The LNER Encyclopedia

Thought it might be helpful to start a new thread.
Does anybody have any news, or know how to enquire from Wild Swan, when this much desired book might be available?

I can try Peter again, but he is always in the hands of WS.

A telephone call to WS might be most productive, since replies to letters need to be composed, typeset, proof-read, and printed...

I heard from Peter Tatlow on this subject a few days ago. Apparently 4b is currently in production, and should be published in the autumn.

D

And I received a prompt reply from Peter to today's query to that effect. More to the point he is conscious that WS are not so hot on promotion so please spread the word - it's just been added to that other forum/community.

Darryl Tooley wrote:Apparently 4b is currently in production, and should be published in the autumn.

Hooray...........

(where are the smiles with fireworks and bouncing bunnies etc. )

Alan

Seagull wrote:

Darryl Tooley wrote:Apparently 4b is currently in production, and should be published in the autumn.

Hooray...........

(where are the smiles with fireworks and bouncing bunnies etc. )

Alan

If anyone tried bouncing bunnies (whatever kind) there would definitely be fireworks remember rabbits are not the only fruit

Ve haff vays of makink you sveat.

Die RSPCA Sicherheitsdienst.

Great news .... I hope the carrier pigeon arrives soon with my copy

Splendiferously wonderful!!!

Peter's son has confirmed on RMWeb that the page proofs are available and that the publication timetable is still on track for later this year - which admittedly is getting closer by the month...

Good News!

Only this morning I was reading an article by Peter Tatlow on the Harwich/Zeebrugge Train Ferry service (in 'British Railways Illustrated' August-September 1993). Mr Tatlow is such an informed and helpful author!

The article does contain drawings of vehicles, some of which have also appeared elsewhere. Now I'm wondering what continental traffic might have reached the Durham area in the late 1930s. The lettering on the vehicles is complex though. I will have to scan Mr Wealleans thread again. He must have made some sometime!

These? Of course.







Subsequent research has shown that the lettering should be red. I have started to revise it but it's still a work in progress.

As to the traffic, there was a regular transport of fruit and vegetables to Newcastle. I have a photograph of one of the peak-roofed Belgian vans on its way north through Thirsk and some of the Italian ones at Pilmoor also heading north.

The opens were apparently used to transport marble from north Italy for shop fronts and memorials, although I have never seen one in traffic.

I haven't yet got around to building the 12T van with the odd looking high brakeman's hutch but they seem to have vanished from traffic by the early 1930s.

jwealleans wrote:The opens were apparently used to transport marble from north Italy for shop fronts and memorials, although I have never seen one in traffic.

Italian marble??? Hmmm. I wonder what the NER used to transport our own local product from Frosterley.

Interested by the ferry wagons; and particularly the RCH, and very British, open wagon which might have caused some derision from our colleagues on the European mainland. Rather like all those slope sided mineral wagons we generously sent them to help out after the war and which were quickly (and, perhaps, gratefully) returned.
There were, in later days at least, some conditions attached to conveying wagons on a train ferry. Amongst these was the requirement for means to lash them down on the boat - this was usually achieved by pivoted loops on the body side or underframe. If wagons were so fitted, they carried a painted sign representing an anchor on the side. As the ferries to Britain were not the only train ferries in Europe, adherence to the British loading gauge was further indicated by a box around the anchor. Presumably, the wagons were built before the sign convention started, but I wonder how the wagons were lashed down. Harwich - Hook could be quite exciting in bad weather.
It might be worth pointing out that latterly there were wagons (COV AB's I think) which went on the ferry but were transhipped at the foreign port and perhaps the open wagon was used in this way.
The SBA were involved directly with the Harwich-Hook ferry as was the ALA with the Dunkerque one. Of course, Hook of Holland is not in Belgium and Dunkerque is not in Alsace- Lorraine (the AL bit of ALA) either.
[/EDITED] The train ferry from Harwich went to Zeebrugge (in Belgium) not The Hook. So the later comments aren't true. Must be an age thing; used to work at Railfreight International how could I get confused?? Even been on the Speedlink Vanguard[/I. Apologies.

My friendly neighbourhood bookseller, Bob Pearman, informs me that he has today learnt from Wild Swan that whilst Peter Tatlow has the page proofs for this last book in the series there may be a delay to publication as Peter's wife has just passed away.

In the circumstances I trust that all members of this forum and readers of Peter's books will offer their sincere condolences to him and his family at this most difficult time.

Requiescat in pace