Company.
Model T Ford Register of Great Britain
www.t-ford.co.uk
Club for Ford Model T enthusiasts with a diary of events, a links page to other clubs and online images of the cars.
Mechanical Horses by Bill Aldridge (Trans Pennine Publishing, 2000)
The remarkable story of the mechanical horse and its contribution to modern logistics is told by a leading transport historian.
Get this book
Keighley and Worth Valley Railway Experience by R Higgins (Keighley and Worth Valley Railway Preservation Society, 1990)
Information on the restored 5-mile branch line which joins the national railway network at Keighley in west Yorkshire and runs up the Worth Valley.
Get this book
Abc British Locomotives 1944: Southern Railway, Great Western Railway, London Midland & Scottish Railway, London & North Eastern Railway by Ian Allan and A B Macleod (Ian Allan Publishing, 1992)
Lists the British trains of this Second World War period.
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The Railway Children (1970)
Directed by Lionel Jeffries
This classic film is based on the novel by Edith Nesbit and is the story of three Edwardian children who travel with their mother to live by a railway in Yorkshire when their father is wrongly imprisoned as a spy. The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway and the Edwardian gas-lit station at Oakworth were used as the location for this film.
Buy this video from Amazon
The Mechanical Horse Club of Great Britain
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/malcolm.ruscoe
Official site of the Mechanical Horse Club, with lots of historical information and photographs.
Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
www.kwvr.co.uk/
Website of the restored 5-mile branch line which joins the national railway network at Keighley in west Yorkshire and runs up the Worth Valley to Haworth and Oxenhope.
History of Cadbury
www.cadbury.co.uk/EN/CTB2003/about_chocolate/history_cadbury/
Fascinating social history of the Cadbury family and their factory in Bourneville.
The London Midland & Scottish Railway
www.railscot.co.uk/London_Midland_and_Scottish_Railway/frame.htm
Gives an excellent account of the founding of this company, following the Railways Act of 1921.
Cold Comfort
www.lrm.co.uk/archive/military/Arctic.html
A brief history of the Snow Cat, used by the British Army.
Reme Museum of Technology
www.rememuseum.org.uk/vehicles/warv/vehsno.htm
This Berkshire-based museum currently has an ST4 Snow Trac as part of its historic vehicle collection.
Specialist Off-Road Vehicles: Aktiv Snow Trac
www.4x4mag.co.uk/febfeatures/magfeaturesnowtc.html
Snow Trac article from this online magazine dedicated to everything off-road.
The Bombardier Story: Planes, trains and snowmobiles by L Macdonald (John Wiley and Sons, 2003)
In 1942, Joseph-Armand Bombardier, an obscure Canadian inventor living in the wilds of Quebec, invented the snowmobile and founded a company to manufacture it. This is the fascinating story of how a one-man operation grew into a global industry.
Get this book
Vintage Snowmobiles: Polaris 1973-1979: Yamaha 1975-1980: Ski-Doo 1970-1979 (Primedia, 1997)
Takes a look at some classic snowmobiles.
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The Industrialisation of Britain, 1780-1914 by Phil Chapple (Hodder Arnold, 1999)
Synthesising much complex research into an accessible form, the author examines the industrial growth in the railways, agriculture and overseas trade that transformed Britain into the workshop of the world.
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Inventing the 19th Century: The great age of Victorian inventions by Stephen Van Dulken (British Library Publishing, 2001)
Chronicles a period of enormous technological change by examining the history of the most important inventions of the 19th century, from the telephone to tiddlywinks. Includes illustrations of the original patent drawings from the British Library's collections.
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Richard Trevithick: Giant of steam by Anthony Burton (Aurum Press, 2002)
Biography of Richard Trevithick, a brilliant but wayward Cornish engineer and inventor who gave the world its first steam-powered locomotive 200 years ago.
Get this book
Vintage Excavators by Michael D J Irwin (Farming Press Books, 1996)
The story of the mechanised excavator, going back to the 1830s, when the American, William Otis, invented his Otis steam shovel and ended total dependence upon hard labour for earth removal work.
Get this book
An Illustrated History of Excavators by Hinton Sheryn (Ian Allan Publishing, 2000)
An interesting read for enthusiasts young and old.
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Amazing Stories of Excavators: The makers of machines that reshape the world by Peter N Grimshaw (KHL Group, 2002)
An encyclopaedia of makers of earth-moving equipment from all over the world.
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Easter Steam Up and Road Run – April 2004
www.steam-up.co.uk/index.htm
Tons of information on rallies across the UK, plus steam-related links and historical information.
