Railway books discussion

[Calthrop]

I always read your contributions with interest, being something of a book-lover myself.

I only have one Scott-Morgan book in my collection of 500+ railway books/booklets/pamphlets; it's his one on the BR 9F freight loco, published by Ian Allan in 1994. It is mainly captioned photos and I've not noticed any errors in it. For a more technical approach to these locos I prefer Colonel H.C.B. Rogers book "Riddles and the '9Fs'", also published by Ian Allan but in 1982.

My bolding -- perhaps, with only captions; not too much scope for getting stuff wrong ! -- sorry, Scott-Morgan; but your thing about the Armistice, has me finished with you. Bit of wishful-thinking, maybe -- would have been nice, could it have been August not November: would've prevented many tragic deaths on both sides, in what became the war's "last knockings". Wilfred Owen for one, would have survived -- he could have carried on boring us with his poetic effusions, maybe into the 1980s or even a bit longer ...

 

[Gloster]

I'm currently trudging through "Inspector Colbeck's Casebook" by Edward Marston... not great, but I'll see it through to the end! He seems to have written loads of books with a railway setting...

He has churned out a lot of books about Inspector Colbeck, but he seems to turn out two or three novels with different characters a year under different names. His rather belated choice of a railway detective may be because, so I believe, his father was a driver at Cardiff Canton. Although he seems to be a little better than many with railway technicalities, I find them unsatisfying as detective mysteries.

 

[Calthrop]

Concerning Edward Marston (name matters, as mentioned by you, @Gloster: it's a pseudonym -- his real name is Keith Miles): he's a prolific author, all right -- quick count from Googling seems to indicate that he has produced approx. 110 works of fiction, under his several pseudonyms: the majority essentially being whodunnits, set in various historical periods. Having read a smallish number, from several of his different series: I find his writing basically workmanlike, but I can't get very keen on his stuff; including the railway ones. Admittedly I'm hard to please, where fiction is concerned -- and, with an author who churns out scores upon scores of books, mostly in the same genre; there cannot but come to mind, Sturgeon's Law: "90% of anything, will be c**p" -- for me, in detective-fiction realms it's more like 95%.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Having read all the Edward Marston ‘Railway Detective’ books my first comment is that the mid-19th century theme merely uses the rail system as a setting or literary linking device. You won’t learn anything meaningful about railways from reading it. To speed things up he often makes railway timetables of the period far more regular and frequent than they were.
The cleverest bit is the way the detective finds clues in tiny bits and pieces and links them together. Putting himself in the mind of the criminal is a key strategy.
The books are just an easy read and pastime, not great literature in my view.

 

[Calthrop]

The other really big "railway detective" author would seem to be Andrew Martin (name a bit confusable with that of the "supposed" Mr. Marston) -- with his many 'tec novels starring his ferrovial sleuth, Jim Stringer -- character doing his stuff in the pre-/during-/-post-World War I era. I've read a very few -- for me, style-wise Martin isn't among the geniuses, but his writing is in my opinion OK; and re @Dr Hoo's post above -- I suspect that Martin is better on accurate railway content, than the other guy. However, as mentioned above -- I'm hard to please, particularly re "whodunnit-land": for reasons which I find it hard to pin down, Jim Stringer strikes me as a boring and irritating twit -- which makes Martin's tales of his doings, tedious for me; and probably never to be further explored. Do realise, that I tend to be unkind in these matters -- I have a very few much-liked " 'tec" authors: but, little or no use for the rest.

 

[Gloster]

The author who consistently got his railway details correct was Freeman Wills Crofts, but he had worked for the Belfast & Northern Counties Railway/Northern Counties Committee. His style may be bit humdrum but his plotting is excellent.

 

[Calthrop]

We discussed Freeman Wills Crofts a few months ago -- would like to get better acquainted with his stuff; especially, that with something of a railway background. Hard to please, as ever: I happened upon one of his, not rail-centred -- got bored, I fear, and abandoned the book not a great way into it.

(With my taste for bad and far-fetched puns -- this gentleman's name suggests to me: a politically radical libertarian-and-minimum-government bod, big on "equal ownership of land"; bequeathing a plurality of smallholdings, to -- whoever he wanted to bequeath them to...)

 

[shredder1]

I'm currently trudging through "Inspector Colbeck's Casebook" by Edward Marston... not great, but I'll see it through to the end! He seems to have written loads of books with a railway setting...

Im a bit of a fan of railway detective books and have pretty much all of them, some very good reads,

Crime On The Lines (1975), Bryan Morgan (Ed)*.


