Published by the author 2008 102pp Spiral bound with numerous diagrams and tables, including one separate fold-out diagram. Paper covers.

In the complex field of valves and valve gears, one of the less discussed areas is that of short or long-lap valves. In Britain, the Midland Railway's engineers had used short-lap valves, and were regarded as incompetent by no less an authority than the late E.S. Cox for adhering to them. But Cox and others within the LMS/Crewe establishment were long-lap valve men and used them. In this interesting and technical review of LMS practice, Adrian Tester comes to some interesting conclusions on the subject.

Part One - LMS Western Division Lines ISBN 978 1 905184 50 7 Wild Swan Publications 2008 144pp

Part Two - LMS Midland Division. Former Birmingham & Derby Junction Railway and later lines connecting to it ISBN 978 1 905184 51 4 Wild Swan Publications 2008 112pp

Part Three - LMS Midland Division. Former Birmingham & Gloucester Railway and later lines connecting to it ISBN 978 1 905184 52 1 Wild Swan Publications 2008 112pp

ISBN 978 0 9540232 6 3 Cumbrian Railways Association 2008 48pp

Cumbrian Railways Association publishes a Roll of Honour in remembrance of those who gave their lives in the service of their country during the Great War 1914-1918

The Cumbrian Railways Association has published a Roll of Honour to commemorate the railwaymen from Cumbria who gave their lives in the Great War between 1914 and 1918. Extensive research from war memorials, original documents, local newspapers and websites has revealed the names and service details of 234 men who died in the service of their country, mostly serving in the Army on the Western Front in France and Belgium, and others in many other parts of the world. The men are listed under the names of the twelve railway companies which operated in Cumbria at that time.

The Roll of Honour also reproduces moving reports from local newspapers of the Memorial Service to railwaymen held in Carlisle Cathedral in May 1919, and of the unveiling of railway company war memorials at Barrow-in-Furness and Maryport. Illustrated with contemporary and recent images and photographs, the Roll of Honour has been researched by the President of the Cumbrian Railways Association, Peter Robinson.

The Roll of Honour has been produced to mark the 90th anniversary of the Armistice which ended the great conflict of the First World War.

Available from selected local outlets (cost £5), or by post from CRA Publications, 19 Windsor Drive, Miskin, Pontyclun CF22 8SH (add £1 for post and packing).

In this lavishly illustrated book, No. 1 in a series, here for the first time is the full record of the luxury British 12 Wheel Pullman cars (built between 1908-1923) which graced such celebrated pre-war trains as the 'Southern Belle' 'Harrogate Pullman' and 'Eastern Belle', and post-war the 'Bournemouth Belle' and Ocean Liner express.

"PULLMAN PROFILE NO. 1 The 12-WHEEL CARS" presents a fascinating, comprehensive and nostalgic record to the reader and captures an era when the familiar umber and cream Pullman cars flourished at a time when quality really did matter.

Nowadays, the Pullman Car Co is an enterprise that continues to attract a widespread following, not only from railway enthusiasts but also from those with a more general interest in by-gone luxury travel. This is scarcely surprising as Pullman was synonymous for superior accommodation and a high level of service.

Pullman recognised and appreciated the value of publicity - the inauguration of new services or even new vehicles provided them with opportunities to impress the media of the day. In these and other respects Pullman was unrivalled, yet in other ways it was conservative and restrained.

The 12 wheels cars introduced by the Caledonian Railway in 1914 and run under contract by Pullman on the LMS until 1934 (at which time they were incorporated into the LMS fleet of dining cars) are covered in some detail.

ISBN 9 780955 946 70 7 The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Society 2008 96pp A4 format, full of drawings, maps, diagrams and photographs. Paperback.

Surprisingly this is the first biography of John Ramsbottom (1814-1897) despite his considerable importance in the development of British railway engineering. Immediately known for his design of safety valve - just one of his many inventions, he designed a whole series of sturdy and successful locomotives for the L&NWR, developed Crewe Works as a major locomotive building and repair facility, retired at the age of 57, but was to return some years later and develop Horwich Works for the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. This very nicely done, and exceptional value book looks at all aspects of RamsbottomÕs engineering life.

This detailed and lavishly illustrated study of the livery of the Caledonian Railway is the culmination of many years of careful research, using publicly and privately held records, photographs and artefacts. In addition, paint technologies have been investigated; monochrome photographic processes have been examined and colour perception has been explored.

Covering the whole of the existence of the Company, from 1845 to 1923, colours and pigments, Crests, scrolls and lining, together with lettering and numbering details, are all fully explained and illustrated. The locomotive stock has been divided into groups and classes in order to illustrate the different livery styles.

Separate sections deal with early locomotives and the Drummond period, and there are individual chapters also on the coaching stock and the goods wagons.

The thorough investigations have challenged certain previously made statements and assumptions, which cannot be verified by the photographic evidence or archival records. To assist understanding the evolution of the liveries, the appendices include a brief company history, short biographies of the locomotive superintendents, a list of locomotive build orders, notes on the adoption of the Westinghouse brake and an index of wagon photographs.

The thorough investigations have challenged certain previously made statements and assumptions, This is a major study of the livery of the Caledonian, by a respected authority on what was Scotland's premier pre-Grouping railway.

An LMS Journal Handbook

This first look at the LMS lineside contains a general introduction and the following sections:

• Stations
• Crossing the line
• Station lamps
• Station nameboards

and rounds off with a look at architectural similarities thoughout the constituent companies of the LMS.

Packed with illustrations this survey should prove invaluable to modellers.

The Caledonian Railway was the largest of the three Scottish companies to go into the London Midland & Scottish Railway at the grouping in 1923. It contributed 1,077 locomotives, 3,040 coaches and over 50,000 goods vehicles running on more than 1,000 route miles of track stretching from the border city of Carlisle up to the Highlands and across to the East Coast. This book looks at how the 'Caley' system fared in the ownership of the LMS in which it became the dominant partner of the latter's Northern Division: the working of its main and secondary lines, infrastructure improvements, motive power, rolling stock and shipping developments, the challenge of the wartime years and the legacy left to British Railways at nationalisation.

Following on from volume one, with consecutively numbered photographs and diagrams, this book completes the account with a detailed examination of covered goods, coal and mineral, bogie merchandise, livestock and special wagons - including the essential brake van. Very well illustrated with informative photographs and official drawings, the book also deals with the use of wagons and their loads, several photographs showing the great bales of cotton used by the numerous mills served by the company. An excellent reference source and another fascinating insight into how well commerce and industry were served by the steam railway.