Railway Machinery: A Treatise on the Mechanical Engineering of Railways; Embracing the Principles and Construction of Rolling and Fixed Plant, in All Departments. Illustrated By a Series of Plates on a Large Scale [Complete in 30 Parts] by Clark, Daniel Kinnear - 1855

Glasgow, Edinburgh, London, and New York: Blackie and Son, 1855. Book. Very Good. Original Wraps. First Edition. Folio - over 12" - 15" tall. Complete in 30 Parts, as originally issued, in original pale green wraps, each Part separately bound but collectively unbound, with original prices per Part indicated at 2s. 6d. (British), 65 cents (American). Approx. 10 1/2" x 14". Illus. (as stated) by "a series of plates on a large scale, and by numerous engravings on wood." xxiv,335 + iv pp., illus. w/ 60 double-page engraved plates + 11 (numbered as 10) single-page diagram plates + 353 vignette woodcuts within text. A marvelous production. This set has been collated and is complete in terms of text, plates, and wrappers. In general, each issued Part also includes a tissue-paper guard inside each cover, and both the recto and verso of each rear cover lists new works and new editons by the publisher, Blackie & Son. Condition ranges from Good to what could reasonably, given age, be called Near Fine, with most copies showing only modest handling wear and light foxing to the plates. Foxing on some plates ranges to moderate, mostly along the margins and not affecting the actual image. Covers detached but present on Parts 1 (front and rear), 3 (rear mostly detached), and 30 (rear); Parts 6 and 8 are partially disbound (each separated into two sections). Several wrappers show edge chipping, a few with generally minor loss. Some of the plates show modest edge wear, primarily to fore-edges. Rare in this form, as most surviving copies have been rebound -- a virtually unique opportunity to secure this publication in original wraps. Collation follows, with Part number in parentheses, followed by pagination, plate numbers, diagram plate (DP) numbers, with plate enumeration as given (mostly Roman, occasional Arabic): (1) 1-16, II, XXXI, (DP) II; (2) 17-24, I, XXXIII, (DP) I; (3) 25-40, III, XXXII; (4) 41-48, X, XXXIV, (DP) IV; (5) 49-64, XI, XXXV; (6) 65-72, XII, XXXVI, (DP) III; (7) 73-88, XIII, XXXVII; (8) 89-96, 75-78 (identical to Pt. 7), XIV, XXXVIII; (9) 97-112, VII, XLIII; (10) 113-120, VIII, XLVIII, (DP) V; (11) 121-136, IX, XLIX; (12) 137-144, XXII, XLV; (13) 145-160, XXI, XLIV; (14) 161-168, XVIII, LIII, (DP) 6 Pt. 1; (15) 169-184, XXIII, XLVI; (16) 185-192, XXIV, L, (DP) 6 Pt. 2; (17) 193-208, XX, XLVII; (18) 209-216, XIX, LVI; (19) 217-232, IV, XXXIX; (20) 233-240, VI, LI, (DP) 7; (21) 241-256, XXV, XL; (22) 257-264, XXVI, XXVII; (23) 265-280, XXVIII, LIV; (24) 281-288, V, XLI; (25) 289-304, XXIX, LIX; (26) 305-312, (DP) 8, (DP) 9, XVII; (27) 313-320, XV, LV; (28) 321-335, 16, LVII; (29) i-xvi (includes Vol. I-Text title pg., errata sheet), XXX, XLII, LVIII; (30) xvii-xxiv, i-iv (includes Vol. II-Plates title pg.), LII, LX, (DP) X..