Wagons

David Larkin    [Publisher:  Crecy  2019]    Hardback    144 pages

Following on from the brake vans in Volume 1, David here explains the origins and development of the various all steel mineral wagons that British Railways inherited at Nationalisation. An interesting collection of designs, including a large number of higher capacity wagons, many of which survived until late on the traditional railway. The illustrations are well chosen and show detail well, perfect for modellers I would say.

David Larkin    [Publisher:  Crecy  2022]    Hardback    144 pages

Eagerly awaited, David Larkin's review of the wagon types most beloved of modellers - the general merchandise wagons or "box vans" as we used to call them. The book also covers containers, special purpose vans and cattle wagons, all of which types are well illustrated with plenty of "in service" photographs from various sources. David describes the differing types and design developments for each of the "Big Four" companies, giving numbering sequences and examples for each type. The text also including a lot of additional information and all photographs are well reproduced to a decent size, the early LMS types featuring several impactful full page images.

David Larkin    [Publisher:  Crecy  2024]    Hardback    144 pages

This volume covers a really interesting variety of wagon types, starting with the earlier open and mineral types that pre date the 1934 RCH spec wagons already covered in volume 3, giving us a superb visual account of these older wagons in the BR era. The book then covers vehicle carrying wagon types, end loading vans and side loading flats and opens, finishing with miscellaneous vehicles. The photographs are drawn from several collections, including those of A E West and Roye England, and the whole book is an absolute treasury of modelling inspiration and information, just brilliant.

David Larkin    [Publisher:  Crecy  2016]    Softback    90 pages

Covering privately owned and european vehicles, this second volume takes subjects alphabetically from I to Y and completes the review started with volume 1. The subject wagons are quite a varied collection, although tank wagon types probably predominate. The book is greatly enhanced by the inclusion of a number of superb images taken by the late Ted West, whose collection of photographs is now held and curated by Mike King. This book will form an excellent addition to the library of any self respecting wagon enthusiast.

R. Tourret    [Publisher:  Author  2009]    Hardback    304 pages

This is the revised and updated version produced by the author in 2009, an absolute mine of information and photographs of a fascinating subject. Produced with railway modellers very much in mind, the book contains a lot of scale drawings and good pictures of the wagons both in service and when built. This much enlarged second edition was published in 2009, but when the author died dropped out of circulation. Stock has only very recently become available again, and now at a greatly reduced price, a real bargain. Well written and definitive, a worthy memorial to the energetic publishing endeavours of Mr Tourrett.

Keith Turton    [Publisher:  Lightmoor  2006]    Hardback    184 pages

A fifth volume of a deservedly popular series, this one returns to presenting a general range of wagons and their operators based upon material which readers of the earlier boks in the series have provided. Over 60 operators represented by 170 photographs, with northern coal wagons predominating. There are also some additional notes and photos relating to earlier volumes in the series.

Keith Turton    [Publisher:  Lightmoor  2005]    Hardback    184 pages

Anthracite "The King of Coals", a high carbon content, slow burning coal whose lack of arsenic and other impurities made it an essential supply for brewing, malting and food production. Mined in a small area of South Wales, the usually black wagons of anthracite were consequently seen all over the British railway system, often as a single truck consignment to out of the way places. The photographic coverage is excellent, a charming view on p71 shows a single wagon being unloaded on the Sheppey Light Railway whilst the frontispiece is a dramatic view of number taking which shows in incomparable detail the construction and lettering of a typical wagon. I am currently building a Slaters kit which will be lettered with their "Ystradgynlais" transfers for the boiler house of the "National Fruit and Cider Institute" at Butleigh station.

Ian Pope    [Publisher:  Lightmoor  2009]    Hardback    128 pages

The City of Bristol has had a long industrial history so the wagons featured in this absorbing book cover a number of industries beyond the usual plethora of coal merchants. Most notable amongst these are the chemical industries that grew up at Avonmouth and tank wagons of all shapes and sizes are consequently well featured. As ever with this series and publisher, brief notes are as far as possible given for each owner and there are undoubtedly a few photographic gems within the covers of this book.

Richard Kelham    [Publisher:  Lightmoor  2021]    Hardback    256 pages

A well researched and comprehensive record of all of the operators of PO wagons in Wiltshire, the result of many years of research and interest in the subject by the author. Wiltshire didn't have coal reserves, but it did have Bath stone, so stone quarries and coal merchants wagons dominate the account. The last 70 pages are given over to additional information on the author's earlier book on Somerset PO wagons by the same publisher - all good stuff and a fascinating look back into a world which is very different to today. Some views have been seen in other books but the majority were new to me.

Don Rowland    [Publisher:  Wild Swan  2019]    Softback    80 pages

I am very pleased to have published this book, an appreciation of the estimable Don Rowland and the huge amount of work he has done in both recording and publishing information about the humble British goods wagon. With my own enjoyment of Don Rowland's magazine articles and David Larkin's seminal series of wagon books for Bradford Barton in mind, this book contains 80 pages of high quality images of wagons, the vast majority photographed by Don, printed mostly one image per page in order that the subjects and their myriad details of brake gear, lettering, construction and most of all the texture and finish can be fully appreciated. We have endeavoured to make the captions informative and accurate for both the wagons and settings in each case and with a very few exceptions all subject photographs are accurately dated and their locations recorded. Many of the backgrounds are also interesting on various levels, all of which serve to illustrate just how very different so much was at the Twilight of the era of traditional freight working on British Railways. I hope that this book gives half as much pleasure as I have had from those Bradford Barton books of all those years ago and also inspires those of us who model to more accurately portray the wonderful World of Wagons, sorry Don, I couldn't resists that sort of amalgamation of Peco and your Model Railway News series that I liked so much...

David Larkin    [Publisher:  Santona  2002]    Softback    96 pages

The concluding volume of this knowledgable author's account of British Railways freight wagons takes the story up to privatisation, when the author "put down his camera". The photographs are well taken and clear, providing ideal reference for modelling, and David also gives us an insider's view of the changes in freight on the railways during the last period when the railway system "ascribed to being a public service industry".