What do you want by way of Railway Books?

[wombatofludham]

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!

 

 

I think the point is that the 90s are now an important historical era - the replacement of modernisation plan stock, the introduction of new locos and dmus as investment finally came forward, the explosion in liveries and the beginning of the renaissance of the railways in general under a re-invented BR management structure gave the period a buzz that had been missing in the 70s and early 80s when managed decline appeared to be inevitable.  Whatever people think about Sprinters, had the old ways persisted (infrequent loco hauled trains of elderly stock becoming increasingly unreliable and uncompetitive) we wouldn't be seeing the growth in passenger numbers we see today, and there would have been more closures and retrenchment.  As such, whilst the era wasn't perfect, it was the period when BR began to turn around it's fortunes under sectorisation and shed the national joke image it had in previous decades, and needs to be recorded whilst memories and photographic material still remain fresh.

[trisonic]

The problem for us guys interested in the North East or East Anglia is that it was not a popular place for photographers over the years, particularly compared to the West. I couldn’t afford the film for my old Brownie when I was a kid......whilst I saw plenty of Bentleys in Shenfield not one contained a photographer.

 

Best, Pete.

[jonny777]

I can see that we could get something away about 30A Stratford for sure through the years with a little more work. Anyone out there have shots of the place being torn down or reminiscences from steam or diesel days? We did have someone a few years ago who made contact who was a diesel driver there in the late 1960s, but he seems to have dropped off the radar.

 

<snip>

 

 

Now, that is my idea of a decent book series, Kevin.

 

Reminiscences of BR employees with some relevant area photos. I am not particular about which region they focus on, but just the stories of everyday working on the railways 40-50 years ago.

 

For some reason, most ex-railwaymen on the forums seem to regard their memories as boring, or of interest to no-one, but I find them fascinating because they tell of life the other side of the fence from a spotter such as myself.

[Strathwood]

Whilst there are (literally) thousands of books on locos and rolling stock, railway history of individual lines, coffee-table picture books and the like, little has been written about the actual train services provided - which is really the raison d'etre of a railway.

Not sure what you are getting at here, do you mean how the railways have changed society which is well covered or ellaborating upon workmans trains, school trains, sleepers, the rush hour, excursions, holiday extras, troop trains, enthusiasts specials, freight services etc?

 

Kevin

[Strathwood]

From where I am sitting, good quality colour pictorials of early to mid Eighties diesel traction are much in demand throughout my customer base. There is very little available about my native North East, there are a wealth of local photographers with some very good collections! My faves are the back to/out of the ashes volumes, decent traction and very useful general detail shots of the time are an absolute winner for both the modeller and prototype enthusisast. Obviously at the end of the day everything boils down to sales figures, but I think a lot of people don't realise that these days the eighties blue period now has a massive following as the time has come around where loads of 40 somethings with a bit of disposable income, (myself included) want to model their childhood memories!

Yes I agree hence the Eighties Spotting Days and the Looking back at series, we also have plans for both a Seventies Diesel & Electric Days Remembered and another for the Eighties to match the successfull Sixties volumes in large ladnscape formats. Short term problem on large format hardbacks though is trying to get them bound within the UK and then at a sensible price, hence delays on some of ours at present. We will overcome these production issues even if it means transferring the work overseas to do so. Its not just Hornby, Bachmann etc who have to endure production problems so do publishers with their suppliers...

 

Kevin

[Strathwood]

I think the point is that the 90s are now an important historical era - the replacement of modernisation plan stock, the introduction of new locos and dmus as investment finally came forward, the explosion in liveries and the beginning of the renaissance of the railways in general under a re-invented BR management structure gave the period a buzz that had been missing in the 70s and early 80s when managed decline appeared to be inevitable.  Whatever people think about Sprinters, had the old ways persisted (infrequent loco hauled trains of elderly stock becoming increasingly unreliable and uncompetitive) we wouldn't be seeing the growth in passenger numbers we see today, and there would have been more closures and retrenchment.  As such, whilst the era wasn't perfect, it was the period when BR began to turn around it's fortunes under sectorisation and shed the national joke image it had in previous decades, and needs to be recorded whilst memories and photographic material still remain fresh.

