Cobbs historical rail atlas

[Justin Smith]

Just added the Elan Valley aqueduct (1896/1906) to my Cobbs, Wales to Birmingham, 73m long (route).

 

[D1062]

To me and a bargain compared to the last 3rd Edition that went for £580, according to your post #36.

I’ve still got my green set with the spine of the fatter volume mended with invisible tape. I’ll post on here when I get round to putting it on eBay.

James Hudson (Bill Hudson Books) had a third edition on sale last week for £450. I mentioned it to a friend and he snapped it up straight away! He had been looking for a copy for some time.

 

[Cowley]

Thread reopened for @Justin Smith to add to

 

[Justin Smith]

In Nov 2025 a 2003 Cobbs Railway Atlas went for £200 :

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/coobs-railway-atlas-2003-two-volumes-green-issue.294819/

PS - In Aug I added the Thirlemere (1897) and Haweswater (1955) aqueducts to my Cobbs ! Incidentally I did some interesting research (I thought it was interesting anyway ! ) of stats comparing the Derwent, Elan Valley, Thirlmere and Haweswater aqueducts and their supplying reservoirs. Was unsure it was sufficiently relevant to put it all on here so it's here.

 

[03_179]

I managed to get a pretty mint copy of the Green one earlier this year.
It weighs a lot and is alongside my Bakers (Full set) Quail, Track plans and other assorted atlases.

I like the Cobbs a lot but I try to not use it often as I wants as neat as possible.

Would anyone be willing to give a list of the updates they have made over the years to a thread or as a word/pdf at all ?

 

[Justin Smith]

I managed to get a pretty mint copy of the Green one earlier this year.
It weighs a lot and is alongside my Bakers (Full set) Quail, Track plans and other assorted atlases.

I like the Cobbs a lot but I try to not use it often as I wants as neat as possible.

Would anyone be willing to give a list of the updates they have made over the years to a thread or as a word/pdf at all ?

If you don't mind me asking how much did it cost ?

 

[03_179]

I think it was about £250ish inc postage

 

[Justin Smith]

I think it was about £250ish inc postage

Bargain.
I know what you mean about trying not to use it too much, I use mine loads and had to have the larger volume rebound !

 

[eoff]

How many of you have the Cobbs rail atlas ?
Do you think it is as fantastic as I do ?
When did you buy your copy and how much did it cost ?
Can you still buy the Cobbs atlas ? Research seems inconclusive as to if an expensive limited edition version is still available. If Cobbs is NLA I think that's very sad.

I love my Cobbs, it is my favourite book. I bought it in Aug 04 for £100, apparently the price was subsidised to the tune of a quarter of a million pounds by Sir James Colyer-Ferguson as a contribution to the history of railways.
I use it so much I have had it rebound in 2020 to stop the most used pages pulling out of the bindings.
Possibly sacrilegiously I have added all new lines and stations as they are opened / reopened (all in pencil, obviously...), plus, even more sacrilegiously, the motorways and other roads of interest with their opening dates. One of the most interesting projects was researching (and adding to my Cobbs) the opening dates - and varying course of - The Great North Rd / the A1. Round Newcastle was the most interesting. It originally went through the centre of Newcastle, then, on the opening of the Tyne Tunnel it diverted to the east in 1967. Finally, in 1990, when the DC Newcastle western bypass was opened, the A1's route changed to the West of Newcastle !
In fact I put loads of historical geographical info on it (e.g. the Rivelin tunnel supplying water from Derwent reservoir to Sheffield) so I can find it easily.
I would not sell my annotated copy of Cobbs even for £1000s.
Attached is a pic of my annotated Cobbs (area west of Edinburgh) :

View attachment 108242

I realise I'm replying to a post was from quite some time ago.
I would be very interested if you have similar maps for neighbouring areas such as Edinburgh/Portobello and running east to Dunbar.

 

[35B]

Bargain.
I know what you mean about trying not to use it too much, I use mine loads and had to have the larger volume rebound !

I’ve stopped using mine since the excellent railmaponline and NLS websites have become available. But I still get it out to admire periodically.

 

[Justin Smith]

I realise I'm replying to a post was from quite some time ago.
I would be very interested if you have similar maps for neighbouring areas such as Edinburgh/Portobello and running east to Dunbar.

Will do so when I get a chance !

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Dec 2025 ==

I’ve stopped using mine since the excellent railmaponline and NLS websites have become available. But I still get it out to admire periodically.

It's just different, particularly with all the extra details I have on my Cobbs (in pencil obviously ! ). I have always loved maps, I mean paper maps really, and have an extensive collection of OS one inch and 50,000 maps, 1960s in 1inch, 1970/80/90s and up to date in 50,000.

 

[35B]

It's just different, particularly with all the extra details I have on my Cobbs (in pencil obviously ! ). I have always loved maps, I mean paper maps really, and have an extensive collection of OS one inch and 50,000 maps, 1960s in 1inch, 1970/80/90s and up to date in 50,000.

I get that entirely. Having recently sold some inherited antiquarian books, I find the choice between media interesting - they're lovely artefacts, but I'd never actually read them in that form.

 

[Justin Smith]

Cobbs sections around Edinburgh and Dunbar.
Note that it is actually really hard to photograph a map ! My scanner is at work and I don't want to lug my Cobbs into work, but is only A4 anyway....

Note the Great North Rd's route, I added that (all the way from London to Edinburgh) about 5 years ago.