Great Train Crimes, Murder and Robbery on the Railways, (2010), Jonathan Oates


All Stations to Murder, True Tales of Crimes on the Railway, (1994), Barry Herbert.*


The Railway Detective, (2005), The Detective Series, Edward Marston, (hard back)*

The Excursion Train,(2006), The Detective Series, Edward Marston*


The Railway Viaduct, (2007) The Detective Series, Edward Marston*


The Iron Horse, (2008) The Detective Series, Edward Marston*


Murder on the Brighton Express, (2009), The Detective Series, Edward Marston*


The Silver Locomotive Mystery, (2010), The Detective Series, Edward Marston*


Railway to the Grave, (2011), The Detective Series, Edward Marston*



Blood on the Line, (2011), Edward Marston, (hard back), *


The Station Masters Farewell, (2012), Edward Marston.*


Peril on the Royal Train, (2013), Edward Marston.


A Ticket to Oblivion, (2014), Edward Marston, Allison and Busby Ltd.*.


Inspector Colbeck`s Casebook (2014), Edward Marston, Allison and Busby Ltd. Allison and Busby Ltd..*


Signal for Vengeance, (2015), Edward Marston. Allison and Busby Ltd.


Timetable of Death, (2016), Edward Marston. Allison and Busby Ltd.


The Circus Train Conspiracy, (2017), Edward Marston. Allison and Busby Ltd.


A Christmas Railway Mystery, (2017),

Edward Marston, Allison and Busby Ltd.


Points of Danger, (2018), Edward Marston


Fear on the Phantom Special, (2019), Edward Marston, Allison and Busby Ltd.


Slaughter in the Sapperton Tunnel, (2020), Edward Marston, Allison and Busby Ltd.


Tragedy on the Branch Line, (2021), Edward Marston


A Christmas Case , (2022), Edward Marston, Allison and Busby Ltd.


Death at the Terminus, (2023), Edward Marston, Allison and Busby Ltd.


Murder in Transit, (2024), Edward Marston, Allison and Busby Ltd.


The Necropolis Railway, Jim Stringer Steam Detective (2002), Andrew Martin*


The Blackpool Highflyer, Jim Stringer Steam Detective, (2004), Andrew Martin*



The Lost Luggage Porter, Jim Stringer Steam Detective, (2006), Andrew Martin*


Murder at Deviation Junction, Jim Stringer Steam Detective, (2007), Andrew Martin*


Death on a Branch Line, Jim Stringer Steam Detective (2008), Andrew Martin*


The Last Train to Scarborough, Jim Stringer Steam Detective, (2009), Andrew Martin*

The Somme Railway, Jim Stringer Steam Detective, (2011), Andrew Martin*


The Baghdad Railway Club, (2012), Andrew Martin*


Night Train to Jamalpur, Jim Stringer Steam Detective, (2013), Andrew Martin*


Night Trains, The Rise and Fall of the Sleeper. (2017), Andrew Martin


Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, An Inspector Vignoles Mystery, (2007), Stephen Done.*


The Murder of the Crows, An Inspector Vignoles Mystery, (2009), Stephen Done*


The Torn Curtain, An Inspector Vignoles Mystery, (2009), Stephen Done*


The Marylebone Murders, An Inspector Vignoles Mystery, (2011), Stephen Done*


Last Train to (Brackley Central), An Inspector Vignoles Mystery, ( 2012), Stephen Done*,

New Brighton Rock, (2013), An Inspector Vignoles Mystery , Stephen Done. *​

Blood and Custard, (2015), Stephen Done.


Blood on the Tracks, A History of Railway Crime in Britain, (2010), David Brandon and Alan Brooke.


Crossing the Line, Trespassing on Railway Weirdness, (2006), Paul Screeton.


Mr Briggs Hat, A Sensational Account of Britain`s First Railway Murder, (2011), Kate Colquhoun.*


Victorian Railway Days, (1989), a novel by Francis Bennion.

 

[Mike_L_Surrey]

I have just finished reading 'Nothing Like It in the World’ by Stephen Ambrose (also author of ‘Band of Brothers’) about the construction of the first railway/railroad across the USA.

Ambrose is frequently criticized for inaccuracy but as I didn't really know anything of US rail history, I didn't notice any obvious errors.

One aspect I found fascinating was the speed at which they worked including laying up to 5 miles of track a day. Obviously such track had to be rebuilt later, and often within a few months.

Also of interest to me was the highly irregular financial dealing of both the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific which reminded me of Britain's own 'Railway King' George Hudson and his various companies in 1840-1850's.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

One aspect I found fascinating was the speed at which they worked including laying up to 5 miles of track a day. Obviously such track had to be rebuilt later, and often within a few months.

Was that essentially do that the rail company in question could be earning $$$ revenue just as soon as it could?

 

[Mike_L_Surrey]

Was that essentially do that the rail company in question could be earning $$$ revenue just as soon as it could?

