RMweb Premium jamie92208 Posted July 30, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 30, 2010 A current discussion on the Prototype thread about signal lever collars has mentioned 'Red for Danger' by LTC Rolt and it is obvious from the replies that this was a much loved and well thumbed book for many people. This go me thin king as to which of the many Railway books that I keep buying are my favourites. I can offer the following:- Red for Danger, my copy has been re read so many times it is nearly falling aprt. Steam for Scrap . This has left me moist eyed many times as I see those fantastic machines bing done to death. Steam railways in Retrospect, by O S Nock. Another classic and very well written when he was in his prime. Bullied, Last Giant of Steam by Sean Day Lewis, bought in 1968 with book tokens from school prizes. North of Leeds by P E Baughan. The best book on the Settle and Carlisle and it's branches. The Mohawk that refused to abdicate and other tales of steam, by Morgan and Hastings. Great photos and superb descriptions of the last years of US steam. There is never enough shelf space and you can never have enough good books but this is just a small offerrring of my favourite tomes, all of which have been read and re read many times. Jamie Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Chambers Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Read many many times-Harold Gasson's four part "......... Days" series and Adrian Vaughan's " Signalman's ......",both extremely well written- can still be picked up on second hand shelves at exhibitions.Adrian Vaughan's "Signalman's Morning" (actually part thereof) was released on CD a while back but no follow up was forthcoming. Great shame that. Sorry, must edit- my .... weren't very helpful! Full titles- Firing Days, Footplate Days,Nostalgic Days and Signalling Days. Signalman's Morning,Twilight and Nightmare. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave777 Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 '60 Plans for Small Locations' by CJ Freezer. 'James the Red Engine' by Rev W Awdry. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Western Star Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 The 4mm Coal Wagon by John Hayes (Wild Swan) even though a S7 modeller. So much esxperience for such a small price. Graham Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted July 30, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 30, 2010 'Red For Danger' without a doubt (although I've not looked at either of my copies - two different editions) for quite a while. Tom Rolt had a clever way with words which meant he could translate something quite complex into an interesting and hugely readable little story. OK so when you start to understand some of the detail of what actually happened you begin on some incidents to see that he sometimes injected more than a touch of 'artistic licence' but the book is no worse, and probably all the better, for that. Probably one of the best primers, and interest rousers, for some aspects of railway operation ever written. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted July 30, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 30, 2010 Like StationMaster says I also like reading Sectional Appendices Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted July 30, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 30, 2010 I also like reading Sectional Appendices I (used to) enjoy writing them Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Three of my most prized books all by Colin T Gifford. Each a Glimpse ... and gone for ever Decline of Steam Brilliant photography that captures the atmosphere of the time and place. Next best thing to a time machine. Least favourite reading, sectional appendices ! Tom. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jamie92208 Posted July 30, 2010 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted July 30, 2010 Three of my most prized books all by Colin T Gifford. Each a Glimpse ... and gone for ever Decline of Steam Brilliant photography that captures the atmosphere of the time and place. Next best thing to a time machine. Least favourite reading, sectional appendices ! Tom. Ah but there are hidden gems in sectional appendices that allow you to do all sorts of strange things on layouts and confuse the river counters who say 'that wouldn't have been allowed.' Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Budd Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Railway Adventure by Tom Rolt, Signalman's Morning and Signalman's Twilight by Adrian Vaughan but most of all my 1958 edition of The Observers Book of Railway Locomotives, bought for me by my late father, which started me out on this wonderful, life-long hobby. Cheers Dad! Arthur Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwestdivide Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Can I put in a word for another Rolt book, his biography of Brunel. Goes far beyond the railway too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 "Heartland" by Greg McDonnell - really inspiring stuff http://www.amazon.com/Heartland-Nebraska-Greg-McDonnell/dp/1550460641 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HerbertHopkins Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 The Art of Weathering by Martin Welch is a book I go back to time and time again, particularly when I'm not sure what I'm doing - which is most of the time! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sykes Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Tales of the Glasgow and South Western Railway by David L Smith. Excellent collection of anecdotes from the pre-grouping period giving a real feel for the life of the railway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Probably 'The History of the Great Northern Railway' by C H Grinling. It reads like a good novel, and some of the anecdote is very telling. The crowded sessions by which the Parliamentary Act was eventually obtained are pungently described; for this was in an age before antiperspirants... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Red for Danger is by far my favourite railway book for reading. Other books get more use as reference, but I don't sit down and read/reread them. Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Point taken Jamie92208, but there are no pictures, and apart from the wild life section, i.e, 2 crows 1 short 1 long ( old editions ), many interesting stories, but I always found them a bit dry. Tom. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 A tricky one this as I've probably spent more dosh on railway books than I ever have on models! A few which regularly appear at the top of the pile, mostly pictorial - 'Diesels On Cornwalls Mainline' - a Bradford Barton album and the very first railway book I bought with my pocket money, always sets me off daydreaming about 'THE layout' that will probably never materialise. Warships on the milk and Wizzos on china clay..... lovely. 'Life On The Leicester Line' - by Anthony Gregory, some hilarious tales about Coalville Depot in the 70s and 80s. 'Decline Of Steam' - a Colin T. Gifford gem and much thumbed to boot. I've heard that 'Each A Glimpse' is about to be reprinted..... 'Western Memories' - an early Peter Watts publication from '77 with some very evocative photos of all the Western tours, mostly from Norman Preedy. Falling to bits and much loved, I look at some of the photos in this book now and shiver.... that last winter of the Wizzos was bl**dy freezing! 'Railway Elegance, WR Trains in the English Countryside' - an overlooked Ivo Peters colour album covering mostly the corporate blue era in the West. This is chocked full of modellable scenes and can still be picked up for a few quid. Aside from these, almost anything by the late Colin Walker gets my vote, his 'Steam Twighlight' and 'Trails of Steam' books are beautiful. Nidge Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Martin Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Red for Danger is by far my favourite railway book for reading. Other books get more use as reference, but I don't sit down and read/reread them. Adrian You stole my post! I was going to write this, pretty much word-for-word. Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugsley Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Behind the Crumbling Edge, by Stephen Poole: http://www.transatlanticpub.com/cat/social/behi6105.htm It's a fascinating look behind the scenes of BR from the 70's to the 90's. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
S500-W9 Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 For me, it has to be 'Two Miles a Minute' by the late OS Nock. The story of the development of the HST and APT, it was read and re-read many times before the interview with BR that led to me being offered a technical apprenticeship on the railway. I am still in the railway industry today! Definitely pocket-money well spent! Rob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglian Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Through Limestone Hills – Bill Hudson. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerces Fobe2 Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 West of Watford by F.W Goudie & Douglas Stuckey History of the Watford Met line & LMS Croxley Green & Rickmansworth branches. Xerces Fobe Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edge Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Leader: Steam's Last Chance (Kevin Robertson) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinkmouse Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Mr Rolt again, but this time, "A Railway Adventure", the story of the first few years of preservation of the Talyllyn Railway, and even though I'm not a great fan of the company, "A Swindon Works Apprentice in Steam", by Ken Gibbs is a very atmospheric book I keep going back to. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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