Locomotives in detail

This series takes the biscuit for bibliographical waywardness: does the publisher do it to enhance the value?

Andrews, David
Locomotives in detail No. 1. The Churchward 2-6-0s. Cheltenham: Line One, 1985. 143pp.
Ottley 17976: e-mail from Author confirmed that not part of series, but merely used same title

Harvey, R.J.
Locomotives in detail 1. Bulleid 4-6-2 Merchant Navy class. Hersham : Ian Allan, 2004.

Jennison, John and Clarke, David
Locomotives in detail 2: Stanier 4-6-0 Class 5. Hersham: Ian Allan, 2004. 104pp.
Verified NLS OPAC

Clarke, David
Locomotives in detail 3: Gresley 4-6-2 A4 class. Ian Allan, 2005. 96pp.
Reproduction standards are good: excellent use was made of Colour-Rail images to show original liveries including garter blue and the stylish red driving wheels which went with it. The picture of No. 2509 Silver Link in silver livery is very well reproduced. A note on the verso title page observes that the series was created and edited by Jasper Spencer-Smith. The drawings copyright Isinglass Drawings were the work of John Edgson. Confirmed Hants OPAC.

Swift, Peter
Locomotives in detail 4. Maunsell 4-6-0 King Arthur class. Hersham: Ian Allan, 2005. 96pp.

Clarke, David
Locomotives in detail 5: Riddles class 6/7 standard Pacifics. Ian Allan, 2006. 96pp.
Lives up to its title: a great amount of detail shown mainly by photographs and short sections of text. 4mm scale drawings. Some of the photographs suffer from being poor originals or through poor reproduction. Title off cover

Swift, Peter.
Locomotives in detail. 6. Maunsell 4-4-0 Schools class. London: Ian Allan. 2006. 96 pp.
Aimed at the modeller: thus rather superficial in both senses. Some of the illustrations are very small, and not well reproduced: some are very redolent of the Publisher's ABC series. On the other hand some of the superficial detail is impressive: at the bottom of page 47 there is an illustration of No. 926 Repton with its tender adorned with a British Railways totem of the sort associated with platform signs. Extensive use has been made of Colour Rail material. One suspects, having seen the same Author's excellent work in Railway Archive that the limitations must be placed firmly on the shoulders of the publisher. Mel Holley (Steam Wld, 2007 (238) 66) comments: "this volume is not as poor as some in the series" "Yet again this series fails to live up to what it promises tthe reader".

Clarke, David
Locomotives in detail 7. Riddles class 9F 2-10-0. Hersham : Ian Allan, 2007. 96pp.

Swift, Peter.
Locomotives in detail. 8. Maunsell 4-6-0 Lord Nelson class. London: Ian Allan, 2007.
Mel Holley (Steam Wld, 2007 (243) 66) called the book "rough and ready" and sighed that "it could have been so much better". KPJ agrees entirely: very poor standard of reproduction: copy seen at NRM bookshop where it contrasts greatly with NRM's own high standards for book production..

Clarke, David
Locomotives in detail 9: BR Standard Class 5. 4-6-0. Ian Allan.
In Barnes & Noble website but not in NLS OPAC!

Swift, Peter
Locomotives in detail 10, Southern Railway moguls 2-6-0. Ian Allan.
May also be Mauinsell Moguls (cover title)

2014-04-25