LNER Passenger Trains and Formations

[silverlink]

Not sure if this has already been mentioned but I just picked up a copy of this book written by Steve Banks & Clive Carter and what great reading it is. I have been trying for years to find out what type and formations of coaches ran on the East Coast main line and here it is all in one book from the days of the LNER through to the 1960's. Lots of information on the named trains as well as the not so famous ones with loads of photos. Published by OPC with a retail price of £45-00 I managed to find one on Ebay for 30-00 inc postage. I understand it is available through Amazon at a similar price.

Well done Steve & Clive.

Ian H

(Haymarket Cross)

[robertcwp]

If you are looking for LNER train formations, you may be interested in the publications available from the North Eastern Railway Association and the LNER Society.  Both do copies of various carriage working books. 

 

https://sites.google.com/site/northeasternrailwayassoc/home/sales-facsimile-publication

 

http://lnersociety.org.uk/index.php/publications

 

The LNER Society list is slightly out of date as they have just published the East Coast workings for summer 1939 and December 1939, both from copies donated by me.  You receive a one-third discount on publications if you are a member.  There is more to come too.

 

I'm a satisfied customer for the NER books and a member of the LNER Society.

 

For the BR era, you will find lots of such books available in PDF via my Yahoo group - see link below.  More to come soon as I shall be doing PDFs of the winter 1954-5 and summer 1959 GN Main Line Carriage Workings within the next week or two.

[silverlink]

Thanks for the info,

I remember seeing these at the York show some years ago and whilst a good reference they were to early for me as I model the early 60's. This book covers most of the LNER/BR days and is extremely helpful for info on the 1960's era. On a slightly different subject while looking at the North Eastern Railway Association stand I did come across a great publication on North Eastern engine sheds which I purchased. This was used extensivly for the planning and building of my exhibition layout Haymarket Cross which uses the plans for Scarborough engine shed. 

If you are looking for LNER train formations, you may be interested in the publications available from the North Eastern Railway Association and the LNER Society.  Both do copies of various carriage working books. 

 

https://sites.google.com/site/northeasternrailwayassoc/home/sales-facsimile-publication

 

http://lnersociety.org.uk/index.php/publications

 

The LNER Society list is slightly out of date as they have just published the East Coast workings for summer 1939 and December 1939, both from copies donated by me.  You receive a one-third discount on publications if you are a member.  There is more to come too.

 

I'm a satisfied customer for the NER books and a member of the LNER Society.

 

For the BR era, you will find lots of such books available in PDF via my Yahoo group - see link below.  More to come soon as I shall be doing PDFs of the winter 1954-5 and summer 1959 GN Main Line Carriage Workings within the next week or two.

[Downer]

I've admired Steve Banks' model press articles a lot over the years, but am I right in thinking that this book deals almost exclusively with ex-GN LNER, and has little of note about train formations on the ex-GE section?

[jwealleans]

I think that probably overstates it - it concentrates on the major workings and therefore is quite ECML/GCML-centric, purely because that's where more of the flagship services ran. It doesn't cover the Liv. St - Norwich workings or the boat trains, but does include the Beer Trains and the Eastern Belle.

 

It is supposed to be the first of three or four volumes so there may be more GE to come. He does state in the foreword that GE records are very scarce and hard to come by.

 

TBH I'd be pleased with my copy simply for the outstanding photographs, hardly any of which I'd seen before.

Edited April 25, 2013 by jwealleans

[Downer]

I think that probably overstates it - it concentrates on the major workings and therefore is quite ECML/GCML-centric, purely because that's where more of the flagship services ran. It doesn't cover the Liv. St - Norwich workings or the boat trains, but does include the Beer Trains and the Eastern Belle.

 

It is supposed to be the first of three or four volumes so there may be more GE to come. He does state in the foreword that GE records are very scarce and hard to come by.

 

TBH I'd be pleased with my copy simply for the outstanding photographs, hardly any of which I'd seen before.

Thanks for that.  I'll have another gander next time I see it, and look out for the succeeding volumes.

[Ian Hargrave]

The outstanding railway book of the decade.A masterpiece of scholarship,beautifully presented and lavishly illustrated.It brings four decades of history vividly to life .

[Mark Hamlin]

Does anyone know what's happening with the follow up volume to this excellent book? I am sure I saw it on Amazon pre Xmas as a title about to be released but it has now dissaperaed

[MikeTrice]

Still with the authors. Ian Allan were trying to pressurise into publishing before they were ready.

 

Latest state of play is it was delayed due to illness, however it is now proceeding. No revised publication date as yet

Edited January 31, 2016 by MikeTrice

[Willie Whizz]

Can't wait!

[Mark Hamlin]

Still with the authors. Ian Allan were trying to pressurise into publishing before they were ready.

 

Latest state of play is it was delayed due to illness, however it is now proceeding. No revised publication date as yet

Any update on this one Mike?

[micklner]

He has a website here 

 

http://www.steve-banks.org

 

There are no obvious updates re books since 2014.

[MikeTrice]

Any update on this one Mike?

Not to my knowledge.

 

As micklner says he has a web site. Why don't you contact him and ask?

Edited April 22, 2017 by MikeTrice

[jwealleans]

I did, late last year. "In progress".

[Willie Whizz]

There is - at last - an update "from the horse's mouth" (i.e. one of the authors) regarding the progress or otherwise of the long-overdue 'Volume 2' and also news of a prospective 'Volume 3'.

