What do you want by way of Railway Books?

[Strathwood]

Following on from a separate thread elsewhere I thought it a good point to ask what everyone wants from us by way of railway books, and I will see what can be achieved if we have the material and they could be financially viable.

 

So lets see what comes up on an open forum?

 

Kevin Derrick

Strathwood Publishing

[cambo74]

Hi Keith - love the books so far got a fair few of them .........

 

Wondering if there will be a third version of the 1980s book - or even a regional one like the 60s and 70s ........

 

Very keen on Scottish and Southern Region - talk about 2 extremes .... anything in the pipeline for Diesel Years on these ??

 

 

Ben

[Karhedron]

One subject I have never seen covered properly is the transport of milk by rail. This traffic flow lasted at least 100 years, involved many specialised vehicles and reached most parts of the country.

 

The only book I have seen that touches the subject is Slinn's book on GWR siphons. But this only covers the GWR and is just a study of the vehicles. What I would like to see is a book that covers the following subjects:

 

1) Infrastructure. The creameries at the country end and the bottling plants at the town end.

2) Traffic flows. The flows into London are well remembered but there were others, particularly in steam days. Common runs in the summer months included taking surplus milk from the west country to places like cumbria for cheese production.

3) Geographical spread. Lists of rail-served creameries, bottling plants and factories together with their opening and closing dats.

4) Flows. The services across the country that carried milk including information on how the quanities changed over time and what the typical formations of the trains would have been in different decades.

5) Vehicles. A summary of the different vehicles used to convey milk over the years. This would not need to be as detailed as the Slinn work but it would be nice to see regions other than the GWR covered.

6) Photos! Lots of photos of milk trains and facilities.

 

Other traffic flows such as coal have been written about in the past but little has been written about milk despite the fact that nearly all city-dwellers depended on these services to receive their daily pinta!

 

I have written a couple of short articles on the subject over the last couple of years (mainly from a modeller's perspective). But without the time and resources to do detailed reseach and dig into archives such as Kew, I have done little more than scratch the surface of this fascinating subject.

[stewartingram]

Anything on the Cambridge area, in particular the GE&GN Joint via St. Ives, a much un-published line. In fact anything GE and M&GN areas.

 

Stewart

['CHARD]

Death Steam and Transition Diesels on the Waverley Route.  

 

Volumes 1 - 10.

 

[Legend]

I'd like to see books on railways on or around Glasgow and the Inverclyde lines

 

A pictorial would be OK but only if sufficient detailed narrative. Line diagrams and maps also of interest.

 

Also like seeing locos in context in countryside or hauling trains. Not so into shed views or pure loco views

 

Just my thoughts........

['CHARD]

'The Perth Direct'

Edinburgh via Glenfarg

A Tribute to the Forth Briggers

[coachmann]

Miles Platting to Diggle has been covered as has Oldham to Delph, but a good pictorial album covering the Standedge route from Manchester Victoria to Huddersfield and maybe beyond in steam days and up to the 1970's would fill a gap on this important LNWR cross-Pennine route.

['CHARD]

Strathmore Sunset

Swansong of the "Three Hour Expresses"

[Strathwood]

Hi Keith - love the books so far got a fair few of them .........

 

Wondering if there will be a third version of the 1980s book - or even a regional one like the 60s and 70s ........

 

Very keen on Scottish and Southern Region - talk about 2 extremes .... anything in the pipeline for Diesel Years on these ??

 

 

Ben

Ben,

 

We have two more Eighties Spotting Days in the pipeline both delayed at the printers just now, also 1960s books for each of the regions for Diesel & Electric traction.

 

Glad you enjoy the books so far.

 

Kevin

[Strathwood]

One subject I have never seen covered properly is the transport of milk by rail. This traffic flow lasted at least 100 years, involved many specialised vehicles and reached most parts of the country.

 

The only book I have seen that touches the subject is Slinn's book on GWR siphons. But this only covers the GWR and is just a study of the vehicles. What I would like to see is a book that covers the following subjects:

 

1) Infrastructure. The creameries at the country end and the bottling plants at the town end.

2) Traffic flows. The flows into London are well remembered but there were others, particularly in steam days. Common runs in the summer months included taking surplus milk from the west country to places like cumbria for cheese production.

3) Geographical spread. Lists of rail-served creameries, bottling plants and factories together with their opening and closing dats.

4) Flows. The services across the country that carried milk including information on how the quanities changed over time and what the typical formations of the trains would have been in different decades.

5) Vehicles. A summary of the different vehicles used to convey milk over the years. This would not need to be as detailed as the Slinn work but it would be nice to see regions other than the GWR covered.

