Railway books you wish someone would write/publish

[deltic]

Apologies if this has already been covered but I couldnt see an existing thread

The title says it all - what railway books would you like to see publish or are surprised no-one hasnt already done so. If you know of a book that covers these topics let us know

I'll start it off with

History of UK Newspaper trains - up until the 1980s all the national newspapers and some magazines were distributed by rail but I have seen very little written on it

List of all Royal Train journeys - given the obsession with royalty and lists I am surprised no-one has tried to put this together

Operating and financial data of pre-grouping railways - the annual railway year book reported this data every year but it would be good to have altogether in one volume covering all the rail companies over time

Manchester/Glasgow Rail Atlas - the London Rail Atlas has had a number of editions and there was a Birmingham one - would be good to see one for Manchester and Glasgow

Operation East Coast - Xpress Publishing produced a fantastic series "District Controller" for various parts of the rail network showing a typical working day in the 1950s - seemed to have stopped publishing now - given it was written by rail staff who worked them I imagine age has caught up with them - they produced a book for the WCML would be good for a similar version for the East Coast

Regional History of the Railways of GB - this 16? volume series came out in the 1980s when it looked like the railways were in terminal decline - an updated version showing its renaissance would be good

Passenger train formations of the LMR - a book showing how train formations evolved over time on some key services on the London Midland region - always wanted to read similar versions for other regions

Any other ideas?

 

[Ashley Hill]

A book about the history, design and development of Block Instruments. There are plenty of books about the history and development of Block working but not the actual instruments. Some designs are really attractive like the LSWR Preece 2 wire or the L&Y Permissive. Even the BR standard Bakelites have a certain charm and yet there must be a story how they came about.

 

[S&CLER]

A new edition of the Signalling Record Society's Signalling Atlas and Signal Box Directory. I have the 2nd edition(2004) and haven't seen a 3rd edition. (If there is one, I'd be delighted to hear it.)The scale of change since then is shown in the numerous pencil amendments I've made to the maps as boxes have closed.

Also a more detailed history of the Maryport and Carlisle.

 

[swanhill41]

I think the mention of the David & Charles Regional Histories sums up the position today...Nearly all titles pre 2000 need updating,due to new info becoming available ,and also better quality paper etc being used....I don't know who has the publishing rights to their titles but certainly titles like Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Parts 1-3 by John Marshall,could be merged into one book,and updated with better paper,larger format and more illustrations,oh and update of info etc

 

[Furrball]

History of MK3 rolling stock (loco hauled and HST)

 

[theblackwatch]

A new edition of the Signalling Record Society's Signalling Atlas and Signal Box Directory. I have the 2nd edition(2004) and haven't seen a 3rd edition. (If there is one, I'd be delighted to hear it.)The scale of change since then is shown in the numerous pencil amendments I've made to the maps as boxes have closed.

I have the third edition (dated 2010). Just checked Amazon/Waterstones/ABE books and it isn't available on any of them at the moment. The ISBN is 9781873228319 - might be worth keeping checking and seeing if one comes up anywhere.

 

[70014IronDuke]

The development and history of the Midland Pullman, ie the Manchester Central to St Pancras DEMU.

I feel this service came and went with a bit of initial fanfare, but little after that. Unless, of course, it's passed me by.

I often saw it, but as a kid and spotter, once you'd got the numbers, it was ignored. I'd like to know how effective (or otherwise) it was in keeping wealthy passenger on rail during the LNWR electrification. And there must be a million anecdotes to tell.

I don't know, but suspect there has been something on the Western pullmans, as they were around for so much longer (relatively speaking). I lodged with a couple of restaurant car crew in S Wales who had worked on the Western Pullmans - they would tell the odd tale at the time. Wish I'd asked more and recorded them. But I think they had a barrel full of fiddles going on - they'd not reveal those, I'd guess.

 

[swanhill41]

I have the third edition (dated 2010). Just checked Amazon/Waterstones/ABE books and it isn't available on any of them at the moment. The ISBN is 9781873228319 - might be worth keeping checking and seeing if one comes up anywhere.