Old Glory Magazine
www.oldglory.co.uk
Transport and industrial heritage magazine with loads of information, articles and pics.
Road Steam
http://trainsferriesbuses.co.uk/roadsteam.htm
Lots of photos taken from UK shows over the last few years.
The Sentinel Drivers Club
www.sentinel-waggons.co.uk
Club for owners and enthusiasts of Sentinel steam wagons and anything Sentinel-related. Membership of the club brings with it quarterly copies of Sentinel Transport News.
Steam Wagons
www.planefacts.co.uk/wagons/sentinel/index.htm
Lots of images of Sentinel steam wagons.
Transport Photos
www.transportphotos.co.uk/steam.html
Nice online images of steam-powered modes of transport.
1927-1937: A decade of progress
www.bammot.org.uk/transhis3.asp
Gives an account of transport history in the UK, including the Sentinel steam wagon.
An Album of 'Sentinel' Works Photographs: No 1 Standards and Supers by Anthony R and Joseph L Thomas (Woodpecker Publications, 1992)
This first album contains over 200 excellent photographs of Standard and Super Sentinel wagons, tractors, portables and trailers. The detailed appendices correlate the works number, registration number dates and every known owner of these Standard and Super Sentinels.
This book is available from the Sentinel Drivers Club at www.sentinel-waggons.co.uk/Goodies.html
The Sentinel: A history of Ally and MacLellan and the Sentinel Waggon Works 1875-1930 by William Hughes and Joseph Thomas (David & Charles, 1973) out of print
Second-hand copies of this book may be available from Amazon.
The Sentinel Waggon Company 1930-1980 by Anthony R Thomas and Joseph L Thomas (Woodpecker Publications, 1987) out of print
Second-hand copies of this book may be available from Amazon.
Lancastrian Transport Trust
www.ltt.org.uk
The Lancastrian Transport Trust is the guardian of a unique collection of buses and trams – including the Coronation Tram restored by Salvage Squad – spanning over 50 years of public transport in Blackpool and the Flyde and other parts of Lancashire.
British Trams Online
www.britishtramsonline.co.uk
A one-stop site for the latest news and features on British tram and light rail systems. Lots of information about restoration projects and how you can help, as well as fleet lists, message boards and event details.
Troy's Trams
http://members.lycos.co.uk/troybetts/
Fascinating site run by Troy Betts, including many photos of trams in various states of repair, mainly at the East Anglia Transport Museum.
The National Tramway Museum
www.tramway.co.uk
Crich Tramway Village in Derbyshire is a lovingly restored period village that is also home to the National Tramway Museum and its world renowned archives.
St Helens Transport Museum
www.sthtm.freeserve.co.uk
St Helen's Transport Museum contains a large collection of historic buses, coaches and other road vehicles, mainly from all over the northwest of England. The museum is closed at present (April 2004) but the website is still up and running with lots of useful information.
The Fylde Transport Society
www.tramway.com/fts/
The society arranges a wide range of interesting events for its members as well as the publication of a free monthly magazine, Fylde Tramway News. The website contains a wealth of information and great links.
History of Blackpool
www.blackpool.gov.uk/community/historyofblackpool.pdf
General history of Blackpool, downloadable as a pdf document, with some great old photos.
The Association of Electrical and Mechanical Trades
www.aemt.co.uk
The AEMT numbers amongst its members the majority of the leading firms in the repair, reconditioning, and merchanting of industrial electrical and mechanical machinery. Members include Bowers Electricals, who helped to refurbish the tram's motors.
Blackpool & Fleetwood: 100 years by tram by Steve Palmer (Platform 5 Publishing Ltd, 1998)
Traces the history of the Blackpool & Fleetwood Tramway from the original line up to the present day.
Get this book
Blackpool Coronation Cars by Martin Wilson (Lancastrian Transport Publications, 1992) Out of print
A history of these tramcars, which were introduced in 1953 and were not superseded for another 35 years.
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Blackpool Trams: As popular as the Tower by Philip Higgs (Lancastrian Transport Group, 1984) Out of print
Gives a brief history of the Blackpool tramway and a description and history of the rolling stock.
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Glory Days: British trams by Peter Waller (Ian Allan Publishing Ltd, 2003)
A pictorial tribute to the history of Britain's tramway systems with illustrations in black and white and colour, many previously unpublished.
Get this book
Produced to accompany Salvage Squad (a Wall to Wall Television production), first screened on Channel 4 in February 2004.
Managing editor: Katie Streten
Project manager: Caroline Sutton
Design: 72 dots
Writers: Ed Booth and Alex Finch
Editor: Julia Bard
Resources manager: Nicole Carman
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