Trains Annual, etc

The Ian Allan organization published an annual volume with a variety of titles over many years. Some of the material is of permanent value and is outlined in the following. Sometimes more than one title was publsihed in a single year: the arrangement is chronological.

Trains Annual 1948
Edited Cecil J. Allen

Forword. 5.

Linecar, Howard W.A. The "Merchant Navy Pacifics," Southern Railway. 6-9.
Refers to Bulleid's Instn Mech. Engrs. paper: accentuates the chain-driven valve gear and notes the decapitation of Parry Thomas, the racing car driver on Pendine Sands when his chain broke! Also notes the BFB driving wheels, oil bath, steel firebox and thermic syphons. Performance is also recorded.

Allen, Cecil J. One hundred miles an hour in the U.S.A. 10-17.
Steam locomotive performance of the Hiawatha, diesel electric on the Zephyr and straight electric on the Pennsylvania Railroad.

Wolstenholme, A.N. A question of line. 18-22.
Simplified, flowing lines proposed for de-streamlined Duchess class Pacifics and Thompson A2 class.

Anwell, B.W. Oil-firing on locomotives. 23-9.
Sectionslized diagrams of Great Western Railway system showing oil-heating coils in tender and firebox arrangements. Includes details provided via C.J. Allen of running on an oil-fired No. 5039 Rhuddlan Castle between Bristol and Paddington.

Cooper, Basil K. The Great Central between two Wars. 30-6.

"Alco". Keeping U.S.A. traffic moving. 39-43

"Quicksilver". Railways "down under". 44-9.
Includes a description of steam working across the Nullarbor with locomotive exchange at Cook, a fifteen hour working covering over 500 miles, the compulsory booking of berths and meals, and a hint at the tedium. Illus. include interrior of the smokin saloon on the Trans Australia Express. Also the huge traffic handled at Flinders Street in Melbourne.

Casserley, Kathleen M. Railways on stamps. 50-4.

Casserley, H.C. L.M.S.locomotive history: a brief review. 55-63.

Lack, Gordon. Life on an Indian troop train. 64-7.

Allen, Cecil J. A famous locomotive Class: the Great Northern Atlantics. 68-74.

Lacey, E.R.  Britain's biggest A.C. electrification. 74-80.
LBSCR: notes that overhead coaching stock retained its umber livery until withdrawn, but that the motor vans were painted in Southern green.

Earl, Lawrence A. Engines I have driven. 81-9.
We used to get the "Turbo" on this trip [the Liverpool turn], and what a lovely engine she is! Not so much science about the driving, perhaps—turning the valves on and off one by one instead of the careful adjusting of regulator and cut-off to suit every change of the — but for continuous strength and speed there is not another engine in her class to touch her. Once in the late 1930's the "Turbo" was tried for a week between Euston and Glasgow on the "Royal Scot" and Fireman D. Wright and I were the crew chosen to man her to and from Carlisle. There can't have been much wrong with his firing, because one day we climbed the 31½ miles from Carlisle up to the top of Shap Summit, 915 feet above the sea, in no more than 36 minutes, and with a train of 530 tons behind us.

"North Star". The Churchward influence: reflections of a great locomotive engineer. 90-6.

Trains Annual 1949
Edited Cecil J. Allen

Nationalisation—the first year. C.J. Allen. 6-10.

The World's biggest railway bridges. Cecil J. Allen. 15-21.

Tales of the "Sou'-west". David L. Smith. 22-8.

Eaton, W. Dugald Drummond's Private Saloon. 29-31.
Author was fireman on the "Bug" and that the "Drum" could be kind as well as autocratic. He was awarded a gold sovereign when he was informed that the writer was a father of twins. The private saloon was used on long journeys, certainly as far as Plymouth,  as well as on frequent trips up to Waterloo or down to Eastleigh from Drummond's home in Surbiton.

Streamline symphony. Cecil J. Allen. 32-9.

