workev2000

No prize, but thanks in abundance 🙂

As requested I have uploaded a reduced-size sample from the TTFM Magazine, an article based on the 1955 Modernisation Plan. The Magazine includes high-resolution images, rather than the sampled version in this PDF. TTFM Sample.pdf

Not at the moment. The costs of printing are going through the roof at the moment, that's why the magazine and Books are currently only available in digital form. If the magazine is successful then we will review the situation in a year's time. Meanwhile, PDF and especially ePub formats work well. The images are 300ppi resolution so quality remains high. Thanks for your question, Ian

The Travellers Fare Magazine is a Trademark owned by us. As you say they ceased trading a long time ago, and the name was available. And yes, I pondered on that for a while too. Ian

After many years I have finally launched a new railway magazine - "The Travellers Fare Magazine". The Preview Issue is now available to buy from www.ellybellypublications.co.uk for the princely sum of £5.00 as a PDF and ePub digital publication. TTFM is a new and exciting railway nostalgia digital publication. As the subtitle suggests, we aim to recall the history of British Railways from its formation in 1948 through the Modernisation Plan of the mid-1950s and up until Privatisation in the mid-1990s. This period saw the railways in Britain go through changes that affected the whole country. Each issue will be packed with feature articles, personal memories and photo features, with contributions from railway staff, passengers, spotters, enthusiasts and railway historians. The railways have always been associated with the social fabric of British society, playing their part in carrying people to work, moving large quantities of freight, distributing goods around the country and being a means of transport for business and leisure travellers. We aim to cover the social history surrounding the railways just as much as the railways themselves, so we hope there will be something for everyone. The Preview issue is 68 pages, with the aim being to raise this to 80 pages per issue (including adverts). We hope to bring a subscription model soon, but until then each issue will be available as a download from the website. Whilst not primarily aimed at modellers, we are sure that readers will find inspiration for their layouts in the articles and photographs in the magazine.

To give you an idea of the quality photographs in the LMR book, the Crewe collection can be previewed here. Watch out for more exciting news in the Magazines section of the Blog later today....

We are pleased to announce Volume 2 of the Peter Collins Collection - The London Midland Region is now available. Like Volume One, it can be bought at www.ellybellypublications.co.uk. The book is currently available as an ePub and PDF for £20.00. (If we go to print, those buying the eBook will receive £15 off the purchase price). Featuring 158 photographs, from London to the far reaches of Scotland, the day-to-day face of British Rail in the 1970s is seen in all its "glory". As might be expected, Class 40s and AC electrics dominate the West Coast photos, along with the early days of the Class 50s. Sulzer power dominates the Midland Main Line photos, and there is a reasonable collection of DMUs and EMUs of the day. Inspirations for modellers are plentiful, and we have included the coach formations of services that have been identified. The variations of liveries of the same loco types on the same day give modellers plenty of excuses to run BR Green and BR Blue together! Once again, all the photographs are available to buy separately via a link on the relevant page. The photographs presented in this second volume reflect the changing face of British Rail in the 1970s, a steady decline trying to be arrested by electrification, but failing to appeal to new travellers. the bashers would revel in this environment, and we hope that this book will bring back fond memories. If you have any questions then contact us via the website.

We are offering a 25% discount on Peter Collins' first Volume in the series over the Black Friday period. Get an ePub and PDF of the book for £15.00 at www.ellybellypublications.co.uk. We are going to update the ebook in the near future, and anybody who has bought or buys the ebook will receive the update free. We will be adding train formation information where available. Look out for news of Volume 2, the London Midland Region soon! Ian Simpson, ellyBelly Publications

We are now offering the last remaining copies of the first book in the Railwayman's View series at Half Price. This well-received book features over 80 high-quality photographs taken by life-long BR railwayman Ronnie Gee. Featuring steam and early AC electrics, the photographs were taken on the London Midland lines between Wilmslow and Manchester London Road (Piccadilly) stations. Working in signal boxes and stations Ronnie had access to the latest "gen" so captured many rare workings in the area, seemingly always having his camera to hand. The book can be ordered at www.ellybellypublications.co.uk for £7.95 plus £4.00 Postage & Packing. If you model the 1950s/60s steam or the transition to diesel and electric, these brilliant photographs provide inspiration for lineside scenes as well as train formations. ellyBelly Publications

