"Locomotives of the LNER" relaunched
Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2022 8:02 am
The 19-part “Locomotives of the LNER” series – the Green Guides - is forever associated with the Railway Correspondence & Travel Society. Published between 1963 and 1994, the books have been out of print for a while. As we approach the Centenary of the Grouping (1923-2023), the Society was keen to find a way of reissuing the series. Printing technology has changed greatly, and readers are gaining familiarity with accessing information digitally. The solution adopted is, in many ways, experimental as it allows researchers to contribute as well as simply consume.
This page gives an overview and details of how to buy: https://rcts.org.uk/loco-lner/
Firstly, the books are available again. Not as 19 parts but as eight, thicker, volumes. The content is released as-is as a facsimile, but with new cover artwork and the errata redistributed across the relevant volumes. Purchases can only be made via Amazon because the books are printed to customer order using Amazon’s remarkable Kindle Direct Publishing service. Books ordered outside the UK are printed locally to the customer. UK prices are £12-24 for the new-size (B5) softbacks.
Secondly, the eight volumes can be purchased as searchable PDF files directly from the RCTS at £6-8 each. https://archive.rcts.org.uk.
Thirdly, people can register to read all the content online free-of-charge – same link. The 3,323 images now have a search tool attached and can be displayed much larger than the originals – though still with limited resolution. Each of the 170 locomotive classes has a separate chapter to read.
Finally, the experimental part. Online readers can add supplementary information, which is credited to them because of their prior registration. It is hoped this will help develop the information over the long term.
Fingers-crossed it all works out. One volunteer has helped with some stats on the loco fleet that I’ll write about in another post. Please register and give it a go.
Look out for my article in Back Track magazine (November, due in shops next week).
This page gives an overview and details of how to buy: https://rcts.org.uk/loco-lner/
Firstly, the books are available again. Not as 19 parts but as eight, thicker, volumes. The content is released as-is as a facsimile, but with new cover artwork and the errata redistributed across the relevant volumes. Purchases can only be made via Amazon because the books are printed to customer order using Amazon’s remarkable Kindle Direct Publishing service. Books ordered outside the UK are printed locally to the customer. UK prices are £12-24 for the new-size (B5) softbacks.
Secondly, the eight volumes can be purchased as searchable PDF files directly from the RCTS at £6-8 each. https://archive.rcts.org.uk.
Thirdly, people can register to read all the content online free-of-charge – same link. The 3,323 images now have a search tool attached and can be displayed much larger than the originals – though still with limited resolution. Each of the 170 locomotive classes has a separate chapter to read.
Finally, the experimental part. Online readers can add supplementary information, which is credited to them because of their prior registration. It is hoped this will help develop the information over the long term.
Fingers-crossed it all works out. One volunteer has helped with some stats on the loco fleet that I’ll write about in another post. Please register and give it a go.
Look out for my article in Back Track magazine (November, due in shops next week).