 

[Sunil_P]

In Nov 2025 a 2003 Cobbs Railway Atlas went for £200 :

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/coobs-railway-atlas-2003-two-volumes-green-issue.294819/

PS - In Aug I added the Thirlemere (1897) and Haweswater (1955) aqueducts to my Cobbs ! Incidentally I did some interesting research (I thought it was interesting anyway ! ) of stats comparing the Derwent, Elan Valley, Thirlmere and Haweswater aqueducts and their supplying reservoirs. Was unsure it was sufficiently relevant to put it all on here so it's here.

£200 is a bargain - I paid £150 for my Cobbs, back in 2008!

 

[Justin Smith]

£200 is a bargain - I paid £150 for my Cobbs, back in 2008!

£150 in 2008 would be worth £247 now ! !

 

[eoff]

Cobbs sections around Edinburgh and Dunbar.
Note that it is actually really hard to photograph a map ! My scanner is at work and I don't want to lug my Cobbs into work, but is only A4 anyway....

Thanks for posting those (was away on holiday hence belated response)

 

[SW Rover]

A second edition copy sold for £100 earlier this week on ebay.
ebay link

A third edition is available and currently £249.99
ebay link 3rd Edition

 

[Justin Smith]

A second edition copy sold for £100 earlier this week on ebay.
ebay link

A third edition is available and currently £249.99
ebay link 3rd Edition

I wonder why that first one went for only £100 ?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I wonder why that first one went for only £100 ?

Scuffed front cover? No two buyers bidding against each other?

 

[Merle Haggard]

Scuffed front cover? No two buyers bidding against each other?

The latter's likely; you see that (big variation in price for items of similar scarcity/ainterest) in on-line 'railwayana' auctions. Auctioneers have used the expression 'thin market' to describe it.

 

[35B]

The latter's likely; you see that (big variation in price for items of similar scarcity/ainterest) in on-line 'railwayana' auctions. Auctioneers have used the expression 'thin market' to describe it.

Absolutely. I've sold some antiques at auction recently; some good stuff went unsold because of a lack of bidders, while something pretty mediocre went for several times estimate because there were two bidders after it.

 

[etr221]

I wonder why that first one went for only £100 ?

Scuffed front cover? No two buyers bidding against each other?

Yes - only had one bid. The other (3rd edn) has had two bids, and has 4 watchers... my guess it will end up going for far far more than current £255.

Response to question 'How much is a Schools class loco nameplate worth?' is 'How many rich old boys want it? How rich are they?'. If the answer to that is 'Many. And very', answer to first question is 'An awful lot.', on the other hand if its 'None. And the only people who do want it are poor', then 'Not very much'

 

[35B]

Yes - only had one bid. The other (3rd edn) has had two bids, and has 4 watchers... my guess it will end up going for far far more than current £255.

Response to question 'How much is a Schools class loco nameplate worth?' is 'How many rich old boys want it? How rich are they?'. If the answer to that is 'Many. And very', answer to first question is 'An awful lot.', on the other hand if its 'None. And the only people who do want it are poor', then 'Not very much'

I'd like a plate off 30931. If it ever came up for sale, then I suspect the limitation is also "what will the old boy's wife allow him to spend on a heavy lump of metal"...

 

[etr221]

I'd like a plate off 30931. If it ever came up for sale, then I suspect the limitation is also "what will the old boy's wife allow him to spend on a heavy lump of metal"...

Yes, up to a point. If they're rich enough, it becomes irrelevant...

 

[35B]

Yes, up to a point. If they're rich enough, it becomes irrelevant...

That may be my problem...

 

[WesternLancer]

For anyone looking for a Cobbs. I was in the vintage carriages trust shop at Ingrow this afternoon at the Worth Valley Railway steam gala.

I am fairly certain a chap came in and donated a copy to them. I saw it anyway.

I don’t think he was ignorant of it’s desirability. Nor were the volunteers there.

If anyone keen to get a copy I’d probably suggest enquiring about this sooner rather than later.

I hope they can easily raise what it’s worth. Some excellent restoration work goes on there.

 

[Justin Smith]

For anyone looking for a Cobbs. I was in the vintage carriages trust shop at Ingrow this afternoon at the Worth Valley Railway steam gala.

I am fairly certain a chap came in and donated a copy to them. I saw it anyway.

I don’t think he was ignorant of it’s desirability. Nor were the volunteers there.

If anyone keen to get a copy I’d probably suggest enquiring about this sooner rather than later.

I hope they can easily raise what it’s worth. Some excellent restoration work goes on there.

I would be very interested to know what that's on sale for !

 

[WesternLancer]

I would be very interested to know what that's on sale for !

Given the time since the potential donation (assuming I’m correct about what I believe I observed) I’m not sure the team there will have yet decided how to price it up or indeed how best to sell it to maximise the value of the donation.

 

[Justin Smith]

Given the time since the potential donation (assuming I’m correct about what I believe I observed) I’m not sure the team there will have yet decided how to price it up or indeed how best to sell it to maximise the value of the donation.

I can't help thinking E Bay ?

 

[WesternLancer]

I can't help thinking E Bay ?

Well, given the pricing achieved there on links you have previously highlighted it would seem likely - I guess it depends if the group has a volunteer geared up to list donations on e-bay - or they may fix a price and offer it via their (rather good) on site shop first etc.
Would be interesting to set an e-bay check to see if one comes up in the near future.

Admittedly only briefly seeing the exterior of the bright green casing as it was being handed over, that looked to be in fine condition.