It was mainly because the rail companies received payment from US Government in terms of cash & Land Grants on the basis of completed track.

Ambrose only mentions the Union Pacific running revenue trains westward from Omaha including Mormon settlers heading for Utah.
For the Central Pacific, I guess there wasn't any significant revenue heading east until the line was complete.

Also until the railroad was built, I don't think there was much agriculture in California as there was no way to export produce other than by coast.

 

[AndrewE]

I have just finished reading 'Nothing Like It in the World’ by Stephen Ambrose (also author of ‘Band of Brothers’) about the construction of the first railway/railroad across the USA.

Ambrose is frequently criticized for inaccuracy but as I didn't really know anything of US rail history, I didn't notice any obvious errors.

One aspect I found fascinating was the speed at which they worked including laying up to 5 miles of track a day. Obviously such track had to be rebuilt later, and often within a few months.

Also of interest to me was the highly irregular financial dealing of both the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific which reminded me of Britain's own 'Railway King' George Hudson and his various companies in 1840-1850's.

That's an interesting coincidence, I am just coming to the end of "My life in many states and in foreign lands" by G F Train. He goes into the details of how "he" raised the finance for the Union Pacific... and single-handedly built almost everything else in the USA - I exaggerate a bit!

It would be a dismissed as a hagiography if it had been written by anybody else, and I'm not sure how much of it to believe. I've just got to how he was welcomed as the leader of the French Revolution, faced down a firing squad sent to assassinate him etc etc

 

[AndrewE]

Also until the railroad was built, I don't think there was much agriculture in California as there was no way to export produce other than by coast.

Before railroads were built most trade went by coastal or deep-sea shipping, which is why our canals were built (Trent and Mersey?) and why the Panama Canal was so important to the USA.

 

[Calthrop]

I have just finished reading 'Nothing Like It in the World’ by Stephen Ambrose (also author of ‘Band of Brothers’) about the construction of the first railway/railroad across the USA.

Ambrose is frequently criticized for inaccuracy but as I didn't really know anything of US rail history, I didn't notice any obvious errors.

One aspect I found fascinating was the speed at which they worked including laying up to 5 miles of track a day. Obviously such track had to be rebuilt later, and often within a few months.

Also of interest to me was the highly irregular financial dealing of both the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific which reminded me of Britain's own 'Railway King' George Hudson and his various companies in 1840-1850's.

A bit late to this party; but, I have Nothing Like It In The World: read it -- with interest and pleasure -- two? three? four? years ago. A personal flaw of mine: tendency to read books at "warp speed", but to retain little of the content -- this worsening as I get into old age. Little now stays with me of NLIITW; except for general impression picked up re -- as above -- haste and slapdashness of construction, whereby operation inconvenient and unsafe: re-doing only a little time later, being necessary. Tending to pander to British prejudice vis-a-vis the US -- feeling got therefrom: Yankee rashness and attitude "do it now, damn the consequences -- if it proves wrong, can be sorted out in future" (versus perceived British cautious thoroughness); and Yankee strongly-held ideology, "making money is all that matters -- damn all 'finer' considerations" -- re this latter, perhaps Matthew 7, 3 -5: as regards our own, again as above, Mr. Hudson and his doings ...

I feel that I should re-read Nothing Like It... likely to seem much, as though reading it for the first time !

 

[Mike_L_Surrey]

The title of Nothing Like It In The World seems well-chosen as building the US trans-continental railway did have some unique challenges.

i) No guaranteed revenue due to low population in the western states in 1860's hence the US government needing to initially fund the project to help with western settlement.
ii) Competition between the Union Pacific & Central Pacific who were both aiming to beat the the other company in terms of mileage built.
iii) Background of US civil war & Native American opposition to US government granting 'their' land to the rail companies.
& more.

 

[menotskinny]

Forgive me if this is the incorrect thread to post this (please feel free to redirect it) , does anyone know when/if the 16th edition Rail Atlas will be published?
cheers

 

[Gloster]

Forgive me if this is the incorrect thread to post this (please feel free to redirect it) , does anyone know when/if the 16th edition Rail Atlas will be published?
cheers

According to the Crecy publishing webpage the next Baker is due late February. This will be produced by Joe Brown.

 

[ainsworth74]

Before railroads were built most trade went by coastal or deep-sea shipping, which is why our canals were built (Trent and Mersey?) and why the Panama Canal was so important to the USA.

Though, of course, the Panama Canal was completed in 1914 forty odd years after the Transcontinental Railroad was completed.

 

[menotskinny]

According to the Crecy publishing webpage the next Baker is due late February. This will be produced by Joe Brown.

