The Titfield Thunderbolt Bookshop

And now it is summer....

We have had our longest days, the nights are feeling a bit chilly, schoolchildren have returned to their studies, and right on cue the weather has improved beyond recognition - welcome to the British summer of 2012!

We went to Cornwall this year and were quite lucky with the weather, grey mornings but better days, and we managed to fit quite a lot into our week. Limited railway interest, but I managed to visit Wenford Bridge, one time far flung terminal on Herbert Walker's mighty Southern Railway and we travelled on the Looe Branch from Liskeard. Still lovely although like the rest of the British Railways network increasingly hemmed in by lineside scrub and vegetation.

I first travelled on the line in 1976, here are two views of Liskeard Station taken from the same spot but separated in time by 36 years:

Books

Ian Allan are going through some changes. After some retrenchment which involved cutting back its list a year or so ago and more recently selling off all of its magazine titles, it has now recruited Kevin Robertson to try and give its publishing a bit more focus. I would say the early signs are encouraging, we are still awaiting the new edition of "Each A Glimpse" but have recently seen some good new things, including an innovative "then and now" track atlas for mainland Britain. This is a really useful and very well researched piece of work which actually shows trackbed that can now be legitimately walked upon as well as both abandoned and operational railways of all types. £19.99.

Ian Allan have also reputedly shut down their own printing press and will be outsourcing this service in future. This may well be a good thing, but in the meantime hot off the presses we have "Fifty Years Of The Westerns" which is a terrific swan song for their Hersham operation.

Following a series of ever so slightly "off" pictorial albums in recent years this all colour production is a very welcome return to form for Ian Allan. The author is the son of the late Derek Cross, an accomplished photographer and friend of Ivo Peters, and the photographic selection draws from Derek's work together with other friends. David's own photographic work is included and he provides an interesting and informed commentary throughout with his introduction and captioning. My favourite picture is possibly "Western Renown" on an up parcels train running through Sydney Gardens on a sunny day in April 1973, with blossom above the locomotive and an "Enparts" van as the first vehicle - absolutely "my" era and pure magic! Views tend towards the West Country end of things and the blue era, but not exclusively so and my impression is that most pictures have not been published previously. Priced at £16.99, this is a great pictorial album of a great class of locomotive.

Irwell Press's new book on the Paddington to Weymouth line is to hand, nicely produced and covering the whole route. Using established photographic sources and predominantly covering the 1950s, it is a welcome reminder of how the main line out of Paddington used to look in the age of steam. There is very good coverage of Weymouth and the quay including some great views of holidaymakers and the filming of a Dick Emery show in the town in 1965 - priceless, well £24.95 actually...

Completely different is a new magnum opus on the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway, containing photographs, plans and a wealth of painstakingly produced scale drawings covering every aspect of the line and its operation. This book is one result of 20 plus years work and cooperation between Steve Phillips and Michael Bishop, who continues to work on what will hopefully be a definitive illustrated history and full account of the line. The exquisite drawings and production of this book are the work of Steve alone however, with due acknowledgment to Michael, and I do not think it will not be surpassed by anything in the future in its scope and quality. "Measured and Drawn" published by the author, 252 pages, landscape format hardback, colour dustjacket, 65.00 and in stock.

Readers may be aware that the production of this book has caused some anguish between the two individuals named above. As a lover of books and appreciating the huge amount of work and research carried out by both Steve and Michael, my hope is that Michael will go on to produce his history which will be able to sit beside this book on readers shelves thereby creating the all encompassing account of The Lynton and Barnstaple Railway that must have been the aim for both of them over such a long period of time.

Returning to a popular subject but in a different format, Julian Peters has just issued a collection of Ivo Peters films newly re-mastered on to DVD. It is the old "volume 5" from the video series, covering 1960, but all completely re-mastered to a high standard, with additional footage and all narrated by Julian himself. Coverage includes the tea run on the S&D branch, a 7F topped and tailed spoil train at Midford, the Blue Pullman, Gloucester Docks, Yatton to Clevedon, Swindon Works, City of Truro and more besides, all for £16.95.