Slip Coaches. Quicksilver. 40-2.
Short history of slip coaches in Britain. The GWR was the largest and longest user of the system and slipped a portion with restaurant car for Ilfracombe at Taunton, ran trains with multiple slip portions, and had a special slipping distant signal at Reading. It did not provide a vestibule for access to the remainder of the train as provided on the LNWR for vehicles slipped at Coventry off a Birmingham service. Slipping lasted into Western Region days, but other British services ceased in 1939 with a vehicle slipped at Mark's Tey off the 16.57 Liverpool Street to Clacton. Cites article in Railway Magazine (1935, July) by G.W.T. Daniel.

Parker, J.D.M. Railway operating in the Ruhr. 43-4.
Operation of a large mashalling yard. Relationship between occupying troops and the German railway workers, many of whom were nearly starving.

The "Flying Scotsman". R.E. Charlewood. 45-55.

Multiple Cylinder Locomotives. B.W. Anwell. 56-65.

From Calais to Modane on the Footplate. Charles R. Gordon Stuart. 66-71.

Modern British signalling developments. A.F. Cook. 73-6.

Electric locomotive technique to-day. Basil K. Cooper. 80/7.

Across the U.S.A. by troop train. John Grimwade. 88-94.

The Cromford and High Peak Railway. H.C. Casserley. 94-5. Illus. 92.
Advocates travel by car to explore the line! Gives a brief description. Illus. are also credited to P. Ransome Wallis (but not individually: LNWR 2-4-0T as LMS 6428 ("since renumbered 58092"); ex-NLR 27527 on 1 in 14 Hopton incline; Butterley beam engine for Middleton incline and foot of Sheep-pasture incline.

Trains Illustrated Annual 1959

The Aberdeen road. "Toram Beg" [Norman McKillop]. 5-12.

The London, Chatham & Dover Railway. R.C. Riley. 13-26.

Parker, J.D.M. The Longmoor Military Railway. 46-51.

Bristol–railway crossroads of the West Country. Mark B. Warburton. 53-66.

The Severn Bridge. C.G. Maggs.66-8.

L.M.S. Baltics. 86-7.
Four official photographs: GSWR No. 542; FR No. 115; LMS 11111 and MR 2101.

The Kitson-Still locomotive. K. Hoole. 88-9+. illus.

Derby apprentice. "45671" [A.J. Powell]. 90-6.
More extensive than his Living with London Midland locomotives.

Trains Annual 1963

Webster, H.C. Early days with the class 'A4' Pacifics. 5-12+ 8 illus.
The author notes some of the difficulties experienced in maintaining the exacting high speed schedules, especially that of the Coronation, and in the maintenance of locomotives equipped with streamlined casings. One anecdote concerns one of the Commonwealth High Commissioners invited onto the cab following the unveiling of a plaque on the cabside failing to open the regulator then yanking it open too far which led to violent slipping: the High Commissioner remained calm and quickly closed the regulator. Notes the hot air trap caused by the rubber sheeting placed between cab and tender..

A Cuneo painting takes shape. 13-14 + col. plate between pp. 72-3.
Based on preparatory work and final completed painting of Clapham Junction for Southern Region poster with up Bournemouth Belle hauled by rebuilt Merchant Navy class Pacifi.

Bertram, David. The Callander and Oban line. 15-33.

Ransome-Wallis, P. In the cab of an English Electric type '4'. 41-4.
D242 from King's Cross to York: was disappointed by the lack of ability to run at high speed.

Allen, Cecil J. Fifty years of steam between Paddington and Penzance. 47-55+

Perren, B. Oil by train from North Thames-side. 34-9.

Parkes, G. Richard. Manchester Victoria and Exchange. 59-70.
Illustrated with photographs taken by K. Field, one of which shoes 4-4-0 (40635?) in its spur at the western end of Platforms 4/5 at Exchange.

Trains Annual 1964

The Western "Kings" — a valediction. C.J.  Allen,  5-16. 12 illus.

Trains Annual 1966

Day return to Mallaig. Anthony A. Vickers. 5-13.

From West Coast route to holiday camp: or how a "Duchess" became a Butlin's camper. Derek Cross. 14-20.

Train regulation—old style—at a Gloucestershire country junction. J.C. Oxley. 22-32.
Grange Court Junction for the Ross--on-Wye and Hereford line.

