St. Michael Encyclopedia of Model Railways

[russ p]

79 was when it all started to go down hill but then it gets very political

[Steamport Southport]

If you are interested in books of the same era then I would recommend these two. Of their time and a bit dated, but interesting nevertheless. Both of which you can usually find pretty easily for a couple of pounds.

 

PSL COMPLETE GUIDE TO MODEL RAILWAYS by Michael Andress. A compilation of a series of books about different subjects such as wiring, scenery, operating and baseboard building. Even has sections on narrow gauge and modern image.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Guide-Railways-Michael-Andress/dp/0850597528/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

 

 

How About Railway Modelling? by John Craven. Part of a series that he did about different hobbies such as stamp collecting and photography.

 

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/About-Railway-Modelling-John-Craven/dp/0715806777/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1520209599&sr=1-1&keywords=john+craven+model+railway

 

 

 

 

Jason

[Tony Davis]

They also did a "Pictorial History of Trains" by O.S.Nock, no less

[PatB]

If you are interested in books of the same era then I would recommend these two. Of their time and a bit dated, but interesting nevertheless. Both of which you can usually find pretty easily for a couple of pounds.

 

PSL COMPLETE GUIDE TO MODEL RAILWAYS by Michael Andress. A compilation of a series of books about different subjects such as wiring, scenery, operating and baseboard building. Even has sections on narrow gauge and modern image.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Guide-Railways-Michael-Andress/dp/0850597528/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

 

 

How About Railway Modelling? by John Craven. Part of a series that he did about different hobbies such as stamp collecting and photography.

 

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/About-Railway-Modelling-John-Craven/dp/0715806777/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1520209599&sr=1-1&keywords=john+craven+model+railway

 

 

 

 

Jason

 

Got both of those. I find the Andress book to skew too heavily towards scenic modelling for my own tastes. That's not to say it isn't good, and there are certainly parts of it to which I regularly return, but it doesn't quite align with my own interests.  I've never actually read the Craven one and it's probably buried at the bottom of a box somewhere awaiting rediscovery.

 

Another good all round book that's not too outdated is also from PSL, being Railway Modelling by Norman Simmons. I prefer it, as a general work, to the Andress Complete Guide.

[RedGemAlchemist]

If you are interested in books of the same era then I would recommend these two. Of their time and a bit dated, but interesting nevertheless. Both of which you can usually find pretty easily for a couple of pounds.

 

PSL COMPLETE GUIDE TO MODEL RAILWAYS by Michael Andress. A compilation of a series of books about different subjects such as wiring, scenery, operating and baseboard building. Even has sections on narrow gauge and modern image.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Guide-Railways-Michael-Andress/dp/0850597528/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

 

 

How About Railway Modelling? by John Craven. Part of a series that he did about different hobbies such as stamp collecting and photography.

 

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/About-Railway-Modelling-John-Craven/dp/0715806777/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1520209599&sr=1-1&keywords=john+craven+model+railway

 

 

 

 

Jason

Thanks man. I'll keep an eye open for them. I'm not collecting old books or such, I just like to have lots of reference material. Good to have a general idea of many different techniques so you can always work out a rough idea of what to do in any given modelmaking situation.

Edited March 6, 2018 by RedGemAlchemist

[phil_sutters]

I thought this was an old book, but my copy was published in 1951! Found it when I was researching card building techniques...

 

image.jpeg

 

image.jpeg

 

I picked up this copy of Edward Beal's 1947 'New Developments in Railway Modelling' in our local retro market, very recently. I remembered having one of his books when I was railway modelling in the 1960s and found it a very nostalgic read. I love the way it is described as being prolifically illustrated by the author and with photographs. It is the line drawings that make it so appealing. The front cover is plain. The title is on the spine. I expect that it originally had a paper dust cover.

