Bibliographical data
Bahn im Bild, Band 107, "Die Eisenbahnen Griechenlands", Verlag Pospischil, Wien 1986

Description
This book is a short pictorial history of the Hellenic Railways. It has a small introduction that explains how the Hellenic Railways evolved The main part of the book is a collection of many B&W photos that cover the whole life span of the railways until the publication of this book. The pictures are from various photographers including some well known like Alfred Luft.

Unfortunately, this book is not so well known because it is rare. You can only find it abroad and if there are some copies left in the publication house. Some pictures shown in this publication are for the first time being presented, which make this book extremely interesting.

Bibliographical data
Papagianakis Lefteris, "The Hellenic Railways (1882-1910), geopolitic, economic and social aspects", Second Edition, Educational Foundation of the National Bank, Athens 1990

Description
This book is a very good study on the political, economic and social dimensions that the development of the railways had in the Hellenic society. All the data of the book are backed up from the appropriate literature, which in most of the cases are the annual reports of the railway companies. In its pages you will find many interesting tables with lots of data.

This book is relatively easy to find, as it is sold by the Educational Foundation of the National Bank bookstore, which is situated in the "gallery of the book" in the center of Athens, with a very low cost.

Bibliographical data
Matzaridis Prodromos, "A short history of the Hellenic Railways", Second publication, Hellenic State Railways (OSE), Athens 1996

Description
This book written by Prodromos Matzaridis was the first effort to present the whole history of the railways in Hellas. The text is written in a diary style but contains some interesting tables with data from the different companies. Unfortunately there are many mistakes in the facts but also some vital shortcomings.

Concluding for this book we have to say that it has historical value because it was the first attempt in this topic and also because it was never sold in the bookstores.

 

 

Bibliographical data
Schoenborn Hans-Bernhard, "Schmalspurbahnen in Griechenland", Edition Ergasias, 1997

Description
This book is one of the most important ones published up to now, as it is a good reference on the specific topic of narrow gauge railways in Hellas. You can find detailed descriptions of the Peloponnese and the Thessalian networks, but also of all the narrow gauge lines that exist in our country. The author has very good knowledge of these networks from a technical but also aesthetic point of view.

In the book you will find pictures from many different photographers, Hellenes and foreign, along with many diagrams of stations, repair shops and technical works.

This book has also historical value as it covers the Thessalian Network. We remind that the meter gauge network that existed there was converted between Palaiofarsalos and Kalambaka to standard gauge and the rest was abandoned (Palaiofarsalos-Velestino). The abandoned part is used today as a museum railway by the Museum Railway Association (EMOS)

Bibliographical data
Skoulas Giannis, "Stations, trains and horizons", Themelio/Eikona publications, Athens 1997

Bibliographical data
Association of the Friends of the Railway, "The Hellenic Railways, Their journey from 1869 until today", Militos Publications, Athens 1997

Description
North Hellas is very rich in railway history due to the fact that the Ottoman Empire began their development long before the "infant" Hellenic State. This is exactly the part that this book tries to unfold with great success. There is a detailed description of the network in the North of Hellas accompanied with a lot of rare photographs that give in the best way the chequered history.

 

Bibliographical data
Kogias Ntinos, "The tramway of Karlovasi-Samos (1905-1939)", A publication of Karlovasi municipality, Athens 2000

Description
The topic that this book deals with is very rare. It is the first time (and maybe the only) that the history of this short lived network, that worked in Karlovasi on the island of Samos, is presented in such detail. The book is accompanied with many photographs, diagrams and appropriate maps.

It is a very good effort by the author but also from the municipality of Karlovasi, but unfortunately it has been sold out and it is highly unlikely that it will be published again.

 

Bibliographical data
Papadimitriou Dimitris, "Handcars", A publication of the Association of the Friends of the Railway of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 2000

Description
The handcars are a type of railway vehicle not fairly known because it is mainly involved in track maintenance. It has played a major role, especially in the first years of the railway, as it is the main mean of inspecting the track and transporting the workers on spot. In their first years, handcars, were using muscle power to roll on the tracks but today these have been replaced by mechanically powered ones.

The history of these very important vehicles is presented in this book by the Association of the Friends of the Railway in Thessaloniki. It talks generally about their inception and use and their use and development is presented concerning the Hellenic railway network. There are a lot of pictures and diagrams of these vehicles in service but also from some that have been saved from scrapping (many by the Association in Thessaloniki).

 

Bibliographical data
Papadimitriou Dimitris, "A Station in the history of our town and hearts ", A publication of the Association of the Friends of the Railway of Thessaloniki and the municipality Eleftheriou-Kordeliou, Thessaloniki 2000

Description
This is another publication from the fellow Association in Thessaloniki, which has shown a significant activity in this field.

The topic that this book deals with is the history of the military station (stop), which is situated in the railway complex of Thessaloniki. It is a building with long and important history. The book begins from its building, its use, the modification that were made to the structure through time and the efforts by the Association of the Friends of the Railway in Thessaloniki to reinstate it in its original condition. Today this building (there is a look alike in the complex of Alexandroupoli) serves as the club house of the Association and it is at the same time a small museum. In its yard you can even find an original "Orient Express" wagon that used to belong to the Hellenic State Railways.