Thank you for your assistance

 

[Mike_L_Surrey]

Though, of course, the Panama Canal was completed in 1914 forty odd years after the Transcontinental Railroad was completed.

It’s worth noting that the Trans-Panama railroad was completed as early as 1855. It’s less than 50 miles long but it did mean freight & passenger traffic could avoid having to round Cape Horn by sea.

Ambrose wrote that the Central Pacific were buying rail & rolling stock from
suppliers on US East coast and having it delivered to US West coast by a combination of ship to Panama, Railroad across Panama, then ship again.

Naturally all that transport & multiple transfers inflated costs considerably .

 

[Calthrop]

An item just re-read after some years had gone by; and much enjoyed. Have had on the whole, a liking for the David & Charles "Railway Holiday" [in various European countries] books since their publication in the 1960s; I had had recently in my possession, the full set with the exception of the first-published therein, George Behrend's Railway Holiday in France (the lack of this one, was due to complicated reasons wearying folk with which, is not necessary !). A replacement copy came to me a little while ago as a Christmas present from kind brothers; read by me over the past couple of days.

I have from my early years, loved France and its railways -- have alas experienced far less of either at first-hand, than I would have wished to -- a love fed and assisted by reading Mr. Behrend's book shortly after its 1964 publication; his recounted French tour by rail having taken place the previous summer. (I didn't make it to France in real life, for another two years.) My recent perusing of the book, for the "severalth" time over the past six decades, has been a joy -- "nostalgia ruling", needless to say. The picture is strongly got, that the idea behind the "Railway Holiday" series was to introduce the British enthusiast reading whichever book -- and with hitherto, little or no knowledge of the railways of the country concerned -- to that country and its railways, with view to pointing-up their appeal re a prospective visit there by him. Attempt thus, as much as possible, to feature "something of everything" re that scene: hopefully, some at least to appeal to all kinds of enthusiasts -- including in the interests of background, a little non-railway content. On the whole, the books in the series did a good job of this; a "couple-or-three", in my opinion, less so. I find Behrend's performance in this respect, admirable -- and his writing style, literate and pleasant to read.

His tour as told of in the book, covers -- particularly, considering its being within the somewhat niggardly limit of ten days "Britain back to Britain" -- an impressive geographical range and variety, within a by European standards, very big country; his travels at least touch on every SNCF Region except for the Eastern thereof. Regarding "as varied / inclusive as possible": there feature journeys behind (regular-everyday, this being 1963) steam; also diesel-, and electric-hauled; diesel railmotor travel (a big element in French rail passenger services, from an early date) in a wide variety of "modes" and types of vehicle; sampling of SNCF main lines, obscure branch lines, and venues between these extremes; rides on a couple of metre-gauge stretches, and on a standard-gauge independent local line (of these just-mentioned: one -- the La Tour de Carol third-rail -- is still with us; the other two are long gone). Plus accompanying -- to me, agreeable -- commentary on scenery / townscape / history along the way; and copious, but (to my tastes) not mind-bendingly super-technical, information on "all matters rail" as encountered in journey.

The author's tackling of his chosen sample of France in his available not-quite-week-and-a-half: entails starting on the Channel coast at St. Malo; speedy transit mostly by long-distance trains in two days, "south then south-east" -- overnighting at Bordeaux -- to the Spanish border at La Tour de Carol. Thence five days' intensive and ingenious exploration within the bounds of France's westernmost stretch of Mediterranean coast; then, the Avignon area; then parts of the central highlands and their "northerly slopes", bulging as far west as Limoges, subsequently sharp east again: finishing at Nevers, very roughly mid-point of the Clermont Ferrand -- Paris main line. (Nevers being a "must-do" -- then and for some years thereafter, SNCF's biggest remaining main-line steam stronghold.) Follows, a last-two-day "dash home": Nevers to Paris, overnight in the capital, then Paris (Nord) to Amiens, and by the long-surviving and glorious main-line steam "leg" from there to Calais and so back home.

"If I'd been him, then", with the same length of time available -- and the knowledge of what was to be had where -- I'd have done rather differently; including heavier concentration on steam haulage: but his "reach", both personally and as per deal with publisher, was more general -- he liked steam, but not to obsession-point. The book recounts four rides behind steam, all basically long-distance trains. One (St. Malo -- Nantes) is behind class 141P Mikados; haulage of the other three by Pacifics, a different class in each case. He'd been expecting, from Nevers to the steam / electric exchange point just south of Paris, one of the enormous modern 4-8-2s of class 241P; but as things fell out, he got (this didn't upset him) an in fact speedier 231H. On the SNCF in 1963 there was -- as well as on express haulage -- still a vast amount of steam action over the majority of the system, albeit on lessening-in-magnitude duties. Behrend's narrative tells thus, of numerous steam encounters "in the bygoing" essentially throughout. I ended up feeling -- echoing / adapting another Briton's sentiments about the same country, although those expressed just before commencement of the steam / railway age: "Bliss was it in that [historical time] to be alive..."

