Modeller’s Bookshelf
A selection of titles that have kept the Model Rail team occupied recently.
The route between Perth and Inverness is memorable for travellers, and David Price has collated around 200 of his own colour photographs of the line in this new album. Coverage dates from the mid-1980s to present day, with many shots featuring preserved steam on the main line, as well as Scotrail services (pre and post-privatisation). A smattering of freight adds some welcome variety. The landscape along the route is captured well, and a brief history of the line is provided. There’s a little repetition of locomotive subjects, but the overall package is an enjoyable one. Book: The Railway Through the Central Highlands by David Price Price: £15.99 Availability: www.amberley-books.com This book provides an account of the Chiltern line’s transition from national to private operation, told by one of the men who led a management buyout of Chiltern Railways in 1996. Adrian Shooter went from volunteer on the Ffestiniog to BR engineering graduate trainee, working his way up the ranks. After retirement, he set up Vivarail. Providing an insight into Chiltern’s business strategy through the early years of privatisation and a behind-the-scenes look at how the franchise was operated, the author also ponders how the railways will react in a post-covid world. Book: Chiltern Railways – the Inside Story, by Adrian Shooter Price: £30.00 Availability: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk Offering an update on a previous edition from 2010, this is a collector’s guide to British ‘N’ gauge freight stock. Reflecting the growth of RTR ‘N’ in recent years, this 62-page book features over 5,000 separate entries, listing all products produced since the 1960s by Peco, Graham Farish, Dapol, Lima and Hornby Minitrix, plus newbies Revolution Trains, Realtrack, Sonic Models and EFE Rail, up to and including 2020. Each model type is illustrated and product codes, livery and numbering information is provided for each individual version. Book: N Gauge Modelling Collector’s Guide to British Freight Rolling Stock, by Howard Foy Price: £8.95 Email: engeepublishing@ gmail.com