 | Rolling Stock & Locomotives Books Published |  |
| Rolling Stock & Locomotives Books Published | |
| British Railway Goods Wagons In Colour | Midland Publishing | |||
| Robert Hendry | £14.99 | 96 pages | Softback | 1999 |
| A wonderful book - very well printed colour photographs, all reproduced to a decent size, and with extended and highly informative captions. The core of the book is the photographic collection of the author's late father, who took the trouble to record details of freight operation and backwaters of the railway system in colour from the 1960s onwards. There are a very few preservation shots, but the vast majority are of wagons in service or service condition. Being very critical, some views are undated, but the quality of the colour photography elevates this book into a class on its own - essential reference for BR modellers. | ||||
| British Railways Brakevans and Ballast Ploughs | HMRS | |||
| Eric Gent | £12.95 | 92 pages | Softback | 1999 |
| Covering all the BR built brake vans, including pre-nationalisation company types, but mainly concerned with the well known "Airfix" standard brakevan and the ballast plough vans, many of which still survive in use. Wonderfully and obsessively detailed, allocations, disposal dates, photos of alterations and scale drawings. The photos are very clear and include extensive colour shots from 1984 onwards, including a bizarre variation on a freightliner theme, the reasons for which are fascinating - what a great book! | ||||
| British Railways Engineers Stock 2 | Cheona | |||
| Geoff Gamble | £8.95 | 60 pages | Softback | 1999 |
| This covers engineers conversions of mainly coaching stock, and although it extends up until the present day, its real appeal is in its coverage of the archaic stock which was in use by the engineers up until the 1960s. There were some amazing survivals, and from a modeller's point of view this book provides inspiration and even hard evidence for some unusual items of stock. | ||||
| British Railways Standard Steam Locomotives Vol. 1 | RCTS | |||
| Dr. P.T. Gilbert | £19.95 | 174 pages | Hardback | 1994 |
| This first volume covers the background to standardisation and the pacific classes, and is the first in a series which is intended to cover all of the "Standards". It is a definitive work, following on from those produced for the GWR LNER and Southern from the RCTS (all of which are greatly in demand as the best sources of information on their subjects). It is produced in a large format, on quality art paper and is very well illustrated, including a significant colour section. All aspects are covered from design to performance "on the road" including details of modification, livery, construction details, withdrawal and disposal. The achievements of preservation are also noted and detailed, none more impressive than those achieved with the amazing rebirth of "Duke of Gloucester". An excellent book. | ||||
| Great Western Auto Trailers Part One | Wild Swan | |||
| John Lewis | £23.95 | 200 pages | Hardback | 1991 |
| This volume gives an historical overview of the whole subject, including the technical means of operating and all livery variations including the British Railways era. From here, all pre-grouping vehicles are covered in detail, including the conversions from steam railmotors. Because of the uses of the prototype, the illustrations show branch line and minor station detail very well, a lot of this being in South Wales. | ||||
| Great Western Auto Trailers Part Two | Wild Swan | |||
| John Lewis | £27.95 | 176 pages | Hardback | 1995 |
| Reprinted 2006. Covering the post grouping and absorbed vehicles, this book carries on from part one and the story continues well in to BR days, finishing with the "one eyed" conversions of normal coaches. As with the first volume, there are many diagrams, drawings and notes to accompany the excellent photographs, making this book highly useful for modellers of this subject. At the end are miscellaneous details and very comprehensive notes on allocations and histories of individual cars. | ||||
| Great Western Coaches Official Drawings | Wild Swan | |||
| John Lewis | £10.95 | 80 pages | Softback | 1998 |
| Modern mainline stock of the GWR, from Dreadnoughts to Hawksworth stock, a few photographs but mainly very detailed drawings. | ||||
| All About GWR Iron Minks | HMRS | |||
| Lewis, Lloyd, Metcalf & Miller | £8.95 | 56 pages | Softback | 1980 |
| The complete story of the development and use of the GWR's popular low roofed iron van, the design of which formed the basis of nearly all railway companies' gunpowder vans. The last page shows the prototype for Ratio's "Ferrocrete" model, and the text includes details of specific wagons' service histories, clear illustrations and very good scale drawings. Two copies left at the price indicated. | ||||
| L&SWR Locomotives: The Early Engines | Wild Swan | |||
| D.L. Bradley | £28.95 | 260 pages | Hardback | 1989 |
| A welcome reprint of the last of the late David Bradley's fine series on LSWR locos, and a story of designs many of which prevailed until the 1920s and even beyond. The photographic coverage is very good and shows much of interest in addition to the locomotives, including several views of Adams brake vans and the ubiquitous Panter road van. The book includes details of the three ex S&D George England 2-4-0s latterly used by the LSWR's engineering department. | ||||
| L.S.W.R. Carriages Volume One 1838 - 1900 | Wild Swan | |||
| Gordon weddell | £23.95 | 246 pages | Hardback | 1993 |
| A lovely volume covering the subject of railway coaching stock from its earliest beginnings with the London and Southampton Railway right up until the fairly modern developments taking place at the turn of the Century. The photographic coverage is surprisingly comprehensive given the period covered and in illustrating the subject many interesting locations and related subjects are touched upon. There are numerous good quality scale drawings and appendices detail building, numbering and withdrawal dates. | ||||
