Featured Books

An unusual book I think. Although it says it is a manual of scenery construction and does indeed include a few "hands on" sections, I think its strength is much more as a thoughtful discussion of the way in which a model railway may be "clothed" with a miniature version of reality outside the railway's boundary fence. Very nicely illustrated in full colour and featuring some great models from both past masters and current practitioners.

A huge book for the price, produced in association with the Exmoor National Park Authority and covering its subject in exhaustive detail. As the preface explains, the late Roger Sellick and John Hamilton were involved in the project as they and the author of this book had decided a new book should be produced back in 1980. Sure to be the definitive book for all time it is illustrated with a huge number of photographs, many of the more recent ones being in colour, and also contains a wealth of drawn information, from scale drawing of locomotives and rolling stock through to maps, plans and sections of track layouts, mines and plant and equipment. All beautifully produced, this is a real treasure trove of the past that appeals on many levels, but nonetheless maintains the highest standards - quite astonishing.

A very stylish book on an iconic subject, the train developed to take over from the successful steam hauled "Southern Belle" on Herbert Walkers newly electrified line to Brighton. Very well illustrated with much use of colour, illustrations include the interiors, fittings and period publicity material. Although withdrawn in 1972 the story was far from over as nearly all of the units survived in one form or another and there is currently a scheme to re-launch a whole unit back on the main line. All recorded in magnificent detail, including workings, headcodes, associated trains and scale diagrams of the Belle vehicles.

I find layout planning books, with few exceptions, to be fatally fascinating. A diverting sequence of someone else's schemes, all with the potential to deliver endless hours of vicarious pleasure whilst achieving nothing. Of course some might just inspire a reader into building something, and this book may well come into that category. Building upon and referencing the author's various articles in "Railway Modeller" the book consists of a number of dimensioned and well reasoned layout ideas together with helpful observations and thoughts around the subject. Does it really hit the mark though? Carl Arendt, master of the Micro Layout genre, gave me this quote: "A well crafted, thoroughly thought-out and copiously illustrated book. Paul Lunn succeeds in connecting the design of micro layouts with the mainstream of British model railway practice... no small feat!". I think the implied criticism is fair, this book is mainstream. If you are looking for startling originality and a move away from RTR stock, 4mm scale and "Setrack" then this may not be for you. It's still good though and very nicely produced and printed to boot.

Having had my appetite whetted by Ivor Gotheridge's little book of a few years ago, I was delighted to come across this new and highly detailed record of this minor railway on the Essex marshes. Covering both the original bucolic and lightly laid passenger carrying line to Corringham and the explosives works and later oil refinery developments at Coryton, this is a fantastically comprehensive record. The photographs are amazing in their coverage and quality and include full details of the fascinating rolling stock used on the line. This would make a wonderful subject for a model, providing scenarios from the very lightest of lines as built to heavy freight carrier as part of it still operates. A great book on a really interesting subject.

How Geoff Taylor goes about making his beautiful miniature recreations of model buildings in plastikard. After a relatively brief but effective section on "how he does it" the book treats us to a full colour look at the diverse buildings of all types that Geoff has built, interspersed with odd notes and sketches of how the models were put together and the prototypes that inspired the models. I note from various Internet discussion groups that this book has picked up some stick for "just being a catalogue" of Geoff's work. Whilst it is fair to say that the book isn't a comprehensive construction manual, I personally struggle to understand how any sentient being could summarise both the book and Geoff's achievements in such a dismissive way.

Written by an accomplished and practising railway modeller (his previous book on tree modelling from Irwell was a sell out) this is an easy to read and accessible guide to capturing the natural world in miniature for model railways. Illustrated in full colour throughout with both actual and model pictures, and showing and discussing tools materials and techniques in some detail, this is an encouraging "hands on" guide to its subject. I was especially impressed with the section on trees and also walling, with some of the best results I've seen being achieved in these areas.

At last, a comprehensively researched, well written and copiously illustrated book that covers the "Strawberry Line". The historical development and relationship with the Somerset and Dorset and its antecedents are very well covered and comprehensive plans, scale track plans and a set of the later signalling diagrams give a very full account of what the line looked like. Operation is also well covered, with train workings, locomotive diagrams and accounts of several incidents and a very good selection of photographs. The very end of operations and the move into preservation are not really covered although the various quarries and their operations are, including the by now vast Foster Yeoman operation at Merehead.