Steam on the "Broccolo". R.C. Riley. 33

The Settle & Carlisle main line. M.C. Reed. 42

The Isle of Wight's fight for its railways. Michael P. Jacobs. 62

An American eats on European trains. William G. Farquhar. 68

The hazards of shunting. G. Richard Parkes. 74

The narrow-gauge railways of Greece. G. J. Hoare. 82

The German Federal's success with oil-burning steam power. Rolf Martens. 93

1976: Railway World Annual

Experimental Section. H.A.V. Bulleid. 3-8.
The Experimental Section of the LMS at Derby where H.A.V. worked for a few months in 1935. He was too late to be greatly involved with the "ghastly steaming of the three-cylinder 4-6-0s [which] had just about been cured, thanks to some heroic work on the tubes and blast pipe by Riddles and Bond at Crewe". In association with this debacle Bulleid had to design vacuum tubes and pyrometers for tests on smokeboxes on three-cylinder 4-6-0s. He also worked on the brick arches used on the compounds and this brought him into contact with Coleman. He had to design an armrest for use in association with side windows where the sliders caused discomfort to the drivers. He was involved with some interesting tests on raising steam rapidly from cold using forced ventilation with portable blowers and circulators to ensure that the heat was raised evenly. He took part in dynamometer car tests (using the L&Y car) on The Mid-Day Scot between Crewe and Gloasgow with Driver Garrett to examine fuel consumption using Royal Scot 6158 Loyal Regiment. He found it to be an admirable locomotive, but described the awesome nature of slipping at speed on Shap.

Last of the true narrow gauge. Michael Farr. 14-23.
Author considered that this ended in November 1965 when the Isle of Man withdrew its all-year service and ceased to convey parcels traffic. Describes a trip to Peel with a pair of ex-CDR railcars hauling a parcels van and a steam-hauled journey to Port Erin. The Manx Electric Railway was also explored at that time.

Stanton,. Henry. Home via Suez. 24-7.
Journey made in 1914 when aged seven: from India to London Euston via Port Sudan, Suez, Port Said. Marseilles (giving enough time for a train ride), Algeciras via Gibraltar and Liverpool, but due to WW1 not via Riverside.

Jones, William. The Cardiff Valleys Division. 36-55.
Formed in 1923 by GWR to bring together the former Taff Vale, Rhymney, Barry and Cardiff Railways. The Rhymney had close ties with the LNWR and it is surprising that it did not become part of the LMS. The rolling stock and locomotives, and their liveries of the pre-amalgamation companies are described. Rationalization of services took place in the Cardiff area. Queen Street station was rebuilt and Caerphilly Works (Rhymney Railway) were enlarged. Many on the inherited 0-6-2Ts had long lives and the GWR added the 56XX type. Through services were developed to Aberystwyth and Llandridod Wells from Barry Island.

Heywood, P. Signal failure. 56-63.
Points and signals failures. On 1 January 1946 a class 5 4-6-0 on a Fleetwood to London fish train ran into the rear of a local train at Lichfield killing twenty passengers. Driver Read, and several others claimed that the signal was clear, but Lt. Col. Woodhouse, the Inspecting Officer, considered that the signal was probably at danger at that Driver Read had failed to obey it. The accident was similar to one on 4 September 1870 when the Irish Mail ran into the rear of a local at Tamworth.

The East Coast 'non-stop'. David Percival. 64-73.

Hendry, R. Powell. G.E. byways in Norfolk. 92-9.
Hunstanton, Wells-next-the-Sea, Fakenham, Dereham, Lynn Docks. Notes steeply graded approach to Wells, unusual operating practices in Norfolk for freight and arrival of night mail at King's Lynn.

Heaps, Chris. Bridges rebuilt, rejuvenated and rejected. . 100-7.
Begins by comparing the total loss of the Severn Bridge due to a collision from a tanker barge with that of the swing bridge at Goole which was repaired within eight months of being hit by a ship. Other seriously damaged bridges included the failure of the first Tay Bridge, the fire which destroyed the historic tubes of the Britannia Tubular Bridge across the Menai Straits on 23 May 1970 and the Connel Ferry Bridge which was converted into a road bridge.

Thornewell, W.T. Tunnels – the inside story. 112-17.
Inspection of tunnels.