 

[Calthrop]

Book quite recently acquired -- as often comes my way -- from second-hand bookstall at a preserved-line venue. It concerns a very-long-time sentimental love of mine: Northern Ireland's Belfast & County Down system. A victim of the British Isles' earliest savage closure programme: N.I.'s then Stormont government having concluded as at middle of 20th century, that railways were essentially a thing of the past -- especially lesser-and-rural ones -- and acted accordingly: the especial "year of blood" concerned, being 1950. As a kid in the mid-50s, I read of these matters in the Railway Magazine (the slaughter then, several years in the past) and felt woeful over the sad end to this perceivedly delightful system.

The work concerned, is The County Down, by R.M. Arnold. Published seemingly, about 1980 -- this, "from context"; unusually, book's precise publication date is not given in early pages, or elsewhere. Sub-titled, "The B&CDR at work during its last forty years -- Part 1 -- Main Line plus Branches beyond Comber". The just-quoted, is as it says: the book doesn't deal with the Belfast -- Bangor, and Comber -- Donaghadee lines. One deduces from the text, that the author was personally acquainted with the B&CD in anyway the last couple of decades of its working life: seeming to suggest that even in 1980-ish, he was no longer a young man; it would appear virtually certain that as of now, he will be in the great gricing venue in the sky. Internet-referring, would seem to suggest that his inferrable planned Part 2 -- about the system's northerly branches -- never came to be.

I've confessed in the past to being, as regards reading-matter, a miserable so-and-so -- hard to please, and easy to irritate. My hopes concerning the book in question -- about a railway, and a part of the world: both of which (the latter, its well-known "downsides" notwithstanding) I love -- have met with considerable disappointment.

For me, the trouble with this one is the very large proportion of it, taken up not with actual railway matters; but with anecdotes about the, largely incidental, doings and sayings of employees of the line over the decades -- and sometimes, of their families. Supposed "railway books" are, occasionally, like this: I recall from long ago, a self-declared railway author (I now forget who -- not our author here Mr. Arnold) who waxed outright self-congratulatory over his heavy indulgence in "human interest" material, in preference to "boring" stuff about actual rail history / equipment / operation -- loftily defending his priorities here, with the words, "after all -- railways are people". Had me wanting to yell at him, "No, you supercilious git, they aren't -- they're bloody railways !" While there is for sure plenty in The County Down, of truly rail-matters-related interest: it is to my mind and taste, so inextricably intermingled with so much of the -- to me, wearisome --"gossip-column" stuff, as to make the book not all that enjoyable -- I ended up doing a great deal of skipping-and-skimming. For this reader anyway -- the rather humdrum antics of "big Jim this" and "wee Fred that", quickly came not to be particularly diverting or interesting.

With my sentiments concerning the text: the best thing for me about the book, is the photographs. Roughly estimating -- over a hundred of them (all black-and-white), distributed, not with great regularity, "among-and-on" the book's 140-odd pages. Varied and, for me, fascinating -- among other things, portraying in interestingly differing situations, the railway's considerable variety as of its independent most-of-its-life: of steam types, tank and tender. I found it of interest, that something like a quarter of the pictures were taken in the system's last couple of years of life; including a significant number, from its last couple of days -- abandonment of great majority of system, being in mid-January 1950. Although various factors made that particular era not the easiest ever, for roving enthusiasts / photters: it seems clear that a few bods industriously did their best re photographically recording the B&CD -- partly no doubt, in the knowledge that it was soon "for the chop". The book's other photographs: range date-wise between likely "official" pictures from the turn of the 19th / 20th centuries; and the World War II era. A more-than-tiny minority of the pictures have caption, but no date.

A handful of the photographs illustrate a for me, rather fascinating oddity of this general scene: the system's southern terminal was Newcastle (Co. Down); end of the main line from Belfast via Downpatrick -- but it had an additional three-or-four-mile section accessed via reversal at Newcastle, running north-west therefrom to Castlewellan: where it made an end-on junction with a line of the Great Northern Railway of Ireland, coming down from Banbridge (where connection with the wider GNR system). Newcastle -- Castlewellan was served both by B&CD trains; and GNR(I) ones from / to further north-west. Heaven alone knows by what long-ago inter-company weirdnesses, that situation came about ! After the 1950 closure by the new Ulster Transport Authority, of nearly all the B&CD system: Newcastle -- Castlewellan remained open for a few more years; served from then on, totally and only by GNR(I) workings -- by which it remained possible to get by rail between Belfast and the seaside at Newcastle: by a very indirect route (not that the B&CD's route between the two settlements, had been anything like a beeline). A number of photographs in the book, feature this situation -- between 1950, and the GNR(I) route's 1955 closure -- depicting both GNR(I) steam; and various railmotors, which the Great Northern was noticeably "big on". Also some text, concerning these first-half-of-1950s doings; but as ever, heavily and tiresomely intermixed with the gossip-column-ery.