| Lancashire and Yorkshire Wagons Volume One | Wild Swan | |||
| Noel Coates | £21.95 | 194 pages | Hardback | 1990 |
| A wonderfully detailed and painstakingly researched account of the wagon stock and practices of a railway which was built around industry and delivering the goods. The author observes that the wagons were quite idiosyncratic and owed little to the practices of other railways, beyond the requirements of the Railway Clearing House. This volume covers general practice, the works , liveries and then open, low and flat trucks. A second volume will cover other types, but all sorts of wagons are featured in this volume in the greneral sections. This is of particular use to railway modellers, one of which the author is, having extremely clear and explanatory drawings and sketches of the various minutae of construction and brake operation etc. | ||||
| LMS Diesel Locomotives and Railcars | RCTS | |||
| E.V. Richards | £19.95 | 220 pages | Hardback | 1996 |
| The LMS experimented widely with diesel propulsion, to the extent that their ultimate diesel shunter design was adopted with few changes as the BR standard "08" design. Along the way they made extended use of Hunslets, Hudswell Clarkes and smaller types as exemplified by the Fowler. They also experimented widely with main line diesels and railcars, the most bizarre result of which was surely the "Fell" diesel mechanical. This book, clearly laid out and well printed on art paper, covers all of these developments in admirable detail, and is also very well illustrated with good contemporary photographs. | ||||
| Locomotives and Rolling Stock of the LT&SR | Oakwood | |||
| R.W. Rush | £7.95 | 138 pages | Softback | 1994 |
| Seventy five scale drawings and seventy four photographs as per the title. Well produced on art paper and including histories and descriptions. Not only are some very interesting crane and departmental items included, there is also a diagramatic explanation of how wagon brake gear actually works. I particularily like their quaint brake van on page 101, highly modellable. | ||||
| Mainline To Industry | Lightmoor Press | |||
| Frank Jones | £9.95 | 112 pages | Softback | 1998 |
| A really fascinating book, profusely illustrated and detailing all the locomotives which were sold out of the ownership of mainline companies into industry. A very wide variety of types were involved and several unique preserved locomotives owe their existence to the phenomenon, for example the Furness Railway Sharp Stewarts, one of which has just been rebuilt into its original form. | ||||
| Official Drawings of LMS wagons No. 2 | Wild Swan | |||
| R J Essery | £8.95 | 72 pages | Softback | 1997 |
| Very detailed works drawings of a variety of LMS wagons, accompanied by clear informative and relevant photographs. Amongst others, the wagon types include 20ton brake van, 5 plank general merchandise and the ubiquitous steel ended sliding door box van. Superb detail for model making down to the last bolt. Part 1 is unfortunately now out of print. | ||||
| Private Owner Wagons From The Ince Waggon & Ironworks Co | HMRS | |||
| A.J. Watts | £19.95 | 190 pages | Hardback | 1998 |
| A very attractive book, and a source of much more information than that suggested in the title. The development of the coal wagon and the work of the Railway Clearing House is covered in detail, as is the coal industry and trade. There are very many photographs, made from a company archive which was susequently destroyed; all in all a terrific book. | ||||
| Working Wagons Volume 1 1968 - 1973 | Santona | |||
| David Larkin | £11.95 | 96 pages | Softback | 1999 |
| Large format clear photographs of BR wagons in revenue earning service, together with copious notes and backgrounds to all the wagon types illustrated. Still a very traditional scene in the period under review, although a lot of the older pre nationalisation wagon types had by now gone. An enjoyable bonus in this book is the personal and amusing account of Davids interest in the subject and the techniques he employed to pursue wagons up and down the country - we are fortunate that he was so determined and successful. | ||||
| Working Wagons Volume 2 1974 - 79 | Santona | |||
| David Larkin | £11.95 | 96 pages | Softback | 1999 |
| David Larkin's informed and well illustrated commentary on BR wagons continues, now entering the era of TOPS and the long wheelbase air braked wagons which in turn led to the "Speedlink" network. As a prelude to privatisation, customers using this service were finally forced on to the roads as "Speedlink" was axed - no alternatives were offered! Another excellent record of wagons in service. | ||||
| Yeadon's Register of LNER locomotives Vol. 12 | Challenger | |||
| W.B. Yeadon | £19.99 | 94 pages | Hardback | 1997 |
| This volume of Yeadons register, the last to be produced by Willie before he passed away at the fine age of 89, covers the railcars and the Sentinel shunting locomotives, of which there were several types and variations. Apart from very detailed histories down to individual class members, there are a lot of well produced photographs and also a generous provision of scale drawings and diagrams, certainly enough information for anyone wishing to make a model. All this aside the account of the railcars is a fascinating story in its own right, representing as it does the most successful application of the railcar principle on any British Railway before the GWR's diesel railcars and the later DMUs. This is a great book that deserves a wider audience. | ||||