Prototype and traffic

With the arrival of DCC and with the vast amount of high-quality ready-to-run equipment now available from the major manufacturers, it is increasingly easy to replicate correctly in model form the operation of the full-size railway. This volume fulfils the need for authoritative but accessible reference material to the subject of railway operations for all those who wish to model the LNER. With the plethora of locomotives and rolling stock now available, it is increasingly practical for most modellers now to be able to recreate faithfully the actual consist of the services that they are replicating in miniature.

Little has been published however for the modeller which covers the actual composition of specific trains. This is where this carefully-researched and detailed study comes in; it provides a record of the composition of the major passenger trains operated by the LNER and its BR successors from Grouping in 1923 through to the end of main line steam in the late 1960s. It covers the expresses - such as the 'Flying Scotsman' - through coaches and portions, cross-country expresses, secondary expresses, sleeping car services, Pullman trains and later developments (such as later named trains like the 'Master Cutler' and the 'Elizabethan').

The book includes c75,000 words of text allied to c300 mono and colour photographs.
Published by Ian Allan, February 2013.

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Specimen page from Chapter 1: Expresses / Strengtheners. The illustrations show strengtheners being moved by a train loco and a station pilot.

Specimen page from Chapter 2: Through Coaches and Portions / Harrogate, where workings between Harrogate and King's Cross via Leeds Central are described and how they changed during LNER and BR days. The illustrations show two versions in the 1930s and 1950s. Details of the rosters are on adjoining pages.

Specimen page from Chapter 7: Final Developments / Master Cutler and South Yorkshireman.

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New information never stops coming in and material in the public domain sometimes needs updating. If you have any thoughts in this direction re the book, please contact me.

To see a complete list of amendments, please see LPTF Updates.

If you have spotted any errors or omissions, I'd really appreciate the details so they can be incorporated into future revisions. If possible, please specify the page number and paragraph, using the feedback form here.

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Here is what has come to light so far:

Chapter 1: The Expresses
The Flying Scotsman

This chapter has been added to at length under Prototype and Traffic, The Flying Scotsman, with reference to the illustration on p.33 where the formation includes an ex-GNR saloon, and operation of the 1938 set (pp.34-36).

Page 27 - Lower photograph, pilot lights looked like express lights but the glasses at each end were set for one red, one white and which side was not specified. Well known but missed during proof reading, thanks to Darwin Smith for the prod.

Chapter 2: Through Coaches and Portions
Page 85 - The loco is the unique 'C2' No 3271 which was subjected to various design modifications and ended up with inside cylinders. The photo was dated 1932 but the fittings are confusing for, according to RCTS 3A, the lower dome was fitted in 12/1933 but the 3 washout plugs are pre-4/1931, after which there were four: maybe not all are visible in this view? Thanks to Neville Stead for spotting this one.

Page 93 - the through coach is ex-NBR. With thanks to John Smart.

Chapter 3: Cross-country Expresses
Page 108 - Upper photograph, the train is heading north (John Smart again).
Page 108 - Lower photograph, another loco detail spotted by Neville Stead: D10 No 5429 was renamed Sir Douglas Haig in 1917, and again c1920 when it became Prince Henry.

Page 119 - In the first table there is a tabbing slip and the BSK underneath the 1949 roster actually belongs under the 1956 one.

Chapter 4: Secondary Expresses
Page 140 - The train in the illustration with J11 No 64313 in charge is heading north of Rugby Central.

See also "The Mansfield-Marylebone express" under Prototype and Traffic, which sheds new light on the express in LNER days.

Page 150 - This picture got cropped and lost the back end of the train. It shows a Link E 5-set in which steel-panelled twins from the "steel quintuple sets" were dispersed. The formation can be seen as one of the twins and three teak-panelled coaches.