Whatever the book's shortcomings in my view: it intensifies my affection for the railway which is its subject, and my wish that I had known same first-hand -- but as the "holocaust" on the part of the UTA, concerned: took place when I was approximately a-year-and-a-half old; and as I wasn't even in Ireland ...


Edited to add -- computer-craziness, reasons or lack thereof obscure to me: has caused most of the final couple of paragraphs to be in italics -- not intended by me. As they say in Northern Ireland: "Ahmdambut, boys, it's tarrah".

 

[47403]

A while ago I finished reading Andy Chard's biography titled Winners & Losers: Loco Bashing Tales from the 1990s, recounting the author's memories when he actively participated in the art of rail bashing behind locos that were leaving the rail scene of the era. It's a sequel of an earlier book dating Mr. Chard's tales from the 1980s (I've been meaning to purchase a copy of this, however it has gone out of print and the author believes a reprint is unlikely in the near future ), and goes into great detail of his journeys, namely chasing the various Class 50s that were fading into the limelight.

Alongside this, it also gives a very good explanation into what rail bashing involves and a deeper insight in the joys of bashing in a pre-World Wide Web era. A diverse selection of excellent lineside photos alongside amateur close-up shots are scattered throughout this publication, giving the book a contrast between the individuals participating in the hobby. I would admit that the book focuses too much on the early half of the 1990s for it to be given the title, but then again it is no more than a biography, in which the author loses interest in the railways towards the Millennium. Overall it's an interesting read, one that I'm certain would bring back memories for certain members here should they get the chance to purchase and read this book.

Im currently busy reading the very book by Andy Chard and I.have to say, up to now it's been an excellent read. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it for any self respecting crank looking for a book to read, might help pass the journey to n from work or a bit poolside reading whilst on holiday.

 

[izvor]

Have had on the whole, a liking for the David & Charles "Railway Holiday" [in various European countries] books since their publication in the 1960s...

Agreed these were very interesting, the best (in my opinion) being John Price's Bavaria: entertaining and informative. Only the Norway & Sweden volume became a bit tiresome for me.

I think I have the full set (of 9), although the 10th volume (Yugoslavia, D.Trevor Rowe) does not seem to have been published. Now that would have been good!

 

[Sun Chariot]

I impulse bought a new copy of "Steaming Through the Chilterns" for less than a third of its marked price. It contains photos by the late great H C Casserley and it is co-authored by his grand-daughter, Mary.
On the book's arrival, a thoughtful touch was an enclosed personalised "thanks" written by her.

This book's layout is akin to a photo album - perhaps a scrap book (it looks better than it sounds!). The photos are a mix of Big Four steam era and Nationalisation steam era, plus a few diesels (including pilot scheme) and AC electrics.
As the title suggests, photo locations are within a moderately tight scope; but the inclusion of many now-closed lines and stations, made an enjoyable read for me, especially as I know several locations well.

If I'm brutally honest, the reproduction quality isn't top notch - some full-page photos are not sharp enough to warrant it. I'll also dare to suggest that quite a few images were not up to the standard of H C's absolute finest work; which nay explain why photos have not previously been published.
That being said, I have enjoyed the book

 

[Calthrop]

Agreed these were very interesting, the best (in my opinion) being John Price's Bavaria: entertaining and informative. Only the Norway & Sweden volume became a bit tiresome for me.

I think I have the full set (of 9), although the 10th volume (Yugoslavia, D.Trevor Rowe) does not seem to have been published. Now that would have been good!

For me -- most, I rate as good; a few, less so. I find O.S. Nock's volume in the series, on Austria: frankly, awful; my greatest beef with it, is his almost total ignoring of the (conventional, non-rack) narrow gauge, for which Austria has always been reckoned a paradise. Admittedly, I'm a self-confessed "narrow-gauge freak"; Nock was presumably immune to n/g charms -- but the purpose of the series was, in my view: to give, broadly, something for as wide as possible a spectrum of railway-enthusiasm. Nock struck me in this one, as repellently pleased with himself and "up-himself" -- "the stuff which interests me, is worthwhile; that which doesn't...".