An unusual book, being one person's account of their modelling life and the layout project that has gown "like Topsy" over thirty years to reach its present state. With a foreword by no less than the recently departed PD Hancock of "Craig and Mertonford" fame, who inspired Nick as he inspired so many others into small scale narrow gauge modelling, the recounts the trials and tribulations of creating a truly breathtaking model of the Festiniog as it would have appeared in the early summer of 1926. Couple this to Roy Link's skill as a designer and a good photographic of developments and the result is a stunning book of a stunning model railway. As Philip observes, "many modellers today are content with a simple....layout, preferably portable, designed to be exhibited...with a fairly short life span" - well Nick's model is none of those things and all the better for it! So enjoy it through the pages of this superb book because it isn't coming to a show near you anytime soon.

With the current crop of highly detailed models often including a wide range of semi optional detailing parts, this well written and illustrated book is a timely addition to the library of titles available to the railway modeller. Also covering earlier models and the maintenance issues that them the latter half of the book consists of really good sections on re-wheeling, re-powering and re-numbering models, covering both steam outline and "modern image". A final chapter covers layout maintenance issues. All in all I think this is a useful book for the practical modeller, written by someone who practises what he preaches!

Kevin has taken a deal of trouble over the captioning of this well illustrated book, including copious notes of diagram numbers and historical details, together with references to earlier books on the subject. The pictures do not disappoint and there are a few real gems included, the most attractive of which is probably the lovely shot of a train of Collet coaches at Towyn on the cover. I also think that the auto coach shown condemned at Highbridge Works (of all places) is the one that John Betjeman goes in to in the BBC's "Branch Line Railway". Camping coaches, dynamometer cars and inspection saloons are featured, some of which survived very late. Easily the equal of the earlier Southern Railway volume.

An unusual and interesting book. David is a tram and railway enthusiast who whilst working in the health service became aware of a number of hospitals which had possessed their own rail-based system. Fascinated, he started to collect information and has now produced a third enlarged edition of a well illustrated and referenced pictorial book. The book is divided geographically with an additional chapter dealing separately with temporary military hospitals. Each location is well identified with OS map extracts and detailed site plans and the photographic coverage is pretty good, including some fascinating aerial views. There is much of railway interest here which will appeal to devotees of the minor and quixotic and although there are some relatively familiar scenes I will wager that this book contains something which will surprise most. This book is much bigger than the first edition, the result of further information on this fascinating subject coming to light after first publication in 2005.

Lance moves from design into construction with this book using the freelance "Palmetto Spur" set in Central Florida as a practical example. This book clearly relates to its North American prototype and uses materials and products from "over there" but is still of value for modellers of other prototypes. It approaches its subject "from the ground up" and talks the reader through every stage in a very clear "show and tell" style. A neat feature is the way that what Lance calls "Difference Makers" are highlighted throughout the book. The first one should give you an idea and is typical of how useful this book is: "An exceptional model railroad can be assembled using properly selected but basic materials and techniques and done so on the first attempt".

Whilst the publisher and title might suggest a run of the mill album of hackneyed snaps to the more cynical amongst us, the contents of this book are happily neither ordinary or overly familiar. The author sets out to show hydraulic operations in the relatively short period when they were running a "whole railway" before line closures and changing traffic patterns altered things irrevocably. In addition he has deliberately concentrated on less well known lies and locations, with good coverage of the branch and secondary lines that were the domain of the smaller locomotives. The result is full of interest, using both colour and black and white, and is also notable for considerable effort in the captioning, with much detail of operation and train working being included. This approach and David's imaginative selection of images makes this the best book published to date for fans of the diminutive Class 22 diesels, which I am - an absolutely wonderful book.

A continuing survey of disused railway lines in that interesting period immediately after closure when so much atmosphere and infrastructure remained. Covering Hampshire, this volume features the Didcot Newbury and Southampton route, the "Mid Hants" line, the Isle of Wight and lines around Gosport amidst much else.

Following on from "Sabotaged and Defeated" Jeff takes us on a tour of the former Southern Railway lines west of Salisbury. The "Withered Arm" in Devon and Cornwall predominates and includes late diesel passenger services and several views of the fairly extensive freight only operations that lingered around Wadebridge and Barnstaple. All in colour and again showing much interesting railway infrastructure.

After years of cajoling Andrew Neale has finally given way and produced a book devoted to pictures and descriptions of the British narrow gauge scene. The title is a rather nice tribute to the late Pat Whitehouse and his seminal book bearing the same title, the first railway book that a young train mad Andrew Neale purchased. The content is excellent,consisting of well reproduced and interesting pictures of a huge variety of subjects with extended and informative captions, all laid out on a regional basis throughout mainland Britain. Steam and internal combustion locomotives are given equal prominence and the photographs tend to concentrate on the locomotive as subject, although there are a few more general views also included.