Our part in this is likely to be within the series we already have underway and to hopefully provide a visual record in book form, many reviewers always ask for more earlier shots from the green & blue eras in the Looking back at series. For example think just how many liveries and subtle variations have been carried by Class 47s or 37s too. If we can see a return from the Eighties Spotting days series then perhaps something abot the Nineties might follow.

 

Kevin

[Strathwood]

Now, that is my idea of a decent book series, Kevin.

 

Reminiscences of BR employees with some relevant area photos. I am not particular about which region they focus on, but just the stories of everyday working on the railways 40-50 years ago.

 

For some reason, most ex-railwaymen on the forums seem to regard their memories as boring, or of interest to no-one, but I find them fascinating because they tell of life the other side of the fence from a spotter such as myself.

It would be good to put such a series together for sure, I think many who have written their memoirs down think it would be easy to publish their books and that they could make a fortune doing so. Therefore many give it a go with mixed results, often using very poor pictures that whilst possibly interesting they let the book down for sales. Then there is the cost of trying to achieve such sales with advertising and distribution costs etc. However as we have hopefully learnt and overcome the majority of such hurdles we could take on a number of such books. Provided the authors step forward, we can get it altogether for them as easily as possible.

 

Kevin

[Talltim]

I'd love a good history of Guildford Rail Systems/Pan-Am Railways in the in depth style of UK railway histories. Probably a bit out of your area tho..

[EddieB]

"Classic" diesels and electrics overseas?  Plenty of steam, quite a lot of "modern" traction from the USA, but very little besides in English.

 

Perhaps something that concentrates on locomotives built here and exported overseas.

 

Unfortunately I have a feeling that they may not be sufficient interest.

[Strathwood]

"Classic" diesels and electrics overseas?  Plenty of steam, quite a lot of "modern" traction from the USA, but very little besides in English.

 

Perhaps something that concentrates on locomotives built here and exported overseas.

 

Unfortunately I have a feeling that they may not be sufficient interest.

Thanks Eddie, whilst over the years some very interesting material has passed through my office, this is an area which to be honest I don't fancy as it may lose money for sure.

 

Kevin

[Joseph_Pestell]

Well, I don't think that any of my railway books have seen more use than the OPC series of "Historical Survey of......". I have got just about all of them but somehow lost my copy of the one on Bristol-Gloucester.

 

Always a surprise to me that they did not do some more based on Eastern Region and perhaps a second Southern volume.

 

The weakness in some of the later versions was an inconsistency in the way trackplans were drawn. I was also rather frustrated when they drew the trackplan the other way up from the signalling diagram.

 

If I had more time, I would happily do some research and write/draw some of these myself.

 

Middleton Press books fill the void to some extent. But their reproduction of the OS maps is sometimes a bit marginal.

[hmrspaul]

Freight wagons do seem to be an area which has a rapidly growing interest, especially following the Larkin, Gamble and Rowland books, plus, of course pictures on Paul's website. I think a book about wagons, train marshalling and goods handling would be a boon, plus pictures with captions detailing the makeup of some of the trains.

 

 

Although this may seem a reasonable comment there have been many wagon books and almost all of this suggestion has been done,

Ratcliffe, David., (2012) Freight train formations. Publ Ian Allan 96pp. ISBN 978 0 7110 3447 1.

Grant, Brian & Taylor, Bill (2003) British Railway Wagons Their loads and loading. Publ Silver Link Publishing Ltd, Kettering, Northants. ISBN 1 85794 205 1.

Grant, Brian & Taylor, Bill (2007) British Railway Wagons Their loads and loading. Volume 2. Publ Silver Link Publishing Ltd, Kettering, Northants. ISBN 978 1 85794 300 9.

Essery has also done some similar books.