Agree to a considerable extent, about Vallance's Norway / Sweden book. In same, the author comes across as very non-technically-minded -- even I, clueless about most of the technical side of the hobby, get annoyed by his seeming so short on railway / rail equipment detail; and the apparent over-heavy focus on scenic beauties, and human interaction in course of his travels. I get especially irritated by his several pages of "melodrama" about leaving his razor behind in the hotel; and his "cliff-hanger" about whether he might get it back (rail staff, appealed-to, put the thing on an overnight train, so that he gets reunited with it the following morning). Appreciated, that this tale is in part: to point up the overall kindness and helpfulness of Scandinavians in general, and the countries' rail workers in particular; but, dear Lord, this was 1963 in western Europe -- just buy another wretched razor, you twit...

I've seen it suggested that the Trevor Rowe Yugoslavia book was "stillborn", largely because when it was in its early stages, the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia to bring that country back into line, happened; with a knock-on effect that those governing Yugoslavia were terrified that their country "would be next": with Yugoslav "spy-paranoia" about railway enthusiasts, particularly the photographing kind -- already a problem -- consequently going "through the roof", and that condition remaining. With the series having already proved to sell less well, than had been hoped; the unfortunate timing as above, is suspected to have prompted D & C to pull the plug on the Yugoslavia book. As you indicate -- a pity !

 

[D6130]

For me -- most, I rate as good; a few, less so. I find O.S. Nock's volume in the series, on Austria: frankly, awful; my greatest beef with it, is his almost total ignoring of the (conventional, non-rack) narrow gauge, for which Austria has always been reckoned a paradise. Admittedly, I'm a self-confessed "narrow-gauge freak"; Nock was presumably immune to n/g charms -- but the purpose of the series was, in my view: to give, broadly, something for as wide as possible a spectrum of railway-enthusiasm. Nock struck me in this one, as repellently pleased with himself and "up-himself" -- "the stuff which interests me, is worthwhile; that which doesn't...".

Agree to a considerable extent, about Vallance's Norway / Sweden book. In same, the author comes across as very non-technically-minded -- even I, clueless about most of the technical side of the hobby, get annoyed by his seeming so short on railway / rail equipment detail; and the apparent over-heavy focus on scenic beauties, and human interaction in course of his travels. I get especially irritated by his several pages of "melodrama" about leaving his razor behind in the hotel; and his "cliff-hanger" about whether he might get it back (rail staff, appealed-to, put the thing on an overnight train, so that he gets reunited with it the following morning). Appreciated, that this tale is in part: to point up the overall kindness and helpfulness of Scandinavians in general, and the countries' rail workers in particular; but, dear Lord, this was 1963 in western Europe -- just buy another wretched razor, you twit...

I've seen it suggested that the Trevor Rowe Yugoslavia book was "stillborn", largely because when it was in its early stages, the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia to bring that country back into line, happened; with a knock-on effect that those governing Yugoslavia were terrified that their country "would be next": with Yugoslav "spy-paranoia" about railway enthusiasts, particularly the photographing kind -- already a problem -- consequently going "through the roof", and that condition remaining. With the series having already proved to sell less well, than had been hoped; the unfortunate timing as above, is suspected to have prompted D & C to pull the plug on the Yugoslavia book. As you indicate -- a pity !

As might be expected, I have a copy of P. M. Kalla-Bishop's "Railway Holiday in Italy". The author was an Officer in the Railway Operating Division of the Royal Engineers; working in Italy from 1943 onwards on the reconstruction of that Country's railways in the aftermath of the Second World War. He subsequently spent a lot of time in Italy travelling by rail the length and breadth of the country.

Given PMK-B's professional background, there is a lot of technical detail about the locomotives, rolling stock and civil engineering, as well as good descriptions of the scenery and railway staff and operating procedures. My only gripe about the book is that parts of it are written in a rather stilted form of language which is possibly par for the course for someone educated at an English public school in the 1920s.

Overall, though, an enjoyable and informative read....illustrated by an interesting collection of black-and-white photographs, many of which were taken by the author himself.

 

[Calthrop]

As might be expected, I have a copy of P. M. Kalla-Bishop's "Railway Holiday in Italy". The author was an Officer in the Railway Operating Division of the Royal Engineers; working in Italy from 1943 onwards on the reconstruction of that Country's railways in the aftermath of the Second World War. He subsequently spent a lot of time in Italy travelling by rail the length and breadth of the country.

Given PMK-B's professional background, there is a lot of technical detail about the locomotives, rolling stock and civil engineering, as well as good descriptions of the scenery and railway staff and operating procedures. My only gripe about the book is that parts of it are written in a rather stilted form of language which is possibly par for the course for someone educated at an English public school in the 1920s.

Overall, though, an enjoyable and informative read....illustrated by an interesting collection of black-and-white photographs, many of which were taken by the author himself.