 

[RedGemAlchemist]

I picked up this copy of Edward Beal's 1947 'New Developments in Railway Modelling' in our local retro market, very recently. I remembered having one of his books when I was railway modelling in the 1960s and found it a very nostalgic read. I love the way it is described as being prolifically illustrated by the author and with photographs. It is the line drawings that make it so appealing. The front cover is plain. The title is on the spine. I expect that it originally had a paper dust cover.

 

E Beal book1947.jpg

Wow. Proper modelmaking pioneering there.

[kevinlms]

I thought this was vaguely familiar, but the title didn't sound right, as I'd never heard of 'St Michael'.

 

However on checking, I do indeed have it, but with a completely different cover, with no mention anywhere of the mysterious 'St Michael'! My edition is dated 1987, as others have noted, but perhaps, those outside the UK got a slightly different title and cover?

 

 

It was definitely written for the world's model railways, as includes British, US & European models. Yes the Zero-1 is quaint. But a book containing articles by David Jenkinson & Minories, nothing wrong with that.

 

Edit to add.

 

I know where I acquired this book, I borrowed it from my sisters ex and never gave it back! The less said about him the better. Suffice to say, I have no guilt whatsoever, considering how he has treated my sister!

Edited March 7, 2018 by kevinlms

[kevinlms]

They also did a "Pictorial History of Trains" by O.S.Nock, no less2018-03-05 15.47.18.jpg

This book has appeared with different covers/titles. I know my club has 3 versions. The text inside is identical, but the covers are different.

 

I think its a coffee table book, sold for introduction to the hobby.

[joppyuk1]

This book was sold in an era where other retailers were trying to break into the book market. They would source a likely volume from a previously published list (Often Paul Hamlyn or Octopus) and have copies specially 'own brand'ed for their stores. They did it with gardening, cooking, military and naval books, all illustrated and easy to read. If you check the title page you'll probably find details of the original publication.

[Nearholmer]

I was already well into the hobby when it came out, but I bought a copy for the pictures of 'classic' layouts in it, many of which hadn't been illustrated much, if at all, in colour at that date. Stupidly, I got rid of it in a house move clearout. It is actually a very good primer, clearly put together by a real hobbyist, rather than a 'churn-em-out' journalist.

 

On truly old railway modelling books, I've got a copy of Greenly's pre-WW1 book. I'm not sure whether this, or the very first edition of the Bassett-Lowke handbook, was the very first full book on the topic, but what is interesting is that between them they set a 'contents list' that hasn't really varied much down the years.

 

Kevin

Edited March 7, 2018 by Nearholmer

[bike2steam]

Most 'coffee table' style books which included 'railways' or 'trains' (plural) in their titles were usually reprinted (badly) by the Railway Book Club in their thousands or even millions ( so it seemed). With a glut of such books, in my old shop, to sell s/h, I stopped buying them in EXCEPT the 'Encyclopedia Of Model Railways' which always sold.

[5050]

Whilst looking for something else in the bookshelves I came across these 3 books.  The 2 on the sides are from my distant youth (very distant these days!) as mentioned in my post on here -

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/131745-mystery-book-from-my-childhood/

 

 

The middle one is one I bought for a nominal sum from my MR Club when they had a library clear out.  This is a 12th edition from 1942 (reprinted 1946) and is itself an update of a revised version published in 1940.  No clue as to when the original first edition was published.  It is mostly (very) large scale (up to 15" gauge!), O gauge is termed an 'All Purpose' scale and OO seems to be the prerogative of Trix-Twin.

 

 

[Nearholmer]

I think the first BL handbook was 1911, but I’d have to check.

 

That red book on the right is a real memory jogger. IIRC it contains hundreds of little ‘heralds’ from US railroads, which I used to waste time a school by trying to draw from memory, when I was supposed to be learning joined-up handwriting at about age seven.

[rovex]

Yes, I have a hardback copy which I purchased new from M&S all those years ago. I also have another tome published by Hamlyn in 1976 for the same grand price of £6.95, bought from James Thin Booksellers in Edinburgh. I quite enjoy browsing through these old books, although dated, the historical detail is fascinating!