An appealing collection of photographs covering a fascinating subject, featuring much more than just the ex GW Pannier tanks. Slightly spoilt in my opinion by over dark printing of images, I think Ian Allan probably need to send some staff on a Photoshop course, but lovely nonetheless.

An utterly brilliant book, written and compiled by a former volunteer stationmaster at Haworth Station to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the making of this much loved film. Drawing upon the memories and photographic collections of fellow volunteers but also using some studio shots, the result is a fascinating record of the early years of preservation and also a wonderfully candid view of the actors and crew that created the film. It is also extremely well produced with a lot of colour photography - wonderful.

A fantastic book, streets ahead of the author's Micro Layouts book from Santona and going way beyond what we might reasonably have expected from Paul given his work so far. Without reading it from cover to cover, two things immediately stand out to me, the first being the artistic angle from which the whole subject is covered and the second being the superbly imaginative ideas and themes that Paul develops from what might appear to be "dull" prototype scenarios. Themes are predominantly contemporary and include passenger lines, freight terminals, tramways and preservation. There are fully worked out track plans, broadly worked out schemes and lots of additional suggestions and ideas all the way through the book. The whole thing looks and feels fresh and appealing and the design and layout of the book are first class.

An unusual book, based upon a photographic album compiled by one David Smith, spiritual guardian to the navvies who constructed the Meon Valley line between 1898 and 1903. Now a family heirloom and belonging to Mr Smith's grandson, an eventual contact with Kevin Robertson led to further research and now the publication of this magnificent book. Kevin is an experienced publisher and enthusiast for the Meon Valley and in this book presents a remarkable photographic record of the building of a railway. Easily comparable in quality and interest to the famous pictures of building the Great Central Railway, this is a terrific record of railway civil engineering and contracting, including men, plant, locomotives and landscape.

From the trivial and almost funny through to the grievous disaster involving loss of life, railway accidents are invariably dramatic given the large mass and inertia of moving railway rolling stock. This is a compelling photographic collection of these events, covering the immediate aftermath of the event through recovery to eventual repair, with detailed captions explaining the causes of each incident together with subsequent recommendations and changes to operating practice. A lot of the photography is from professionals "in the field" and is all the more fascinating as a result. In the context of this book, "modern" means diesel era up to the present day.

A third reprinting for this very popular and morbidly fascinating collection of photographs, the story of narrow gauge railways on the Western Front. This edition contains some updated and corrected appendices but is otherwise identical to the earlier print runs. Actually the interest contained in this book goes way beyond the morbid, it's just that the I am endlessly haunted by the monstrosity of the "war to end all wars" and the subsequent planting of the seeds of World War Two by the victorious bloody politicians. Are we/they any better these days?

A superb book, detailing all aspects of the North Devon ball clay industry and the railways that served it. Starting with the development of the clay industry at Meeth the book goes on to describe the history of the narrow gauge Torrington and Marland Railway, including detailed chapters covering both its rolling stock and innovative engineer. John Barraclough Fell. The subsequent standard gauge line is then described in detail with final chapters covering the later clay workings at Meeth and its railway stock. As with all Twelveheads books the presentation and quality of both research and writing is first class. What sets this book apart though is the quality and breadth of photographic coverage, quite superb and covering all eras. My personal favourites are generally those shots taken by the author himself, a fantastic record of heath robinson operations on a delightfuly ramshackle looking system. Owners of the earlier edition of this book will definitely want this new one, it adds a great deal and really is something of a bargain at the price asked.

A great little book and the first of a projected series of four titles. This one covers "Brickworks, Forestry, Contractors, Military Target railways and various other lines" and contains fascinating details of obscure railway operations on both standard and narrow gauges. Photographic coverage is limited owing to the antiquity and obscurity of the subjects but nonetheless there are some informative and interesting images, arguably the best of which cover the Canadian Forestry Corps railway at Whittingham that operated during World War 1. There is also much of interest for the narrow gauge enthusiast and modeller.