For me, Kalla-Bishop's "Italy" is one of the less happy offerings in the series -- though not so dire as Nock on Austria. Contains much interesting material; but there are for me personally, a number of what I see as negative traits of the author, and of his coverage of and approach to his subject. Among same: I am struck by what I perceive as a tendency on his part -- as with Nock, on his -- to come across as rather an arrogant "neck-trampler". Kalla-Bishop can thus be in his writing, outright combative. An outstanding instance: early in the book, he writes: "One thing the traveller will not see in Italy is the run-down branch line in all its squalor, with a decrepit steam locomotive shuffling along over wobbly track hauling a mixed bag of old coaches. People who moon about over such sights should keep out of Italy, for such a glorious system as the FS has no truck with such things, nor do the private railways go in for such nonsense." With my being a great lover of "hopeless and archaic light railways", this passage immediately raised my hackles. People are of course entitled to their feelings and opinions; but, oh dear -- if Mr. K-B carried on in this wise in his real-life face-to-face dealings with people, I can see him being now and again, on the receiving end of physical violence.

The "form of language" as remarked on by you, manifests itself to me in a number of the books -- unsurprisingly maybe, with most of the authors seemingly of approximately the same generation as Kalla-Bishop. (It would seem probable that as at this date, all of them will have "gone to their reward".) At times in some of the books: more than simply the writing feeling, to modern types such as us, stilted -- there are writing-"mannerisms" with a quaintly old-time (to me, as it were Edwardian) "feel". A road motor vehicle designed for carrying numerous passengers, rendered in some instances as a 'bus -- apostrophe meticulously prefixed. (To be consistent: if writing of a small four-wheeled railmotor, one feels the author should, then, have called it a rail'bus -- but that didn't seem to happen.) Also with apostrophic prefix: 'phone; and "an hotel".) And with place-names: next to no p/c "Koln / Wien / a Coruna" stuff -- if the settlement has a time-honoured English form, that is used. If I recall rightly, Kalla-Bishop calls Livorno, Leghorn -- which strikes me as one of the weirder English butcherings of foreign names. I personally find these archaisms in the writing of some of the series, a rather charming oddity: intensifying the "period" flavour.

 

[D6130]

For me, Kalla-Bishop's "Italy" is one of the less happy offerings in the series -- though not so dire as Nock on Austria. Contains much interesting material; but there are for me personally, a number of what I see as negative traits of the author, and of his coverage of and approach to his subject. Among same: I am struck by what I perceive as a tendency on his part -- as with Nock, on his -- to come across as rather an arrogant "neck-trampler". Kalla-Bishop can thus be in his writing, outright combative. An outstanding instance: early in the book, he writes: "One thing the traveller will not see in Italy is the run-down branch line in all its squalor, with a decrepit steam locomotive shuffling along over wobbly track hauling a mixed bag of old coaches. People who moon about over such sights should keep out of Italy, for such a glorious system as the FS has no truck with such things, nor do the private railways go in for such nonsense." With my being a great lover of "hopeless and archaic light railways", this passage immediately raised my hackles. People are of course entitled to their feelings and opinions; but, oh dear -- if Mr. K-B carried on in this wise in his real-life face-to-face dealings with people, I can see him being now and again, on the receiving end of physical violence.

The "form of language" as remarked on by you, manifests itself to me in a number of the books -- unsurprisingly maybe, with most of the authors seemingly of approximately the same generation as Kalla-Bishop. (It would seem probable that as at this date, all of them will have "gone to their reward".) At times in some of the books: more than simply the writing feeling, to modern types such as us, stilted -- there are writing-"mannerisms" with a quaintly old-time (to me, as it were Edwardian) "feel". A road motor vehicle designed for carrying numerous passengers, rendered in some instances as a 'bus -- apostrophe meticulously prefixed. (To be consistent: if writing of a small four-wheeled railmotor, one feels the author should, then, have called it a rail'bus -- but that didn't seem to happen.) Also with apostrophic prefix: 'phone; and "an hotel".) And with place-names: next to no p/c "Koln / Wien / a Coruna" stuff -- if the settlement has a time-honoured English form, that is used. If I recall rightly, Kalla-Bishop calls Livorno, Leghorn -- which strikes me as one of the weirder English butcherings of foreign names. I personally find these archaisms in the writing of some of the series, a rather charming oddity: intensifying the "period" flavour.

Yes, I recall the archaic and rather patronising 'Leghorn' reference....although the book normally resides in our house in Yorkshire rather than in Italy. To be honest, I probably haven't looked at it for about five years and mainly use it for specific references, having read from cover to cover when I bought it secondhand about 15 years ago.

 

[Calthrop]

Rather patronising, as above -- I do get the impression that Mr. Kalla-Bishop just enjoyed, in various ways, winding people up !