Bibliographical data
Tricha Lyntia, "Charilaos Trikoupis and the public works", Kapon Publications, Athens 2001

Description
Charilaos Trikoupis is considered the "father" of the railways in Hellas and also of many other public works like the Korinth Channel.

Due to the fact that the bridge that connects Rion and Antirion (The longest cable bridge in the world) is named "Charilaos Trikoupis", the company that build it published this very good book concerning all the public works constructed during the presidency of this great politician. Although it is not a railway dedicated book, it has many interesting topics (road works, the bridge of Chalkis, Korinth Channel), which will strike everybody's"chord".

 

Bibliographical data
Museum of Photography "Christos Kalemkeris", Municipality of Kalamaria, "The Railways of the Peloponnese (1882-1962)", Thessaloniki 2002

Description
We are dealing here with the first entirely dedicated publication on the Peloponnese Railways. It gives a detailed account for their construction, operation, evolution and finally their end as a self standing company in 1962 with the merger into the Hellenic State Railways (SEK). The book includes some very rare photos that are being published for the first time.

 

Bibliographical data
Museum of Photography "Christos Kalemkeris", Municipality of Kalamaria, " The Thessalian Railways (1881-1955)", Thessaloniki 2002

Description
The Thessalian Railways where the second longest meter gauge network in Hellas. The structure of this book is the same as the mentioned above that deals with the Peloponnese Railways. Their history is presented in every detail along with a lot of never before-published photographs. Here we would like to stress that the Thessalian Railways do not exist anymore (the network) due to a re gauging to standard gauge in the section Palaiofarsalos - Kalambaka in 2000. The section between Palaiofarsalos and Velestino is operated as museum railway (meter gauge) by a team of the Association of the Friends of the Railway (www.sfs.gr).

Bibliographical data
Siegbert Isbrecht, "Reisen in Hellas, Mit der Eisenbahn durch Griechenland", Horlemann Verlag, 2003

Description
The author of this small guide is a known fan of the Hellenic Railways as he has visited our country many times in the last years with the very much published German, Swiss and Austrian railfan groups. So, with this precious knowledge,he created this travel guide that shows you the beauties when going by train in Hellas but also the most important stops on your way and what to see. The book is mostly text but there are also some photographs. Overall it is a very good effort for this type of book.

 

Description
This book is a collection of hundreds of photographs that refer to this mean of transportation, from the beginning of its existence until today. The book includes many rare photographs from the tram networks that operated in Hellas, including the (old) tram of Kalamata.

Bibliographical data
Nikolopoulos Spyros, "The Hellenic Rack Railway between Diakofto and Kalavryta", IRON Publications, Athens 2003

Description
The rack railway, that connects the coastal town of Diakofto with the mountain resort Kalavryta, is without a doubt one of the most beautiful lines in Hellas but also in the world. Every year, thousands of tourists come to enjoy this journey of unique natural beauty. This is the journey that we are going to make by browsing in the pages of this book. Hundreds of photographs that show us meter by meter this breathtaking scenery and achievement of engineering. Hopefully this book will motivate you to make an actual visit to it, which is worth it.

 

Bibliographical data
Chandrinos Georgios, Kakavas Kostas, Fotis Nikolaos, "Greek Trainscapes", Ellinika Grammata publications, Athens 2003

Description
A photographic itinerary to the landscapes of Hellas that the railway crosses. From Kalamata up to Ormenio, through the photographic lens of a railway fan, the unique beauty of our country is unfolded and the lost glamour of the railway is restored.

 

Bibliographical data
Nikolopoulos Spyros,"Pireus-Athens-Peloponnese Railways, The most beautiful journey", IRON Publications, Athens 2004

Description
This photographic album is a pictorial journey on the Peloponnese Railways. It covers the entire network, in every season of year, every kind of weather and of course every kind of scenery. It is a book that summons up everything that we love about trains and our hobby.

The most important thing of this book is that it does not only focus on the railway, but it has it as an element of the surrounding nature. This helps uncover the unsurpassed beauty of Peloponnisos and also its diversity (sea, mountains, forests, plains...just everything!!!!)

 

Bibliographical data
Georgios Nathenas & Militsa Karathanou, "The Pilion Train", Militos Publications, Athens 2004 (ISBN: 960-8033-28-4)

Description
The one hundred year old Pilion Train is an images of getaway for all of us, through time and space. For all of those that have "met" it in the work of De Chirico, they consider it as an element of getaway in their memory and fantasy. For those who do not know it, this publication hopes to carry them away in the majestic landscapes of Pilion, to the stone bridges that connected the inhabitants of the mountain of the Centauri, to the sounds and the colours of the steam locomotives of the line. This book is a compilation of rare photographs from the 19th century, articles from newspapers from that time, plans of the line, the locomotives, artworks etc. and are accompanied by a text that is adressed to a specialized group of readers but also to a group of readers that want to learn more about the history, the construction, the operation, the end and the ressurection of this historical monument. (Nikos Chaidemenos, Editor)

Description
The journal "Sidirotrochia" (Rail) is one of the best sources of information concerning the Hellenic Railways. It is published twice a year from the Association of the Friends of the Railway in Athens(www.sfs.gr). Every issue includes many different kinds of articles such as news, technical - specially related with the network in Hellas, with railway journeys that you can do in Hellas but also abroad and last but not least with model railways always focused on Hellenic Prototype.

It is worth getting copies of this journal as it is the only one of its kind in Hellas.