Ian Allan Publishing

Ian Allan Ltd: twenty five years is a little treasure, a small pocket book comprising 32 unnumbered pages. The first publication was the ABC of Southern locomotives issued on November 21st 1942 . That was the beginning of a publishing phenomenon. Branching out Ian Allan asked Cecil J.Allen to write Titled trains of Great Britain. This was one of the first real railway books that I acquired and treasured. It was not a first edition. The 25th anniversary booklet charts the exponential growth of the business and its publications across many forms of transport There are four autograph signatures on the title page: Ian Allan, Cecil J.Allen and two that I cannot decipher. They are dated October 23rd 1967.… (altro)

The Abc of British Railways Locomotives Part 1 - Nos. 1-9999 Steam Locomotives: Western Region. Ian Allan, 1952, Paperback. I was one once a locospottor, a true nerd with duffel bag and duffel coat, acne, a notebook, pen and pencil. I got Locospotters Annuals for Christmas and the occasional Trains Illustrated. I copped trains and cabbed some of them having obsequiously asked the soot-covered driver if I could. These Ian Allan books, in particular this one, bring all these memories back. I never joined the Locospotters Club. I could join now. In front of me, on page 51 of a grubby copy of The ABC of British Railways locomotives, part 1 - nos. 1-9999, Steam locomotives: Western Region (Ian Allan, locomotives in service at August 31st 1952), is an application form. All I need to do is fill it in, enclose a stamped addressed envelope - remember them? - with a twopenny halfpenny stamp - remember them? - not forgetting to sign up to the club promise.This takes the form of a rule not to interfere with ‘railway working or material, nor be a nuisance or hindrance to railway staff, nor, above all, trespass on railway property’. In the 1950s and 1960s trainspotters were considered to be a nuisance by most railway staff. They just got in the way. However, as long as you had a platform ticket in hand, cost threepence I recall, then all would be ok. The rule was general and clear and did not include words such as ‘do not abuse staff’. That would be a sine qua non now although Latin is rarely studied in schools today. I have an unused twopenny halfpenny stamp in my collection and can apply that to the envelopes, the one I intend to send and the enclosed one. I can complete the Christian name line on the form. I could draw attention to the more politically correct heading of Given name, pointing out in a covering letter - remember them, my mother insisted on them? - that the 1952 terminology is discriminatory
I need to find a shilling too as that is the membership fee. I have a shiny one in my coin collection and if I choose to buy 3 badges, sixpence each, I could round it up to half a crown. I have one of those too. I liked the shape and feel of the half crown. It suggested wealth. I am assuming a postal order is acceptable. As for the badges my favourite regions were and always will be Southern, Western and Eastern. I was born and bred in Southern metals territory. Westwards I ventured oft to Reading General and its long platforms and how I loved those Deltics when I first saw them at the platform end at King’s Cross with my Dad. Looking through this book, I am surprised to see how many Halls we had from 4901 Adderley Hall (Saint Martin was 4900) to 4980 Wrottesley Hall, then starting the alphabet again from 4981 Abberley Hall; Castles are in abundance too, take just 3 in a row, 5024-5026 Carew, Chirk. and Criccieth, not forgetting the Abbeys and Granges, e.g. Poulton, Penhydd and Paviland, 6843-6845, what class and wealth we had, what country house sales there must have been since 1952.… (altro)