Julian Holland's "amazing" facts etc
See also Tom Quinn's Memories of steam where some dubious captions are credited to Julian Hollan
Amazing and extraordinary railway facts. Newton Abbot: David
& Charles, 2007. 128pp.
The first is rather better than the second and has a rather clearer
character, namely a sort of anthology which includes poetry (virtually absent
in the sequel), and fewer of the primitive drawings. There are brief biographis
of Churchward, Gresley, Stanier and Bulleid; locomotive speed records (including
those by City of Truro and Mallard); the diesel hydraulic
locomotives of the Western Region; locomotive exchanges; Snowdon Mountain
Railway; the Welsh narrow gauge lines including the Welsh Highland Railway;
Royal Trains; streamlined locomotives (Duplicates some of the materail on
speed records), Bradshaw, movie films which featured railways; Frank Hornby;
island railways; Swindon Mechanics Institution; Ron White; cliff funiculars
and railway horses. Sources are not given. Pictures are poorly reproduced
and are seldom essenrial. Enjoyable to dip into.
More amazing and extraordinary railway facts. Newton Abbot:
David & Charles, 2010. 128pp.
Julian Holland provides another viewpoint for the information
regurgitation or recycling industry. Nothing new is written; there are no
fresh insights. Most of the illustrations are childish or remind one of the
early Kidner books. Even the publisher is not quite what it seems to be and
used to be noted for its high standards. But the general public are prepared
to buy this literary merchandise and the jolly dolly librarians in Norfolk
(at least) are prepared to waste their limited public funds on this type
of material rather than the excellent literature produced by Oakwood and
Wild Swan. Probably widely available in Tesco along with their watered pig
products.
Steaming across Britain. AA Publishing. 256pp.
See review by DWM in
Backtrack, 2013, 27, 61
Andrew Fowler's The railway pocket bible
The railway pocket bible. Richmond (Surrey): Crimson Publishing,
2011. 172pp.
There are at least twenty one other pocket bibles on topics ranging
from wine to pregnancy, including ones for cat and dog lovers. The work on
railways is highly selective on what is included and navigation is dependent
upon a fairly extensive contents listing: thus if one wishes to read about
Euston it is under "Famous railway stations" on page 121 (at least the reader
is spared "train stations"). The other sections are in order: history of
railways; the trains themselves (includes locomotives); railway roles; famous
trains and their routes; then the stations; a gricer's guide, model railways
and a glossary (with thirty nine extries, none beginning with letters h to
l inclusive). The Telegraph describes it as "a gift book full of trivia".
Kevin found it by chance in Sheringham Public Library; there are two others
in the library system plus a long blurb on the OPAC. This is a library which
buys few Oakwood Press titles. Its list of railway magazines excludes
Backtrack, British Railway Illustrated, Great Western Railway
Journal, just a few of those stocked by some W.H. Smith's..
The Railwayman's pocket book.
London Anova Books, 2011
At least contains some information about Dick Hardy and his contribution
to railway life.