New Edition of "Baker" Now Available

[John R]

A new edition (the 16th!) of the Rail Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland , more often known as Baker, after the original cartographer is now available from Crecy Rail. Since Stuart Baker's death in 2020, Joe Brown has taken over cartography, and I'm sure those of us for whom an up to date Baker is a must-have will thank him for ensuring that the series did not lapse on Stuart's death.

(I've got all but the 2nd edition - anyone got the full set?)

 

[Backroom_boy]

A new edition (the 16th!) of the Rail Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland , more often known as Baker, after the original cartographer is now available from Crecy Rail. Since Stuart Baker's death in 2020, Joe Brown has taken over cartography, and I'm sure those of us for whom an up to date Baker is a must-have will thank him for ensuring that the series did not lapse on Stuart's death.

(I've got all but the 2nd edition - anyone got the full set?)

Much change from the 15th edition?

 

[John R]

Much change from the 15th edition?

I don't know. I think it must have been published today as a tweet from Joe Brown alerted me to it. I've ordered it direct from Crecy, so hopefully will get it shortly.

 

[tumbledown]

Three cheers for Stuart Baker (and thanks Joe Brown).

 

[RGM654]

My last copy of the Baker atlas was many editions ago. I use mostly the Ian Allan Then and Now atlas, the Mike Bridge TRACKatlas and the Joe Brown London one. What does the latest Baker one offer that those don't?

 

[John R]

Well Baker offers the whole of the UK, which Joe Brown's London ATLAS doesn't for one thing!

As for the TRACKatlas, it's very detailed, and I do like the format, although when I bought the 2nd edition I noticed some mistakes in areas which were very familiar to me, which put me off slightly. And it's a lot bigger to carry around, which meant I quickly reverted to Baker.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Much change from the 15th edition?

Some sample pages of the new 16th edition (£20) in the below-linked X/Tweet that Joe Brown himself posted last August...

x.com

x.com

Extract...

...The main format change is thin/thick lines for single/multiple track (including non-passenger). Counties restored, new insets, additional minor railways...

(Pic of railway track diagram in the Eastleigh/Southampton area).

P.S. Already seems to be temporarily 'out of stock' on Amazon.

 

[DelW]

Some sample pages of the new 16th edition (£20) in the below-linked X/Tweet that Joe Brown himself posted last August...

That's good value, my 2007 edition was £14.99, only a 33% increase in almost 18 years. I'm probably due a new edition, though I do have quite a few other atlases.

 

[satisnek]

I can't help feeling that the Baker atlas has long been overtaken by other publications (including Joe Brown's own) which show track layouts or alternatively those which show closed lines. Having said that, the original 1977 atlas (and further to a previous post, I now have a second copy which, although hardly 'mint', is still much less defaced and modified) is a fascinating historical document. Considering all those long-gone freight terminals and the fact that most reinstated passenger services were on existing freight-only lines, we have lost much more than we have gained!

 

[ainsworth74]

Is there as much speculation in the new edition as the previous? I found some of the maps getting quite cluttered with speculative station and line reopenings (or openings seeing as all of HS2 was in there).

 

[John R]

Is there as much speculation in the new edition as the previous? I found some of the maps getting quite cluttered with speculative station and line reopenings (or openings seeing as all of HS2 was in there).

I’ll be interested to see. I did make exactly that point to Joe on X around 18 months ago, as the proliferation of highly speculative (and some completely pie in the sky) schemes was one of the few irritations I have with the previous edition.

 

[Sunil_P]

I rate Joe Brown

Always been a fan of London Rail Atlas ever since the 1st edition, and I've been mentioned in the acknowledgements ever since the 3rd edition, when I emailed him a diagram clarifying the situation at West India Quay DLR.

The 15th edition of Baker is great, but as others have mentioned the mapping is full of rather speculative re-openings! Hopefully will be toned down for the 16th edition!

As an aside, as we're discussing atlases, does anyone know where I can find the official route mileage ("route" as in Baker-level mapping) and the station count for each of the UK TOCs? Also Iarnrod Eireann while we're at it. Or at least point me in the direction? Wikipedia only gives data for a few of them!

 

[etr221]

As an aside, as we're discussing atlases, does anyone know where I can find the official route mileage ("route" as in Baker-level mapping) and the station count for each of the UK TOCs? Also Iarnrod Eireann while we're at it. Or at least point me in the direction? Wikipedia only gives data for a few of them!

Getting an accurate, up to date station count for the network wasn't easy...

ORR stats Table 6329 - Station attributes for all mainline stations - is a spreadsheet including the station operator - download from https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/stati...station-attributes-for-all-mainline-stations/, and a bit of manipulation will provide counts on that basis.