Hi...Have no connection with Martin Bott ,but give him a ring ,not all of his stock on the web....Also try Robert Humm Stamford,again ring him as 90% of stock is not on web...Good chance with those two.....

 

[SquireBev]

I'd love to see Martin Bairstow-esque books covering the West Midlands in as much detail as he's covered the West Riding.

 

[deltic]

The development and history of the Midland Pullman, ie the Manchester Central to St Pancras DEMU.

I feel this service came and went with a bit of initial fanfare, but little after that. Unless, of course, it's passed me by.

I often saw it, but as a kid and spotter, once you'd got the numbers, it was ignored. I'd like to know how effective (or otherwise) it was in keeping wealthy passenger on rail during the LNWR electrification. And there must be a million anecdotes to tell.

I don't know, but suspect there has been something on the Western pullmans, as they were around for so much longer (relatively speaking). I lodged with a couple of restaurant car crew in S Wales who had worked on the Western Pullmans - they would tell the odd tale at the time. Wish I'd asked more and recorded them. But I think they had a barrel full of fiddles going on - they'd not reveal those, I'd guess.

I havent read it but there is a book
The Blue Pullman story ISBN 0860936880 a revised edition of which came out at the beginning of this year

 

[Bevan Price]

I think the mention of the David & Charles Regional Histories sums up the position today...Nearly all titles pre 2000 need updating,due to new info becoming available ,and also better quality paper etc being used....I don't know who has the publishing rights to their titles but certainly titles like Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Parts 1-3 by John Marshall,could be merged into one book,and updated with better paper,larger format and more illustrations,oh and update of info etc

David & Charles were taken over by a USA publisher, F&W Media International, who seem more interested in arts & crafts than in railways, so I see little chance of the Regional Histories being updated -- unless some other publisher buys the rights and thinks it worthwhile to commission updates.

 

[Western Sunset]

I havent read it but there is a book
The Blue Pullman story ISBN 0860936880 a revised edition of which came out at the beginning of this year

Hasn't been published yet. Due end of April (fingers crossed).

 

[Western Sunset]

David & Charles were taken over by a USA publisher, F&W Media International, who seem more interested in arts & crafts than in railways, so I see little chance of the Regional Histories being updated -- unless some other publisher buys the rights and thinks it worthwhile to commission updates.

The final volume (#16) on Ireland wasn't published by D&C - to be honest, I can't see them being updated anytime soon, if ever.....

 

[swanhill41]

The final volume (#16) on Ireland wasn't published by D&C - to be honest, I can't see them being updated anytime soon, if ever.....

Yes agree Vol 16 on Ireland was done in style of D&C ,in mid 90's ….D&C was originally sold to Readers Digest in about 1989/90,for its mailing lists...D&C was in its later years very much a book club operation,and less a publisher of rail books...Love to know where the rights for rail book titles ended up?

 

[Albaman]

At the end of the Foxline publication " Journeys by Excursion Train - Kirkham to Blackpool ( North ) and Fleetwood for the Isle of Man " , there is mention of a further volume covering the period 1964 to 1967. In view of the fact that the book was published in 2005, I suspect this further volume will never appear.

Also, I found the books by Terry Gourvish very interesting and I wonder if he will publish anything covering the years from 2005.

 

[Western Sunset]

Also, I found the books by Terry Gourvish very interesting and I wonder if he will publish anything covering the years from 2005.

Yes, his trilogy (if they can be called that) is very interesting, even though they cost an arm and a leg. The writings of Derek H Aldcroft are also worth looking at if you're into that sort of thing.

 

[Albaman]

Yes, his trilogy (if they can be called that) is very interesting, even though they cost an arm and a leg. The writings of Derek H Aldcroft are also worth looking at if you're into that sort of thing.

Thanks for the information - I'll have a look on Google.

 

[32475]

A really good photographic book about SIGNAL BOXES is one that I would definitely like to see published. It doesn't need to be technical or too wordy but simply a glossy colour study of the many varied architectural designs around the country showing their character and sad decay.