As far as I am aware, this is the very first book to tell the detailed story of the enormous standard gauge railway operations mounted by the British in support of the Western Front. Subtitled "The Royal Engineers in France and Belgium 1915-1918", it appears to be a deeply researched account of all aspects of the huge railway operations that fed the devastation of the trenches. I do not mean to detract from the book by the above but I would have liked to have seen a list of references and sources used, although to be fair some references are quoted in the text, and from any point of view this is an informative and well produced book. Broadly split into two, covering military and general railway history and locomotive history, the physical and logistical aspects of the subject are well set against the course of the war and the developments that took place, such as the introduction of tanks and how they were transported. One minor niggle here is that "Warflat" wagons are incorrectly captioned as "Rectanks" but this is a very minor point. The quality of production is excellent and the photographs are very well reproduced to a large size - this is a terrific book. As ever with this subject the statistics and scale of death and destruction wreaked on both sides beggars belief and it is depressing to reflect that even today British soldiers are being killed in Afghanistan in our name and by courtesy of our elected politicians.

It took ages for Jeff to get this book into print, every single railway publisher turned it down before Roger Hardingham of Kingfisher took it on and promptly sold out the first print run in short order. Jeff has pioneered a new genre with this book, which you might crudely call "pictures of disused railways" although there is much more to this idea than that suggests. Remaining freight services, special workings and the demolition trains constitute quite a lot of "working railway" after closure in March 1966 and Jeff fortunately had the foresight and energy to seek out and photograph much of this activity. A terrific book, all in colour and also very revealing of much of the unique infrastructure of this famous railway.

Having finally got "Sabotaged and Defeated" into print, its success eventually led Jeff Grayer to be considering a second volume to cover the demise of the S&D system. A fortuitous meeting with Derek Fear, a former railwayman of Radstock, and his unrivalled collection of colour pictures of the final years of the S&D led to this amazingly detailed all colour record of the very last years of this famous line. Within this book and largely through Derek's pictures, which he thankfully kept detailed records of, you will see numerous photographic records of events that you will have hitherto only have read of, samples being the engineering work for the new chord line put in at Radstock in early 1966, the breakdown train sent out to sort out the runaway wagons at Norton Hill in 1968 and the very last train load of Writhlington coal being worked out of Radstock by a Western diesel - truly amazing images all. The Class 22 and Hymek diesel hydraulics were extensively used in the demolition trains and this book is also therefore a good pictorial record of these obscure locomotives at work. Much more than just a melancholy collection of images though, this book more than any other before illuminates the very final chapter in the story of the S&D.

An extraordinary book about an extraordinary railway. The line from Shrewsbury to Llanymynech was opened in 1866 by the Potteries Shrewsbury and North Wales Railway and closed shortly afterwards in 1880. After 30 years of dereliction it was resurrected as a light railway, but was on its knees again after 1930, just kept open by quarry traffic. In late 1940 requisition by the War Department for use as a distributed munitions storage facility took place and from then until closure in 1960 the Army was in charge. This book is an incredibly well detailed record of this last 20 years of the line's life, with a photographic coverage that has to be seen to be believed. From extensive storage facilities of high explosive through new locomotive servicing facilities to amazing survivals of antique items of rolling store, all is revealed in this fascinating book.

A much enlarged (over twice the size) new edition of a beautiful book, containg many more photographs and much more information than the original, but again providing a striking and memorably well produced testament to the slate industry of North Wales. The main quarries covered are those at Maenofferen, Penrhyn and Aberllefenni although another chapter discusses what is left to see at Dinworic, including some good historic shots. Other chapters describe in detail the physical activities and equipment associated with slate quarrying, quarrying itself, inclines, trackwork and tramways, wagons, locomotives and also Blondins - including a heart stopping account of a final inspection of one of these machines. A final chapter features some walks along tramways and into remote quarry sites, all beautifully photographed. As with the first edition, the quality and detail of Gordon and Ann's writing, sketches, photographs and observations is first class and the standard of presentation and design of the book is fully up to the high standards that we have come to expect from its publisher, the talented Roy Link.

A collection of Michael Messenger's own photographs recording the surviving slate quarries in the counties of Caernarfon and Merioneth in their last years of operation. A large proportion of these atmospheric images are in colour and nearly all have never been seen in print before. Steam engines, industrial diesels, double flanged wheels and archaic work practices are all brought back to life in a wonderfully browse-able book, which is fully up to the high expectations that this quality publisher has created with its wonderful books.

Picture editor par excellence Michael Welch has momentarily left his Capital post to team up with Kevin Robertson and produce this all colour album of Southern railway coaching stock. As the author shows us, there was still a fantastic variety of pre grouping stock to be seen on the railway when colour photography became more routine, together with modern Bulleid stock and all in a variety of liveries from Scarlet through to the various shades of southern Region green. This is a fascinating look at passenger trains of the past and a brilliant reference for modellers.

