Irish Railway Books

[Bumble_Bee]

Hi all, I'm new here and thought I'd get a bit of convo going 

 

Does anyone here have a library of Irish railway history books?

Right now I'm getting through the Midland/Ian Allan Publishing series of 'Irish Railway Pictorials', fab books with tonnes of pictures to keep my young mind interested haha. 

I'm also in the planning stages of my own book but since Midland/IanAllan went under I'm not sure where I am going to get it published haha.

 

What books are on your shelves?? 

Edited March 8, 2021 by Bumble_Bee
corrected spelling

[airfixfan]

Have a vast library of Irish Railway books. What are you planning to write a book about?

[jhb171achill]

27 minutes ago, Bumble_Bee said:

Hi all, I'm new here and thought I'd get a bit of convo going 

 

Does anyone here have a library of Irish railway history books?

Right now I'm getting through the Midland/Ian Allen Publishing series of 'Irish Railway Pictorials', fab books with tonnes of pictures to keep my young mind interested haha. 

I'm also in the planning stages of my own book but since Midland/IanAllen went under I'm not sure where I am going to get it published haha.

 

What books are on your shelves?? 

Probably every single book ever published about Irish railways? Hundreds............ plus the railways of South Africa, India, Indonesia, Malta, Cyprus, Mallorca, the Isle of Man................and some non-railway stuff. 

[Bumble_Bee]

15 minutes ago, airfixfan said:

Have a vast library of Irish Railway books. What are you planning to write a book about?

I plan to do a book (or more likely, series of books) about Irish railway wagons. There are loads of great books about railway companies, locomotives and carriages but so far I haven't been able to find any about wagons (perhaps one exists, but I in all my searching so far have not come across one other than 'narrow gauge rolling stock - an irish railway pictorial). 

My idea is to have them be interesting and informative for those interested in the history, but also have enough photos and detail for modellers to get use of also.

[jhb171achill]

1 hour ago, Bumble_Bee said:

I plan to do a book (or more likely, series of books) about Irish railway wagons. There are loads of great books about railway companies, locomotives and carriages but so far I haven't been able to find any about wagons (perhaps one exists, but I in all my searching so far have not come across one other than 'narrow gauge rolling stock - an irish railway pictorial). 

My idea is to have them be interesting and informative for those interested in the history, but also have enough photos and detail for modellers to get use of also.

Eagerly awaited, Bumble Bee, by many here! It's a huge topic.

[Bumble_Bee]

16 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

Eagerly awaited, Bumble Bee, by many here! It's a huge topic.

Thank you! I hope I can do the topic justice

[airfixfan]

Interesting choice and correct only one book published about NG rolling stock only. Even less on most of the Irish BG companies as well

[Bumble_Bee]

3 minutes ago, airfixfan said:

Interesting choice and correct only one book published about NG rolling stock only. Even less on most of the Irish BG companies as well

I recently got a copy of 'Belfast and County Down railway: an irish railway pictorial' which has a full chapter at the back with details of wagons etc which is fantastic, but the only book of the series to do so sadly. (Although I don't yet have all of the southern ireland railway books in the series yet so maybe they have details also)

[airfixfan]

My main areas of interest are the Irish NG lines especially the County Donegal and the Lough Swilly.

[jhb171achill]

2 hours ago, Bumble_Bee said:

I recently got a copy of 'Belfast and County Down railway: an irish railway pictorial' which has a full chapter at the back with details of wagons etc which is fantastic, but the only book of the series to do so sadly. (Although I don't yet have all of the southern ireland railway books in the series yet so maybe they have details also)

BCDR wagons were a thing apart; the designs were very specific to that system, and quite unlike those on any other system. Des Coakham's book is the best source on these. The IRRS may be able to assist with unpublished illustrations.

 

[Bumble_Bee]

13 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

BCDR wagons were a thing apart; the designs were very specific to that system, and quite unlike those on any other system. Des Coakham's book is the best source on these. The IRRS may be able to assist with unpublished illustrations.

 

Certainly! I have emailed IRRS and a few other societies/places that might have such illustrations but due to the ongoing pandemic etc most folks are unable to access their respective archive sites etc so I will have to play the waiting game for a while. 

Also got in contact with the LMS and Midland societies for possible leads on NCC stock. 

[jhb171achill]

5 minutes ago, Bumble_Bee said:

 

Also got in contact with the LMS and Midland societies for possible leads on NCC stock. 

Good thinking!

I think that much of the NCC's records were lost when York Road station was bombed in the wartime, as Harold Houston said that much didn't survive, but at the very least there might be something about design.

Being a different gauge though, and thus a different width, most wagon design and building was done locally, not in Derby. The exception was a hunderd or so wagons brought over from Britain after the war. I cannot be certain, but it may be that it was just bodies put on local underframes; it would seem odd to go to the bother of re-gauging British wagons here.

[airfixfan]

Have a colour photo of a van body built to an old Midland diagram by the LNER during WW2 for the NCC

[Bumble_Bee]

1 hour ago, airfixfan said:

Have a colour photo of a van body built to an old Midland diagram by the LNER during WW2 for the NCC

Oooh id love to see that!