 

[Ashley Hill]

British Railway Signalling in Colour: For the Modeller and Historian https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1857801148/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_0zGKEb4J7MXX0

Here's one I'd recommend.

 

[32475]

Thanks for the suggestion

 

[berwicksfinest]

I would love some one to do something similar to Graham B fenn/ Colin Marsden British Rail Mainline diesel/Electric Locomotives

But for EMUs / DMUs coaches and wagons and Shunting Locos

 

[satisnek]

Been waiting 20 years or more for Alan Williams to write a sequel to Not The Age Of The Train...

 

[davetheguard]

Hasn't been published yet. Due end of April (fingers crossed).

The Blue Pullman book is now shown as being published in August 2020 on the Crecy website.

 

[hexagon789]

Books covering in detail, modern Irish coaching stock. There's a couple on pre-1950s stock and narrow guage but nothing really that covers the Cravens, Mk2Ds and Mk3s in proper depth while our own Mk1s-3s are covered in minute detail in a number of publications.

 

[steamybrian]

A book about Uncompleted railways. Those lines that work was started but never completed but subsequently abandoned. Here in the South East are some examples such as - Ouse Valley Railway between Balcombe- Uckfield, Southern Railway 1930s Chessington South- Leatherhead, London Underground Edgware- Bushey Heath. Understand that preliminary work was done on the Surrey Heights Railway between Sanderstead -Orpington.

 

[6Gman]

The book I really, really wanted to read was one which described how the railway managed the Dunkirk evacuation.

And then I found it!

Return from Dunkirk: Railways to the rescue: Operation Dynamo (1940) by Peter Tatlow. Published by Oakwood Press in 2010

An astonishing read, particularly the appendix which lists every evacuation train which passed Redhill (and some others) between 27th May and 4th June.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

A book about Uncompleted railways. Those lines that work was started but never completed but subsequently abandoned. Here in the South East are some examples such as - Ouse Valley Railway between Balcombe- Uckfield, Southern Railway 1930s Chessington South- Leatherhead, London Underground Edgware- Bushey Heath. Understand that preliminary work was done on the Surrey Heights Railway between Sanderstead -Orpington.

Try Alan A Jackson "London's Local Railways" - a fine and well researched book , with good material on "failed or prospective" schemes.

The Southern Heights Light Railway is an intriguing concept , of which not a lot is really known about.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

The book I really, really wanted to read was one which described how the railway managed the Dunkirk evacuation.

And then I found it!

Return from Dunkirk: Railways to the rescue: Operation Dynamo (1940) by Peter Tatlow. Published by Oakwood Press in 2010

An astonishing read, particularly the appendix which lists every evacuation train which passed Redhill (and some others) between 27th May and 4th June.

Agreed - a terrific read , though there is some other material in the official Southern Railway book "War on the Line" .....the whole railway contribution in WW2 is deeply impressive.

 

[Peter C]

I'd love to see a book - a detailed book - about the history of the Cotswold Line and the branches which came off of it. Information regarding allocations/diagrams/timetables would be very interesting indeed - particularly the interesting allocations such as 2 or 3 car HST sets for Worcester - Hanborough workings or loco-hauled workings instead of DMUs in the 1970s/80s/90s.
I'd particularly like to see if anyone could compile some stuff about the line which was built but not much was recorded about it - I think the sidings at Kingham built for the war effort could be an example?

-Peter

 

[Busaholic]

Yes agree Vol 16 on Ireland was done in style of D&C ,in mid 90's ….D&C was originally sold to Readers Digest in about 1989/90,for its mailing lists...D&C was in its later years very much a book club operation,and less a publisher of rail books...Love to know where the rights for rail book titles ended up?

The David of David and Charles was David St John Thomas, and after the sale to RD he retired to Nairn in Scotland. A few years later, I was delighted to meet him in my bookshop in Penzance when he turned up with his newly published railway book under his own imprint. I purchased one from him and got him to sign it. He was reserved, but very pleasant. I believe there's a charitable trust bearing his name which hands out prizes to authors once in a while, so of it's still going it could be worth making enquiries of them re rights.