6) Photos! Lots of photos of milk trains and facilities.

 

Other traffic flows such as coal have been written about in the past but little has been written about milk despite the fact that nearly all city-dwellers depended on these services to receive their daily pinta!

 

I have written a couple of short articles on the subject over the last couple of years (mainly from a modeller's perspective). But without the time and resources to do detailed reseach and dig into archives such as Kew, I have done little more than scratch the surface of this fascinating subject.

I agree it would be most interesting, would welcome anyone who fancied taking this one on for the research. We certainly have some interesting views of milk trains at all the usual haunts, Appleby, Hemyock, Clapham but I fear more shots would be required if we were not to duplicate many already used in other books.

 

Kevin

[Strathwood]

Anything on the Cambridge area, in particular the GE&GN Joint via St. Ives, a much un-published line. In fact anything GE and M&GN areas.

 

Stewart

Crikey, I agree an area certainly well overlooked by far too many cameramen through the years.

 

Kevin

[trisonic]

More of anything on GER/Ex GER.

 

A book of Stratford SF30A.

 

Building the original DC OHLE service from Liverpool St. to Shenfield.

 

Not that I’m singleminded or anything.

 

Thanks for asking!

 

Pete.

[Strathwood]

Death Steam and Transition Diesels on the Waverley Route.  

 

Volumes 1 - 10.

 

First problem on this route is finding material not taken in the rain and hence far too underexposed to successfully print to get through the first volume.

 

Kevin

[Strathwood]

I'd like to see books on railways on or around Glasgow and the Inverclyde lines

 

A pictorial would be OK but only if sufficient detailed narrative. Line diagrams and maps also of interest.

 

Also like seeing locos in context in countryside or hauling trains. Not so into shed views or pure loco views

 

Just my thoughts........

We have published Glasgow Central, Central to Glasgow already with a large selection of maps, plans, photographs and text. Usual problem is that most photos taken at the mainline stations and not at so many InverClyde locations. I agree re locoviews as we always attempt to give a good mix of countryside, station, depot and portrait views in our books. Although with six regional steam shed books in the pipeline we have been locating as many shots as we can find that show as much of each shed at possible, rather than the tightly cropped loco portraits that could have been taken anywhere, as you cannot see anything else in the background. I try and save this type of shot for books on specific locomotive types where possible.

 

 

Kevin

[Strathwood]

 

'The Perth Direct'

Edinburgh via Glenfarg

A Tribute to the Forth Briggers

 

Always think of this route everytime I drive down the motorway from Inverness to Edinburgh, again another photographically ignored route.

 

Kevin

[Strathwood]

Miles Platting to Diggle has been covered as has Oldham to Delph, but a good pictorial album covering the Standedge route from Manchester Victoria to Huddersfield and maybe beyond in steam days and up to the 1970's would fill a gap on this important LNWR cross-Pennine route.

Good point, would welcome further imput as its not a route that I am any form of expert on. Plenty of material taken at Huddersfield station but not so much taken at Hillhouse, was it that hard to get around in steam days?

 

Kevin

[Strathwood]

Strathmore Sunset

Swansong of the "Three Hour Expresses"

A4s in abundance I suspect, although a number of shots to hand of Class 21s and Standard 5MTs to hand along with shed shots, another possibility to consider.

 

Kevin

[Strathwood]

More of anything on GER/Ex GER.

 

A book of Stratford SF30A.

 

Building the original DC OHLE service from Liverpool St. to Shenfield.

 

Not that I’m singleminded or anything.

 

Thanks for asking!

 

Pete.

We did have some interesting shots of the route and some showing the last steam and the first emus on the Chingford line submitted about eight years ago, sadly they were all taken with a camera with a horrible lense and poor filmstocks from the time. Although did enjoy looking at them before sending them back, very interesting to see N7s passing the new units stabled everywhere and on test, but wholly unsuitable quality to even be merchantable sadly. Most material taken on the route it seems is always at Stratford from the platforms, Brentwood bank if you are are lucky or the black hole that was Liverpool Street in the day!

 

Kevin

[coachmann]

Good point, would welcome further imput as its not a route that I am any form of expert on. Plenty of material taken at Huddersfield station but not so much taken at Hillhouse, was it that hard to get around in steam days?

 

Kevin

Two steam photographer friends, Jim Davenport of Oldham relied on rail travel although I'm not sure about Brian Green. He tended to cover a different patch in the North West of England. I got to various places like Leeds and York on my days-off on the buses, not that my negs are any good, but I am aware of travel difficulties in the 1950's and 60's for those with normal 8am-5.30 jobs.