I would like to thank Andy for his very positive review of the book. We have worked very hard to ensure that the book is interesting to both enthusiasts and modellers by including photos that show what the railways were like in the 1970s. Something for everyone. This theme will run throughout the books, the next one being the Midland region....... Ian Simpson

I forgot to say that if you buy the ePub we will send you a free copy of the book in PDF format too! Regards, Ian

Remember that the colour as represented in 1960s slide film is not reproduced brilliantly unless you work really harder at colour correction (believe me I know!). Air flow and surface texture and curves (as in the roof domes) undoubtedly play a part too in real-world weathering and light reflection (in a photo). But in all the Ronnie Gee slides (including those shown) I have colour corrected and restored there is no discernible "grey" on the window frames. I'm not sure the paint shop would be that bothered to be honest either!

Another example if it helps. Taken some time in Summer 1971, Sulzer Type 2 Class 25 of the type built without corridor-connections, number 7666 (later 25316/25911) rumbles through Kensington with 9T37, loose-coupled inter-regional southbound coal, probably from the Midland’s Brent Yard in North London. This and other shots from Kensington in the 1970s are in Peter's book. There are 25s, 31s, 33s, 35s plus others. Shots at Clapham also show Warships on mixed freights and double headed Class 47s in pre-Tops green double heading HAA coal hoppers. Plenty of variety for modelling!

Hope these two Ronnie Gee photos might help. The first is of AL1 E3012 (81 010) hauling a dead AL3 E3100 (83 015) through Burnage station on 2nd January 1967. E3100 was the experimental AL3 and had been in Crewe works for quite some time having new bogies fitted with different traction motors (which I think became standard across the AL3s when they were reintroduced after storage at Longsight (stand to be corrected). Whilst the bodyside is still in 'Electric Blue' and seems to be untouched the ends and cab roof have been repainted (potentially with the small yellow area). They appear to be all White, not a hint of any grey whatsoever. Other photographs in the collection also seem to show all white cab surrounds on a variety of AL electrics, but if it is as subtle as some suggest on the thread, who knows! The 2nd photo is believed to have been taken on 29th May 1966 and show LMS porthole M27083M in fresh BR Blue/Grey livery at Stockport Edgeley carriage sidings.

Now available from www.ellybellypublications.co.uk is an eBook (in ePub format) of our next book in the series - "A Railwayman's View" - The Photographs of Peter Collins. Peter Collins was a railwayman for two decades, during a time of decline of British Railways, or as many see it the fabulous BR Blue era. Peter had a great eye for a photograph, and his extensive collection will be published in four volumes depicting the Western, Midland, Eastern and Southern regions, predominantly in the 1970s. This first volume has over 150 black and white photographs of Western Region British Rail in the 1970s and early 1980s. This was a time when British Rail still ran a network of passenger services based on locomotives and rakes of carriages and most freight was still made up of 4-wheel vans and mineral wagons. In most regions the Modernisation Plan of 1955 was still in place, although as we shall see in this first volume of Peter’s collection the Western Region had reluctantly begun to divest itself of the Diesel Hydraulics in favour of the ‘standard’ Class 31s, 47s and then 50s. This book depicts the Western Region, from London Paddington to Penzance, Wales and the Midlands. Warships, Hymeks and Westerns are superseded by Goyles, Syphons, Duffs and Hoovers. The future of intercity travel is represented by the Prototype High Speed Train. Many of the photographs include spotters or passengers. If you recognise yourself, get in touch with us at enquiries@ellybellypublications.co.uk. Over 150 glorious photographs over 180 pages, with comprehensive captions that will bring back memories and provide inspiration for all modellers of the BR Western Region at this time. There are photographs taken from the lineside, stations, depots and works, as well as some photographs of locos that have been scrapped and awaiting disposal. We have published the book initially as an eBook, but our aim is to produce printed copies in the future. Our aim is always to produce high quality publications, but the costs have risen dramatically and we would need to charge a cover price of at least £40.00 to make it commercially viable, something we aren't comfortable with in the current climate. However, if you buy the book (priced at £20.00) then you will receive a voucher code giving £15.00 discount from the printed book when it becomes available (which is our intention). All the photographs are also available to buy separately and a link is provided on each page within the book to the website. Grab yourself a wonderful book, full of great photographs and inspiration for modelling projects. If you have any questions please contact us at enquiries@ellybellypublications.co.uk.