Atomic Systems

Colin Marsden is due to issue a new and updated version of the following:-

The Complete UK Modern Traction Locomotive Directory

It's price is shown to be £35 and hence before considering purchase I would be interested as to whether anyone has an earlier version and what they thought of it. If concerned that a less than complimentary comment might trigger some sort of moderation, perhaps a PM might be of value.

More details can be found at

http://www.therailwaycentre.com/

Alec

Moderation will only come into things if forum guidelines are breached or libellous statements are made.

When reviewing a book it is perfectly OK to say that specific facts may not be correct or are incorrect but be prepared to substantiate that. It is not acceptable to say the author is a crook and out to make quick bucks off mugs.

I think you get the idea ?

Hi Alec,

Well I have some recent (that's a comparative term... ) Titles by Colin and that's the two books he did on Main Line BR Diesels and Electric Locomotives. They were all BW but had excellent scale drawings. This looks like a different format altogether so the fact that I regard the two books I've mentioned as "Invaluable Reference" doesn't mean that the new title will be good too? Mind you with railway books we all have our varied interests. Lists of numbers leave me cold ....and besides all that info is online now. I look for interesting pictures of prototypical workings, rare workings and specific issues relating to the class of loco the books about. Unfortunately the link doesn't exactly flood you with information on the format of the new book? Excellent site but the .pdf about the book isn't that useful? BTW it's available for pre-order on Amazon for £22.75 (inc postage) so that's a bit cheaper. In the past if I've been interested in a title but unsure I've popped into Ian Allans bookshop to have a browse. They often have offers too. Most of my railway library is secondhand, but that's perhaps more to do with the fact that the era that interests me has few current or new titles.

Geoff

Geoff

Many thanks for your comments.

Normally I have looked at railway related books in bookshops, etc. and then decided whether it's of value to me. Here in Rochdale that facility is sadly lacking, and the library service has not provided a great deal of suitable railway related books.

I do rely on on-line access to books and Amazon have done quite well out of me, as have several second-hand sources on-line.

In terms of MSTS my interest is in trying to see what liveries were adopted and when - at the moment that relates to 1st Gen DMUs - so that I have a range of consists relevant to the route that I am currently running.

Alec

Might want to consider giving these a look, since it is older DMUs that are your area of interest:

http://www.ianallanpublishing.com/briti ... -dmus.html

http://www.ianallanpublishing.com/briti ... orian.html

Incidentally, I have Colin Marsden's 2011 Rail Guide and his recently-published second edition of Traction Recognition. Both are excellent books and it is worth pointing out that I thought the second edition of Traction Recognition was worth buying even though I bought the first edition last year, since the second iteration is thoroughly up to the minute. By way of example, it has full details of the Class 390 in its shiny new Alstom Paint job (a livery which even now is mere weeks old) plus details of the expanded 390 consists that will be operating for the 2012 Olympics, so the second edition is certainly no mere 'tart-up' job. Thus if that is any indication of how the author approaches the production and editorial content of a second edition, then it would presumably bode well for any other second edition by the same author.

Al

Chock wrote: http://www.ianallanpublishing.com/briti ... -dmus.html

http://www.ianallanpublishing.com/briti ... orian.html

Thanks for the comments. I actually have both the above following the purchase of the Hugh Longworth book at Sheringham on the Poppy Line earlier this year.

I was interested in the Marsden book because I thought it might pull the data together for the diesel locos.

Alec

I'm a big fan of Colin Marsden's books and I've already ordered my copy of this. There have been two previous editions (round about the early eighties) and they gave a full loco listing with first & last allocations, build dates, scrapping details and renumbering info & names. But I'm expecting more this time (Apart from being more up-to-date) as the blurb implies there will be more photos and some technical and historical info too.

Having all the data in one book is a big plus as far as I'm concerned. The original of this book motivated me to start work on my own books on Steam Locos and more recently DMUs.

Hugh Longworth

Collin Marsden, that name rings a bell....does he also write fiction.....stories about a Victorian railway detective?

Cheers Bazza

CaptainBazza wrote:Collin Marsden, that name rings a bell....does he also write fiction.....stories about a Victorian railway detective?

Cheers Bazza

Close, Bazza, that's Edward Marston

Steve

HughLongworth wrote:I'm a big fan of Colin Marsden's books and I've already ordered my copy of this. There have been two previous editions (round about the early eighties) and they gave a full loco listing with first & last allocations, build dates, scrapping details and renumbering info & names. But I'm expecting more this time (Apart from being more up-to-date) as the blurb implies there will be more photos and some technical and historical info too.

Having all the data in one book is a big plus as far as I'm concerned. The original of this book motivated me to start work on my own books on Steam Locos and more recently DMUs.

Hugh Longworth

Hugh

I have both of your books although I make more use of the DMU tome, and I consider them invaluable additions to my library. In the hope that you might revisit this site please accept my thanks and congratulations on producing such excellent books.

Thank you, Alec Ralph

PS I am putting the Colin Marsden book on my birthday - November - list! Well actually, it will be the birthday list!

rufuskins wrote: PS I am putting the Colin Marsden book on my birthday - November - list! Well actually, it will be the birthday list!

In the end I got an Amazon gift certificate that I put towards the latest offering from Hugh Longworth on BR Steam Allocations 1948-1968.

My what a weighty tome both in a physical sense at 500+ pages and content - ordered on Sunday and arrived Wednesday. Yes I know my birthady was on Tuesday but the family do was on the preceding Sunday!

Alec