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What do you want by way of Railway Books?


Strathwood

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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? 

I like the idea and yes it could be done.

 

Kevin

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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.

Thanks Huw, sadly you are right viability and time to get someone to draw up the plans into a usable format I suspect will be a hitch along with just how many copies would we sell?

 

Kevin

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I would like to propose a couple of colour albums focusing on the railway works - perhaps one each for steam and diesel/electric if there was enough material. To cover locos going in, so in a poor state (dirty, collision damaged etc.), including new build/overhaul/repair process to ex-works ready for a test run. There are photos scattered around different albums but nothing I am aware of that focusses exclusively on the works and the locos going through them.

 

Doctor Who (I have heard its no longer John Pertwee playing the part).

 

Kevin

...and it's gone downhill ever since (ducks and runs) :laugh:

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I am always hunting for books on Industrial uses of locos that show more of the loco in the factory surroundings carrying out its daily job, but I am yet to find any. Every book I see so far on industrial locos is always about the loco themselves with corresponding close up pics of the locos. I want to see the industrial site itself in which the locos are working, more buildings, pipes, storage tanks, cranes, docks, .What are the locos and wagons interacting with, why are they there? Less books with pictures of a  freight train rumbling through the pretty countryside, more dirty steel works, breweries, dock yards, chemical plants, etc...

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Wouldn't mind a 60's or 70's "signalling days" showing external and (especially) internal shots of as many signal boxes as possible. Gantries and brackets are almost a thing of the past now too but were still plentiful in those days. Any area will do but if there's enough material out there, it could be done by area...

Jon F.

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......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.

Huw.

I really do disagree with this.

Have a look at my post #12 here where I explain how I generated 1:76 orthogonal images precise enough for model making from some of the fuzziest of threequarter b&w views. Each took about an hour of work.

I enjoy the pre-war Big 4 era (not that I ever witnessed it) and one of my fave books is of "the Big 4 in Colour" which I imagine is a low cost compilation from early colour slides.

 

I suggest the economic way forward is of compilations (from which one can 'clip' images and manipulate them for modelling perposes well away from prying IP hawkeyes).

Some of us might even offer to do these transformations as a bureau service.  I witnessed Hattons offering a 3D printing service starting with threequarter view images at the Ricoh RMweb skills weekend.

 

dhig

 

[Edit for a couple of typos]

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I am always hunting for books on Industrial uses of locos that show more of the loco in the factory surroundings carrying out its daily job, but I am yet to find any. Every book I see so far on industrial locos is always about the loco themselves with corresponding close up pics of the locos. I want to see the industrial site itself in which the locos are working, more buildings, pipes, storage tanks, cranes, docks, .What are the locos and wagons interacting with, why are they there? Less books with pictures of a  freight train rumbling through the pretty countryside, more dirty steel works, breweries, dock yards, chemical plants, etc...

I am working on just such a book which shows wider scenes in colour as well as the loco portraits in colour in a large lanscape format. However one of the major contributors has used some of his material in another book recently which sadly uses some of the shots the size of fag packet rather than to their full potential. Whether this has diluted the attraction for me releasing this title now I don't know. I would also need an expert on industrial steam to cast an eye across the completed work, as I am no expert, although I do like industrial steam.

 

Kevin

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Wouldn't mind a 60's or 70's "signalling days" showing external and (especially) internal shots of as many signal boxes as possible. Gantries and brackets are almost a thing of the past now too but were still plentiful in those days. Any area will do but if there's enough material out there, it could be done by area...

Jon F.

Again I would need the services of someone who can spot a Saxby & Farmer signalbox at fifty paces, although there are chapters in the next two Eighties Spotting days series that cover signal boxes and semaphores with trains in the shot as well rather than just the box on its own.

 

Kevin

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