Modeller’s Bookshelf

Some of the projects in this month’s issue have necessitated a bit of research for the MR team, so here are a couple of books that we’ve found particularly useful. There’s also a great new volume in HMRS’ series of titles covering LBSCR coaching stock.

When Bachmann’s all-new Class 24 arrived for review (page 88), we needed plenty of colour archive images to compare the model against. Various detailed accounts of the Sulzer Type 2s have appeared in book form over the years, but this all-colour photo album provides a real visual feast. Documenting the Class 24 and 25 locomotives throughout their BR careers, it’s an essential companion for anyone interested in these modest locomotives. Book: Looking Back at Class 24 & 25 Locomotives, by Kevin Derrick (Amberley Publishing, 2016)

Although long out of print, this book remains a superb resource. Charting the history of the signal box, it provides an account of designs of every British railway company and various signalling contractors. Illustrated with plenty of black and white photographs and scale drawings, anyone contemplating building or modifying a signal box should have a copy. Pre-owned copies can be found online, including on the Abe Books website: www.abebooks.co.uk Book: The Signal Box – A Pictorial History and Guide to Designs, by The Signalling Study Group (OPC, 1986)

This weighty hardback, A4-sized book is the fourth volume in the Historical Model Railway Society’s series dedicated to the coaching stock of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. Along with arc-roofed standard stock, various Pullman designs are studied, along with electric motor and trailer cars, plus ambulance/troop trains from the First World War period. There are plenty of photographs and scale drawings, making for an ideal reference source for modellers.

Book: LBSCR Carriages, Volume 4 Bogie Stock 1906-1924, by Ian White (HMRS, 2021)