Spotters books.

[Condor7]

I am about to replace my combined train numbers book, which at the moment is the Platform 5 book.

I notice however that there are several to choose from and wondered if anyone can advice which they feel is the best. The choice as I see it apart from Platform 5, is.......

InterCity Railway Society, 'UK Pocket Book'

National Railway Enthusiasts Association, 'The Spotters Companion'

Ian Allan, 'Rail Guide'

Specialist Transport Publications, 'UK Combined'


If there are any others I would be interested to hear.

 

[corin paul]

Price is one thing, which will stop me next year buying a Platform 5 book.

 

[G_A_C_C_C]

I think it depends what it is you actually spot. I moved onto the ICRS Pocket book a few years ago and it's excellent as it covers almost everything I do. It contains:
All locos - including preservered and NR registered Steam
DMUs - included preserved
EMUs - included preserved
MPVs
Coaches
Departmentals
Light Rail (Trams & Metros)
Underground (and locos)

 

[theblackwatch]

The other books to consider are the AEB Rail ones, see http://www.aebrail.co.uk/steel_blue_2_002.htm

 

[CC 72100]

The other books to consider are the AEB Rail ones, see http://www.aebrail.co.uk/steel_blue_2_002.htm

On the subject of those (sorry for taking it slightly off topic) does anyone have the one which contains the French fleet lists? Would they recommend and does anyone know if it contains Paris RER as well?

TIA

 

[madmack37]

i personaly dont use a spotters book as i think they are a bit priecy but what i use but soon used is a wilkos a5 spiral pad with green covers that can simply fit in your coat pocket (but you carnt get any more) for recording train numbers & when i get home i transfer to a large reporters notebook which is handy

mark

 

[Condor7]

i personaly dont use a spotters book as i think they are a bit priecy but what i use but soon used is a wilkos a5 spiral pad with green covers that can simply fit in your coat pocket (but you carnt get any more) for recording train numbers & when i get home i transfer to a large reporters notebook which is handy

mark

I guess most of us use a notebook on the platform.
But by transferring it to a reporters notebook then while you have a record of what you have seen, you will not have a record of what you have not seen.

The NREA 'Spotters Companion' is only £8.95p, but incredibly you cannot buy it on line, you have to send a cheque. Do they still make cheques?

 

[madmack37]

I guess most of us use a notebook on the platform.
But by transferring it to a reporters notebook then while you have a record of what you have seen, you will not have a record of what you have not seen.

The NREA 'Spotters Companion' is only £8.95p, but incredibly you cannot buy it on line, you have to send a cheque. Do they still make cheques?

well i had wrote in the back of my reporters notebook all of the pendos ive seen & then last week i began to record all the class 142s, 153s, 156s, 158s, 221s, 185s, 66s, 92s, 37s,

 

[D6975]

Make your own - that's what I did.
I created a spreadsheet with each class (or group of classes) on a seperarate tab.
I then give the cells containing seen items in yellow, then change this to light red if I've had it for haulage. It takes a while to set up, but once done just requires occasional updating.
I later added a Y/N column for seen as well as this allowed me to filter for N to produce lists of required units for trips.

ps my haulage log is a spreadsheet nowadays as well. Again, transferring the contents of my old moves books took a while, but it was worth it, I can now look up a locos total mileage in seconds. Aren't vlookups wonderful?