BSK-SK   2nd brake (twin)
        CK   1st/2nd
        SK   2nd
      BSK   2nd brake

Chapter 6: Pullman Car Trains
Page 178

SLS Collection.
Revised 21-9-13: This picture, with on the back of the print "Bradford Pullmans en route to Leeds", was suspect because there is no viaduct en route and was captioned in the book as the Halifax cars from the "West Riding" or "Yorkshire Pullman" behind N2 2587 in the 1930s at Brighouse. The correct location and direction of travel has now been found: the cars are leaving Halifax, have just called at North Bridge station, and are ascending at some speed the 1:45 on the viaduct between Old Lane and Lee Bank tunnels, towards Queensbury and Bradford.

In this detail from the 1947 OS 1" map, North Bridge station can be seen in the lower right hand corner and the viaduct between the tunnels. In the photograph, the water on the left of the picture is Ovenden Brook, visibly swollen with water, but not shown on this map.

The 1:2,500 scale map for 1922 is more revealing. Ovenden Brook can be seen passing diagonally under the viaduct and the photographer's location is indicated. He probably caught the gasholders on the left of the picture and cropped them out in printing. Indeed the print appears to have been quite an enlargement, which would help explain its relatively poor quality. The upshot is that the train can be identified as the 10.53am from Halifax Old-Leeds Central and hence King's Cross. At last, we have the whole story! :-)

Today the viaduct is long gone and a car park lies where the train would have passed overhead. The path remains, although the photographer's vantage point, level with the viaduct's parapet is overgrown by mature trees. With thanks to John Marsh and John Smart who has checked the site on foot.

Chapter 7: Final Developments
Page 205

A grand scene near Laisterdyke on a dank day shows ex-LMS Black Five No 45279 taking the 09.55 from Bradford Exchange to Leeds Central, the Bradford portion of the Yorkshire Pullman, on 11th September 1967. This picture was shown as an enlargement and the caption half lost. Taken by John Marsh, here is the whole panorama with mills and multiple tracks on the ascent out of Bradford. The portion consists of the three Pullman cars and BR Mk.1 BG.

Sources
Page 221 - The image showing the seating plan of the East Anglian corrupted. Here is a clearer version:

Click on the image for a full-size version. Return by clicking the "x".

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A tale of three projects

Today, I learned a few things. Firstly, I hear from Crecy Publishing, who acquired the railway titles from Ian Allan Publishing Ltd. over winter, that "LNER Passenger Trains & Formations, The Principal Services", has sold out. In fact it sold out from Amazon quite a while ago but was not resupplied there because of the hiatus and because Crecy do not deal with Amazon. Some are believed to be still on the shelf in independent bookshops, though exactly where, nobody seems to know: some aspects of the transfer from IAPL to CP are shrouded in confusion and mystery.

I also learned that, without telling me, IAPL started advertising Vol.2 before it was ready (delayed by ill health at the authors end), as did their retailers, along with PR waffle. The upshot is that if you Google the general title today, you will get hits for Vol.1 stating currently not available or sold out, although Amazon USA claim to have a new one for $599 and a s/h one for $773 - don't all rush at once! Actually it gets worse because under independent sellers under Amazon in the UK and US, I found 19 listed either as new or s/h priced (you may need to sit down for this) in batches between £389-£643, £964-£981 and £888-£1,015. Not printed on gold leaf as far as I know... One sold on eBay recently for £57.

You will get many more hits for Vol.2, all of which also state "not available" or "sold out". It's just as sobering to find that many book sellers cannot distinguish between principal and principle. I'm afraid that this is how parts of the publishing industry work and for me it has been an education.

I've found adverts for an audio book version as well but cannot tell if it's for real.

You may already have seen the cover for Vol.2 as advertised and I reproduce it above along with a proposed Vol.3, which I have mocked up myself, and which is taking shape. What I'm trying to say is that projects like this take a great deal of time and effort - these are not picture books and bits of plagiarised text cobbled together but arduous original research. It's why nobody has done it before and why ETAs can be hard to forecast. When Vol.2 comes out the cover is likely to be different, likewise the third one.

People have also been asking about a reprint of Vol.1, and that I cannot answer: it will be for Crecy to decide. I'm sorry that I cannot be more definitive on these things but it would be improper to say any more until actually in print.