For a stations served count, the only list of stations with TOCs serving them AFAIK is from the Knowledgebase data feed - see what I wrote before to get it as a spreadsheet:

The 'Knowledgebase Stations data feed' has I think what you need/want, and is obtainable from the Rail Data Marketplace.
To obtain it (at least how I did it): (1) set yourself up on the Rail Data Marketplace (if you aren't already); (2) subscribe to the Knowledgebase Stations data feed (from Rail Delivery Group); (3) go there and follow link to and download the documentation (KB feeds data specification pdf); (4) go to section 6 Stations - there is a link to download an 'all stations' zip file, do so; (5) in the zip file is a 'stations.xml' file of the data, extract this and convert to a ~.csv file; (6) open this in your favourite spread sheet program and delete all the columns you don't want (there are lot, and many are wide...)
And you have it...

 

[etr221]

Or - following another pointer - see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Railway_stations_in_Great_Britain_by_train_operating_company, which may be a good enough starting point for you.

 

[Harpo]

I lke the occasional freebie fold-outs of these maps in Modern Railways. I’d love to see the while book sold in fold-out option(s). Segmental maps can be hard work.

 

[davetheguard]

Is there as much speculation in the new edition as the previous? I found some of the maps getting quite cluttered with speculative station and line reopenings (or openings seeing as all of HS2 was in there).

I’ll be interested to see. I did make exactly that point to Joe on X around 18 months ago, as the proliferation of highly speculative (and some completely pie in the sky) schemes was one of the few irritations I have with the previous edition.

My copy arrived this morning.

HS2 now ends in a field in Staffordshire at Handsacre Junction with phase 2 now all deleted. In view of this, I was quite surprised to find that in the preface Joe Brown says he's chosen to keep the "restoring your railway" entries, so things like: Bere Alston to Tavistock; the Amlwch branch on Anglesey; and Colne to Skipton are still shown.

We can hope on, but I don't think I'll be holding my breath......

 

[Neilo09]

Anyone spotted them on bookshelves in stores ?

 

[John R]

Hmmm… is that the Restoring Your Railways initiative that is as dead as HS2? A bit disappointing that. Still waiting for my copy though.

 

[Harpo]

I ordered mine online from Crecy at the weekend, post-free, and it’s arrived today.

 

[Mollington St]

I have just gone through my collection and have a good number of spares , so if you need any editions from and including number one i can help .

John R whom started the conversation - i have a spare No 2 to help you make the set

I will get all the covers scanned and listed up on my site - Transport Past Times

 

[jfollows]

I ordered mine online from Crecy at the weekend, post-free, and it’s arrived today.

Likewise, ordered Sunday, arrived today.

 

[Neilo09]

Unfortunately it’s £18:99 postage plus tax to deliver to Ireland,
was hoping to pick it up somewhere while im over in uk the weekend

 

[Mollington St]

Remember my first issue that got the yellow pen treatment was the Orange Cover 1980 3rd Edition,

Took it everywhere protected by the Rail Atlas of Britain Cover -

 

[John R]

Likewise my 3rd edition (the first I had) got the yellow pen treatment. I've kept others free of that!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I was quite surprised to find that in the preface Joe Brown says he's chosen to keep the "restoring your railway" entries, so things like: Bere Alston to Tavistock; the Amlwch branch on Anglesey; and Colne to Skipton are still shown.

Are these aspirational lines clearly marked as such in the new 16th edition of "Rail Atlas"? Colne to Skipton wasn't shown in the (2017) 3rd edition of the alternative 'TRACKatlas', although the Amlwch branch certainly was, albeit marked 'OOU' (= out of use).

 

[ainsworth74]

Hmm thanks for all the information everyone, I think I might check one out in a bookstore before making a purchase in this case!

 

[John R]

OK, mine's just arrived, and I've skimmed through it. The good news is that proposed lines are shown in a fainter colour, so it's not as jarring as in the previous versions where you know there's very little chance of a proposal actually going ahead.

 

[Chriso]

Unfortunately it’s £18:99 postage plus tax to deliver to Ireland,
was hoping to pick it up somewhere while im over in uk the weekend

The TFL museaum shop in Covent Garden had 4 on the shelf and around 20 out back earlier today.

I just picked up mine there for £20

 

[Adrian Barr]

I strongly disliked the 15th edition, after the absurd decision to use a barely visible silver colour for Network Rail lines in the detailed pages of London railways. Has that changed? The greyed out page borders were ugly, maps cluttered with proposed schemes... just something "off" about the style of it. it stays on the shelf in favour of the 13th edition, which has the added bonus that I remember many of the page numbers which were unchanged over several editions.

I do like the Joe Brown books covering London / Birmingham / Manchester though, very impressive!

I generally prefer looking at Quail / Trackmaps for detail (the railway track diagrams series, not the unholy abomination which is the TRACKAtlas) and the Baker atlas as a convenient reference for reminding me of more basic railway geography.

The older editions of the Baker atlas are great for a quick historical reference to lines, coal mines, and other terminals that have since closed.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The TFL museaum shop in Covent Garden had 4 on the shelf and around 20 out back earlier today.

I just picked up mine there for £20

Anyone know if the new 16th edition of the book is available from or being stocked at WH Smith outlets, at major railway stations?