 

Recently added to his website at: http://www.steve-banks.org/publications/80-books-updates/305-a-tale-of-three-projects

 

Interesting comments too on the current resale values of 'Volume 1' - I suggest those of us lucky enough to have it keep it locked away somewhere safe!

[DropTheTap]

There is - at last - an update "from the horse's mouth" (i.e. one of the authors) regarding the progress or otherwise of the long-overdue 'Volume 2' and also news of a prospective 'Volume 3'.

 

Recently added to his website at: http://www.steve-banks.org/publications/80-books-updates/305-a-tale-of-three-projects

 

Interesting comments too on the current resale values of 'Volume 1' - I suggest those of us lucky enough to have it keep it locked away somewhere safe!

 

I chuckled a little that he found it "...sobering to find that many book sellers cannot distinguish between principal and principle", yet elsewhere on the same page he states that "the book took 12 years for me and Clive to complete..."!

 

I missed out on volume 1 but am looking forward to volume 2, which will doubtless prove very useful.

 

Also, at first glance, I thought this thread pertained to the Harris book, which barely acknowledges the existence of Thompson!

[Nearholmer]

In the hope that this thread is somewhere that LNER carriage afficianados 'hang out', can I ask a question?

 

When and where did the LNER (i.e. Post-1923) use six-wheel clerestory stock?

 

I've no desire to rob anyone of book royalties, but this is the only question on the topic that I'm ever likely to have, so am not exactly the target audience for these learned tomes.

 

Thanks in advance, Kevin

[31A]

In the hope that this thread is somewhere that LNER carriage afficianados 'hang out', can I ask a question?

 

When and where did the LNER (i.e. Post-1923) use six-wheel clerestory stock?

 

I've no desire to rob anyone of book royalties, but this is the only question on the topic that I'm ever likely to have, so am not exactly the target audience for these learned tomes.

 

Thanks in advance, Kevin

 

 

I don't think the LNER inherited many six wheeled clerestory coaches, but there were a few ex Great Eastern ones which remained on that former company's lines; probably didn't last long after WW2.

[Nearholmer]

Yes, a very helpful RMWebista found piccys of ex-GER low-roof suburban bug-boxes in the 1930s for me, but what I'm really hoping to find are clerestory six-wheelers ........ Long shot I'm sure, but do know which lines they were used on, then I can scout photos on 'disused stations'?

 

K

 

PS: GER low roof six-wheelers, converted to through corridor for conductor/guard working, on the Mildenhall branch, lasting until at least the late 1930s ..... still no clerestories though.

Edited August 7, 2017 by Nearholmer

[stewartingram]

IA Waterloo still has 2 copies on the shelf after I picked up the 3rd one.

 

Stewart

[31A]

Yes, a very helpful RMWebista found piccys of ex-GER low-roof suburban bug-boxes in the 1930s for me, but what I'm really hoping to find are clerestory six-wheelers ........ Long shot I'm sure, but do know which lines they were used on, then I can scout photos on 'disused stations'?

 

K

 

 

Well, as I said, I have seen pictures of six wheeled clerestory coaches in use on the ex GE lines in the 1930s.  Most of the pictures in my books are from the '50s, but here's a starter for ten:

 

"East Anglian Branch Line Album", Dr. Ian C. Allen (OPC, 1977) - Fig. 47 - B12 8534 approaching Wickham Market on an up Yarmouth South Town-Ipswich local, August 1939.  The train is made up of various ex GE coaches as was the way with such trains at the time, but the second vehicle is a six wheeled clerestory coach.  Possibly a Lav Composite as it appears to have a lavatory window near the middle.

 

I'm sure I have seen other pictures and will look further in due course but won't be able to for a while due to being away on holiday!

[Nearholmer]

Amazing ....... I own one book about the LNER, in a collection of er ..... way too many, railway books, and that's the one!

 

I hadn't spotted that, but I shall now go and have a look.

 

Many thanks.

 

K

[Nearholmer]

Well that went well!

 

I'd misremembered the book ....... the one I've got is Dr Allen's album of photos of diesels in East Anglia ......... so, I don't actually own any LNER books at all, unless ones about the W&U and the Wissington count.

 

K

[31A]

Well that went well!

 

I'd misremembered the book ....... the one I've got is Dr Allen's album of photos of diesels in East Anglia ......... so, I don't actually own any LNER books at all, unless ones about the W&U and the Wissington count.

 

K

 

 

Oh dear!

 

Well here's another for you then, in "Railway History in Pictures - East Anglia" by Peter Swinger (David & Charles, 1983). page 40.  B17 2810 'Helmingham Hall' leaving Ipswich for Cambridge in the summer of 1931.  The first vehicle is a six wheeled clerestory coach, looking similar to the one in the picture referenced above, a 5-compartment coach with a lavatory between the third and fourth compartments.  The loco carries Express Passenger disc boards and the caption mentions that it was surprising to see a six wheeled coach in an express train in the 1930s.  It doesn't say whether it's an Ipswich-Cambridge train or whether (perhaps more likely in view of the loco and headcode)  it's a Liverpool St.-Cambridge via Ipswich and Bury of which there were a few over the years.

 

Elsewhere in the same book (they seem to have given up numbering the pages half way through!) J15 7641 leaving Felixstowe Beach in August 1931 with a rake of six wheelers, of which the fourth seems to have a clerestory roof although it isn't clearly visible because of the angle of the photo.

[Nearholmer]

Much appreciated Steve.

 

Please don't feel obliged to hunt for more; I've now got the excuses that I need.

 

And, I've learned that Felixstowe has a beach, which is a new one on me.

 

Kevin