I do accept that volumes 2, 3 etc of

Bartlett, P., Larkin, D., Mann, T., Silsbury, R., and Ward, A. (1985) An illustrated history of BR wagons, Volume 1 published by Oxford Publishing Company, 192 pages. ISBN 0-86093-203-6

would be nice, BUT the original cost of this - £17.95 for a 3000 print run would equate to about £50 now (I've seen it suggested that the price of 2nd hand copies on Abebooks at about £45 is high - well it is only similar to the original cost). AND I very much doubt such a large print run would happen so the unit cost would have to be much higher. These were remaindered via the book club and there is far less interest in buying books now and no one will pay for drawings which take an inordinate amount of time to prepare. The main information has been produced in the numerous Larkin books.

 

Paul

[hmrspaul]

I think you might be the man for the wagons books and perhaps along with the Gresley Society for this subject too, for this we would need someone who has really done a lot of the research already and hopefully enjoyed it, whereas whilst I like the style of many of the LNER coaching stock from the Gresley and Thompson eras, once again it would not be a labour of love for me, but for someone else, who knew it would be published when complete then perhaps.

 

Kevin

I don't know about the Gresley Society, but aren't members of the LNER Society working on this. What is there published on the Thompson era? I suppose Harris covered some of it (I find his main books - one of which has been reprinted recently - very difficult to use). I have had very useful information about LNER coaches and earlier commented on, on my photo site - the information is all out there and known to those in the know.

 

Paul

[Danemouth]

How about Volume 2 of Great Western Railway Stations 1947 by R.J. Smith?

 

Volume 1 with 720 station plans was published in 2010 and I look forward to the second volume.

 

Dave

[darrel]

Re the class 303 book I will get in touch with you next week once I get back from Skye

[JCL]

Hi there

 

How about trip trains to the coast? Coming from near Skegness, we used to see them all summer long from the fields. I don't know how important they were to the relevant companies over the years, but I do know that they used a wide variety of stock and locos - sometimes quite exotic.

 

Cheers

 

Jason

['CHARD]

Moray Coast Twilight

Tillynaught no more...

 

 

Yet another network ripped up wholesale during '68.  Perfect blend of Transition Diesels and traditional working methods, with plenty of cultural interest and other social resonance.

 

Sister volume The Fife Coast Route, closed earlier so plenty of ex-NE steam on the through trains to Buchanan Street.

[Strathwood]

Although this may seem a reasonable comment there have been many wagon books and almost all of this suggestion has been done,

Ratcliffe, David., (2012) Freight train formations. Publ Ian Allan 96pp. ISBN 978 0 7110 3447 1.

Grant, Brian & Taylor, Bill (2003) British Railway Wagons Their loads and loading. Publ Silver Link Publishing Ltd, Kettering, Northants. ISBN 1 85794 205 1.

Grant, Brian & Taylor, Bill (2007) British Railway Wagons Their loads and loading. Volume 2. Publ Silver Link Publishing Ltd, Kettering, Northants. ISBN 978 1 85794 300 9.

Essery has also done some similar books.

I do accept that volumes 2, 3 etc of

Bartlett, P., Larkin, D., Mann, T., Silsbury, R., and Ward, A. (1985) An illustrated history of BR wagons, Volume 1 published by Oxford Publishing Company, 192 pages. ISBN 0-86093-203-6

would be nice, BUT the original cost of this - £17.95 for a 3000 print run would equate to about £50 now (I've seen it suggested that the price of 2nd hand copies on Abebooks at about £45 is high - well it is only similar to the original cost). AND I very much doubt such a large print run would happen so the unit cost would have to be much higher. These were remaindered via the book club and there is far less interest in buying books now and no one will pay for drawings which take an inordinate amount of time to prepare. The main information has been produced in the numerous Larkin books.

 

Paul

You are certainly right about the costs of putting such a project together, the days of 3000 copy print runs for railway books are very much a thing of the past I fear. These days everything would need to be paid for from around a third of that print run.

 

Kevin

[Strathwood]

I don't know about the Gresley Society, but aren't members of the LNER Society working on this. What is there published on the Thompson era? I suppose Harris covered some of it (I find his main books - one of which has been reprinted recently - very difficult to use). I have had very useful information about LNER coaches and earlier commented on, on my photo site - the information is all out there and known to those in the know.