Another very appealing collection of previously unpublished photographs and further stories and recollections from the Corris Railway. The author has worked hard and with the help of a number of other individuals, all acknowledged in the book, has assembled another remarkable look back at this narrow gauge backwater, currently undergoing a minor but very pleasing revival. The book is beautifully put together and produced, I think my favourite image is that of driver William Roberts photographed with his son Ieuan on the running plate of No 3 in 1914 - wonderful.

Aspects of Modelling: Scenery	£14.99
John Hobden	Softback	96 pages
Ian Allan		2011

The Brendon Hills Iron Mines And The West Somerset Mineral Railway	£24.99
M.H. Jones	Hardback	416 pages
Lightmoor Press		2011

The Brighton Belle	£14.95
Stephen Grant and Simon Jeffs	Hardback	96 pages
Capital		2011

Building Micro Layouts Design Tips, Techniques and Project Plans	£12.99
Paul A Lunn	Softback	64 pages
Santona		2009

The Corringham Light Railway A New History	£12.95
Peter Kay	Softback	96 pages
Peter Kay		2008

	Featured Books
Count of items selected		Total cost of selection

Creating Model Buildings in 4mm & 7mm	£21.95
Geoff Taylor	Softback	138 pages
Wild Swan		2010

Creating Realistic Landscapes for Model Railways	£18.99
Tony Hill	Softback	156 pages
Crowood		2010

The East Somerset and Cheddar Valley Railways	£24.99
Richard Harman	Hardback	272 pages
Lightmoor Press		2009

Festiniog Odyssey	£28.00
Nick Welch	Softback	213 pages
RCL Publications		2010

Fine Tuning and Maintaining OO Gauge Models	£18.99
Nigel Burkin	Softback	192 pages
Crowood		2011

Great Western Coaches in Colour	£17.95
Kevin Robertson	Hardback	64 pages
Noodle Books		2011

Hospital Tramways and Railways	£25.00
David Voice	Hardback	108 pages
Adam Gordon		2007

How to Build a Switching Layout	£17.75
Lance Mindheim	Softback	106 pages
Lance Mindheim		2010

Hydraulics in the West	£16.99
David Cable	Hardback	96 pages
Ian Allan		2011

Impermanent Ways Volume 1 Hampshire	£10.95
Jeffery Grayer	Softback	104 pages
Noodle Books		2010

In The Tracks Of The ACE	£10.95
Jeffery Grayer	Softback	104 pages
Noodle Books		2008

Industrial Narrow Gauge Album	£19.95
Andrew Neale	Softback	108 pages
Plateway Press		2009

The Making of the Railway Children	£4.95
Jim Shipley	Softback	48 pages
Keighley And Worth Valley Rly		2010

London Underground Steam	£16.99
Kevin McCormack	Hardback	80 pages
Adam Gordon		2011

Making Tracks: Railway Modelling by Design	£18.50
Paul A. Lunn	Softback	112 pages
Atlantic		2010

The Meon Valley Railway Part 1: Building the Line	£14.95
Kevin Robertson	Hardback	72 pages
Noodle Books		2011

Modern Traction: Rail Mishaps	£22.95
Colin Marsden & Christopher Perkins	Hardback	128 pages
The Railway Centre		2011

Narrow Gauge at War	£9.95
Keith Taylorson	Softback	56 pages
Plateway Press		2008

North Devon Clay The story of an industry and its railways	£21.00
Michael Messenger	Hardback	120 pages
Twelveheads		2007

Northern Northumberland's Minor Railways	£10.95
Roger Jermy	Softback	128 pages
Oakwood		2010

ROD The Railway Operating Division on the Western Front	£24.95
William A T Aves	Hardback	208 pages
Sean Tyas		2009

Sabotaged and Defeated	£9.95
Jeffery Grayer	Softback	96 pages
Kingfisher		2006

Sabotaged and Defeated Revisited	£19.95
Jeff Grayer	Hardback	136 pages
Noodle Books		2010

The Shropshire & Montgomeryshire Light Railway Under Military Control	£22.50
Mike Christensen	Hardback	192 pages
Lightmoor Press		2011

Slate Quarry Album	£24.00
Gordon & Ann Hatherill	Softback	188 pages
RCL Publications		2009

Slate Quarry Railways of Gwynedd	£14.00
Michael Messenger	Softback	96 pages
Twelveheads		2008

Southern Coaches in Colour	£15.95
Michael Welch	Softback	80 pages
Noodle Books		2010

Tales of the Old Corris	£9.99
Gwyn Briwnant Jones	Softback	64 pages
Gomer		2008