[wombatofludham]

More Midlands-ish 60s and 70s, especially any stuff of the last days of steam alongside the new AC electrics in the Potteries or Trent Valley.

 

Further 80s volumes would personally go down well, and possibly a toe in the water exercise for the 90s, when sectorisation and the new generation stock coming into service at the time made for an interesting period.  I know the Kettleistas will throw up their hands and have a hissy-strop at the thought of Sprinters in colour but it is nearly 30 years ago now and a whole generation of younger enthusiasts have no experience of the transition from BR to privatisation.

 

If you are able to source the material, shots not just of traction, but shots including buildings, lineside paraphernalia, staff and passengers and their fashions, and vehicles are like gold-dust for modellers.

 

Can I just take this opportunity to compliment you on the books you've produced so far, I really enjoy them.

[Gilbert]

Anything on Merseyside particularly Liverpool - it seems not as well covered as many other areas

Chris

[jwealleans]

There is a dearth of published works on pregrouping stock - carriages or wagons - over many of the pregrouping companies.  While the Midland, the LNWR and the LSWR (off the top of my head) are very well covered, the Great Eastern, Great Northern and Great Central are among those for whom information is very hard to come by, despite the best efforts of the line societies.  The North Eastern, especially carriages, is also deserving of more coverage.  Most of what has been published is incidental to works which focus on the LNER, but it's clear from (for example) Buckjumper's research for his forthcoming GE layout that there's a great deal more information now available.

[Strathwood]

More Midlands-ish 60s and 70s, especially any stuff of the last days of steam alongside the new AC electrics in the Potteries or Trent Valley.

 

Further 80s volumes would personally go down well, and possibly a toe in the water exercise for the 90s, when sectorisation and the new generation stock coming into service at the time made for an interesting period.  I know the Kettleistas will throw up their hands and have a hissy-strop at the thought of Sprinters in colour but it is nearly 30 years ago now and a whole generation of younger enthusiasts have no experience of the transition from BR to privatisation.

 

If you are able to source the material, shots not just of traction, but shots including buildings, lineside paraphernalia, staff and passengers and their fashions, and vehicles are like gold-dust for modellers.

 

Can I just take this opportunity to compliment you on the books you've produced so far, I really enjoy them.

Hmm 1990s not sure myself being a child of the 1950s, as personally I would rather spend time putting together books featuring the 1948-1979 era. As for most of the 1980s and 1990s I was living and working abroad, so Sprinters do now't for me really. But I did like the liveries from the 1980s and 1990s, but definately not Porterbrook Deltics and pink Class 31s!

 

A few words of wisdom from jeremy English of Railscene fame have stuck in my mind from a number of shared lineside filming experiences together, mean that as modellers too we always try to include infrastructure, signals, signs and people too for the fashions and human interest in our products. I am sorry I cannot stand the then and now type of books that show a former loco shed is now the frozen foods isle at a supermarket!

 

The Spotting Days series all try to show how things were back in the day as a big nostalgia trip, yes I know some don't like the references to other aspects of life at the time in the captions, but I get fed up reading all the same style of captions in some other books Loco xxxx at xyz on 1st April 19xx, xxxx was withdrawn on 25.12.19xx, and scrapped at xyz on blah blah blah....

 

For those who do hate the other references I keep them out in the Looking back at series and the Days Remembered series of books whilst still hopefully not going down the blah, blah, blah route.

 

Looking back at Type 5 Heavy freight Locomotives is in the pipeline by the way, covering Classes 56, 58, 59, 60 and 47601/47901 & HS4000 Kestrel. Also two more in the Eighties Spotting Days series. Although many books are being held up at present with problems with the printers and binders we have been using for the last ten years, so we may be following Hornby and Bachmann overseas for future books.

 

Kevin

[Strathwood]

Anything on Merseyside particularly Liverpool - it seems not as well covered as many other areas

Chris

Yes, I have noticed from photographer's collections that not so much was recorded around Liverpool, although we gave it a good shot in Seventies Spotting Days around the North West. I am told Bank Hall was like a fortress to get around in steam days, although we have used a few shots in colour there from several books. I suspect that because geographically there where no routes west of the city and everything went to or from the city rather than through it, that many photographers saved their precious film and used it at nearby Crewe instead. Similar problems exist trying to find shots at Stafford, Tamworth, Litchfield, Stoke and Nuneaton as most photographers preferred Crewe for all the extra traffic just along the line. I must say that good shots at Allerton, Edge Hill and Garston in the 1970s are rare. As are colour shots at Brunswick or at Edge Hill surprisingly in the days of the Pacifics at 8A, black & white yes, and the lasts gasps of steam at Edge Hill with 8Fs no problem.

 

Kevin