 

Paul

Thanks Paul, I am not into LNER matters myself so I am not in the know about the Gresley Society's plans or any other sages into such rolling stock. I would be happy to look at getting such things published though, rather than just keep bashing away releasing my own projects.

 

Kevin

[Strathwood]

How about Volume 2 of Great Western Railway Stations 1947 by R.J. Smith?

 

Volume 1 with 720 station plans was published in 2010 and I look forward to the second volume.

 

Dave

I keep using as many forums as I can to encourage authors to get in touch if they have a project to publish, not enough do sadly. Although I do get some really off beat ones from time to time that at best would sell around 50 copies.

 

So come on guys get in touch please.

 

Kevin

Re the class 303 book I will get in touch with you next week once I get back from Skye

Great news, please do.

 

Kevin

[Strathwood]

Hi there

 

How about trip trains to the coast? Coming from near Skegness, we used to see them all summer long from the fields. I don't know how important they were to the relevant companies over the years, but I do know that they used a wide variety of stock and locos - sometimes quite exotic.

 

Cheers

 

Jason

Good idea, I will give it some thought.

 

Kevin

[Strathwood]

Moray Coast Twilight

Tillynaught no more...

 

 

Yet another network ripped up wholesale during '68.  Perfect blend of Transition Diesels and traditional working methods, with plenty of cultural interest and other social resonance.

 

Sister volume The Fife Coast Route, closed earlier so plenty of ex-NE steam on the through trains to Buchanan Street.

Lets have as many photographers get in touch as we can and I will see what can be done to push forward more books on Scotland's railways. We have published six books so far solely about Scottish railways, although I have four more in preparation I would like there to be more.

 

Kevin

[Redford73]

I know I've suggested this elsewhere but the Seventies Spotting Days have been so great and I would LOVE to see a volume covering sheds and depots.  Not sure whether this would be popular enough for one volume or more but the Rex Kennedy OCP Diesels and Electrics on Shed ran to 5 volumes and they were all in black and white.  As far as I'm aware there are no all colour books covering diesel depots? 

[Huw Griffiths]

As a 49 year old, I can understand the point about people of my age group wanting to revisit the 1980s, with a view to possibly building models of trains from that era.

 

In my case however, most of my memories date from when I was a student - partly because this was the time I started to use trains to any extent - partly because, until then, the trains passed through my town without stopping.

 

More recently, I also remember the early 1990s, when I was working in the Thames Valley and Turbos were displacing "classic" DMUs. The Turbos looked attractive to me - and seemed well built - but they would have been even better if they'd offered passengers a "track view".

 

 

So much for times I'd like to be reminded of. My memories of the late 1990s and early "noughties" are rather less nostalgic - long distance commuting on HSTs, P*c*rs and Turbos. My memories were marked by trains missing out the stations at which I needed to change - regular cancellations - and trains which didn't seem to have encountered a cleaner in living memory.

 

 

Like a lot of people, I can't really comment about a strange concept called "disposable income" - so anything I build would need to be from plans. This seems to be a bit of a problem, as usable plans don't seem to find their way into many books or magazines.

 

 

My personal wish would be for books about AC EMUs - just about anything with a TOPS code - and also some of the prototype Sprinters (especially Class 151) - possibly also Networkers and Class 165 / 166 Turbos.

 

However, I'm not even remotely interested in albums of three quarter views, in dozens of dodgy colour schemes. Unfortunately, they are of no use to me.

 

I'm after usable plans - together with usable interior picture - something I can build models from. In other words, something similar to those Golding books about DC EMUs and 1st generation DMUs - albeit with better quality drawings.

 

 

My guess is that the issue of "viability" (or otherwise) will probably rear its ugly head - and I probably won't see such books at an affordable price any time soon.

 

Time will tell.

 

 

Huw.

[hmrspaul]

Huw

 

Thanks for providing the reason why it is unlikely that volume 2 etc will be produced. The amount of hours required to produce volume 1 was enormous. You are correct. Quality researched books are gone!   

 

Paul