 

73991A47-FA7F-4D92-BFF8-5F484AAF6A93.jpeg

Gosh. Now that brings back memories. I was always borrowing that book from our local library.

 

I also got the St Michaels book from M&S back in the day ☺

[pete_mcfarlane]

My copy was published by Octopus Books (jointly founded by Hamlyn and Terence Conran of Habitat fame) - I have other books on cookery, gardening and textile crafts, published by Octopus under the St Michael’s enprint and sold through M&S. All relatively good quality reference books.

 

Marlyn

This wasn't their only railway book. Somewhere I have a St Michael book listing all current (1980ish) BR loco classes, that I was given as a Christmas present. Clearly aimed at kids, but illustrated with rather nice paintings of each loco which implies that a lot of care and money had gone in to producing it.

[Steamport Southport]

I think M&S also sold a version of this.

 

The Official British Rail History of Trains: For Young People

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Official-British-Rail-History-Trains/dp/0091615119/ref=sr_1_16?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1520446967&sr=1-16

 

 

 

 

Jason

Edited March 7, 2018 by Steamport Southport

[kernowtim]

Wasn't St Michael the patron saint of shopping!!

[Steamport Southport]

Pants! Or Reg Grundies to our colonial cousins.

 

To be honest I don't think I've ever worn anything from M&S.

 

 

S&M maybe.   

 

 

 

Jason

[phil_sutters]

Wasn't St Michael the patron saint of shopping!!

I always thought that it was odd that a firm with Jewish origins chose to brand its goods with a christian saint.

 

This one is little book from my childhood, which I still have, another was a Wonder Book of Railways from the early 50's. I have much older one that might have been Dad's. 

[Hroth]

My oldest book of railways has got Cock o'the North crossing the Forth Bridge as a frontispiece, in full black and white!

 

Apart from the fact that it hadn't yet been Thompsonised, internal evidence puts the book at just pre-war.  Its with all my other old railway books so when I've a moment I'll check up on name and publisher, along with the other coffee table model railway books floating about.  I'm sure I've a copy of the Marks&Sparks book too....

[luckymucklebackit]

This is another "coffee table" book that I have in my collection..

 

 

Pretty standard stuff, but it did feature a layout at the time that interested me, this was supposed to be a layout based on GWR operation and had multiple stations and full timetable.

 

Jim

[Nearholmer]

I think that one might have emerged from a serial magazine on the topic, which was another popular technique for a while. Very good editors though; a top expert on 'modelling' and the top UK expert on the history of commercial toy/model trains.

[Legend]

Whilst looking for something else in the bookshelves I came across these 3 books.  The 2 on the sides are from my distant youth (very distant these days!) as mentioned in my post on here -

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/131745-mystery-book-from-my-childhood/

 

Old Books.A.jpg

 

The middle one is one I bought for a nominal sum from my MR Club when they had a library clear out.  This is a 12th edition from 1942 (reprinted 1946) and is itself an update of a revised version published in 1940.  No clue as to when the original first edition was published.  It is mostly (very) large scale (up to 15" gauge!), O gauge is termed an 'All Purpose' scale and OO seems to be the prerogative of Trix-Twin.

That Dumpy book takes me back. I had one , but I’m not sure it’s exactly the same, as from memory it was only BR locos split into Steam and Diesel. But thanks for triggering the memory

[exet1095]

 

I always thought that it was odd that a firm with Jewish origins chose to brand its goods with a christian saint.

 

St Michael is one of the varied number (according to your religious preferences) of Archangels, and appears in the Old Testament as well as the New. He is the only one recognised as and Archangel by the CofE; the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches add Gabriel and Raphael, also with a “Saint” added.

 

That aside, the name was used to honour Michael Marks, who founded M&S, by his son, Simon, Lord Marks of Broughton, from the 1930s until 2000, when the rot set in, and the store was just another purveyor of cheaply made imported clothing.