THE MINIATURE RAILWAY BOOKSHELF, page updated at June 2002.

I've described here my favourite miniature railway titles. The books below are all still in print; I've also prepared a page of out of print titles with some ideas on how to obtain copies.

Note that I am using my own miniature railway definition and classifications.

General Titles

{Crofts} MINIATURE RAILWAYS by Michael Crofts. Published by Shire Books, ISBN 0747805296, price £4.99, 48 pages. 148 x 210mm.

Michael intends this book as an introduction to the subject, to encourage more to enjoy its fascinations. This it will certainly achieve, but it is also the balance of the book which is remarkable, for between text, captions and pictures every aspect of miniature railways is touched upon.

Chapters cover shapes and sizes, gauges, civil engineering, locomotives and rolling stock, then operating systems and signalling. Finally there is a brief 2002 gazetteer. In a short book like this nothing is covered in detail, but everything is touched upon, and there are frequent insights which could only have been written from first hand experience. The photographs are equally remarkable, covering all eras, and most in colour. All in all a grand title which surely achieves all it sets out to do.

The author has also set up his own website to support the book.
{Minor Railways} MINOR RAILWAYS compiled annually by Peter Scott. ISBN 1902368002. 32pp, A5 format.

A very thorough and accurate book with summarised data on all minor railways in the UK; names, OS references, lengths of lines, layouts, contact telephone nos.

Peter Scott has also produced TRACKPLANS OF MINOR RAILWAYS in four volumes, and now an update volume. These little known but wonderful volumes have neatly drawn track diagrams of all the 'Minor Railways' in the U.K. Every siding is shown, with larger lines in schematic form. If you need inspiration to design a creative track layout, you will find it here.

For further details of these publications, together with updates on-line, visit Peter Scott's web pages.
{British Miniature Railways} BRITISH MINIATURE RAILWAYS, By Neville R Knight, published by RailRomances, PO Box 85, Chester CH4 9ZH. ISBN 1900622025. 175pp, 175 x 242mm.

This title is a major work. The author has been photographing miniature railways up and down the country for more than thirty years. In this book he presents 277 photographs covering 112 railways from 15in down to 7¼in gauge.

The stated objective was to publish photographs of good quality, but the book is much more than a picture album, for there is much text and captions with brief histories of what is being shown. It's well researched and presented. If you're keen enough to be reading this web page you'll want a copy of this book!
{Cagney's Locomotive Works} CAGNEY'S LOCOMOTIVE WORKS, Published by Plateway Press, ISBN 1871980372. 48pp, 280 x 220mm.

Very well reproduced facsimile of a catalogue produced by the Cagney brothers in 1904. Includes summary histories of the firm, their locos that reached the UK, and a description of restoration of an elderly example.

This publication is a fitting tribute to the Cagneys who were first to think up the idea of miniature railways as amusement attractions. In their heyday they sold hundreds of little train sets all over the world.

 

{Little Railways of the World} LITTLE RAILWAYS OF THE WORLD by Frederic Shaw. Howell North, 1958.

Each chapter in this book has a different subject, and, as the title implies, they are drawn from all round the world. Included are Macdermot's railway at the Panama Exposition, the Cagney Brothers, Sandley Locomotive Works, and chapters also cover the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway and Romney Hythe and Dymchurch.

First in the field upon some of his subjects, Shaw had to work from primary sources to create this well written and illustrated text.

A great many of these were printed originally, and following a few years out of the limelight, Shaw's book has been reprinted by the Little River Locomotive Company in the USA. Of course it is somewhat dated now, but plainly in the last 40 years nobody has yet managed to write an updated edition.

 

15in gauge

{Heywood} SIR ARTHUR HEYWOOD AND THE FIFTEEN INCH GAUGE RAILWAY, by Mark Smithers. Published by Plateway Press. ISBN 1871980224. 192pp, 215 x 284mm.

A large format volume devoted to the work of Sir Arthur Heywood, pioneer of the 'minimum gauge' 15in gauge railway.

In order to prove and demonstrate his ideas, Heywood built a spectacular private railway cut into the hillside on his Derbyshire estate at Duffield Bank. The Duke of Westminster then commissioned him to build a 15in gauge railway to connect his estate at Eaton Hall with the main line.

Author Mark Smithers is fascinated by the design of Heywood locomotives, and includes very detailed drawings. Unfortunately his theories on design rather eclipse the human interest side of this story, in my opinion. Even so the quality of production of this book and the great number of large format photographs compensate a lot for the shortcomings of the text.

 

10¼in gauge

{SB&CR} THE SURREY BORDER & CAMBERLEY RAILWAY by Peter Mitchell, Simon Townsend. Published by Plateway Press. ISBN 0871980151. 112pp, 175 x 236mm.

History of this ambitious 10¼in gauge railway in Surrey, which in its final form lasted only 18 months before closure in 1939. Its founders were a talented engineer, HCS Bullock, and A D Kinloch, the son of a wealthy banker. Includes chapters on the origins of 10¼in gauge, and complicated histories of all the different locomotives, most of which are still around.

 
Downs

DON'T STAND UP IN THE TUNNEL! by James I C Boyd. Published by Rail Romances, P.O.Box 85, Chester CH4 9BZ. 112pp, 265 x 235 mm, 118 photographs, hardbound. ISBN 1-900622-04-1.

This is unusual book, devoted to the history of the Downs Light Railway, and its young engineers, since 1925. It is a colourful story, told in a somewhat idiosyncratic manner by James Boyd, who first encountered the railway as a pupil at the Downs School, and has latterly been at the centre of the railway’s renaissance under the aegis of the Downs Light Railway Trust. 

Throughout this time the railway has never been open to the public, being located in the private grounds of the school. The book deliberately chronicles the low points and frustrations, as well as the many achievements. It takes a strong-willed author to be so frank, especially about recent history, but the book is better for it, and would make a good lesson for anyone thinking that little trains are 100% ‘fun’ all of the time.

{Littlehampton} POOLE PARK RAILWAY, the first fifty years 1949 - 1999, by Keith Guy. Published by Friends of Poole Park Railway, 2 Western Avenue, Branksome Park, Poole BH13 7AL, price £6.95 including postage. ISBN 0953751309, 72pp, A5 format.

A well produced history of this 10¼in gauge railway.

Some nice tales about the origins of this line and its operation in steam days. Good illustrations and quite well written. The author doesn't come across as a 'train enthusiast' and in places the text is strong on the politics of local government and a bit weak on technical details.

Even so this book is a fitting tribute to a lovely little railway.
{Littlehampton} THE LITTLEHAMPTON MINIATURE RAILWAY 1948-1998 by Wilfred F Simms. Published by the author at Sea gate, 81 Sea Avenue, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 2DR, price £5.35 including postage. ISBN 0952888165, 30pp, A5 format.

A competent history of this long established seaside 12¼in gauge railway.

The layout of this title is a bit basic, but the text is well written and thoroughly researched.

We could do with more titles like this one that take a particular subject and cover it well.

 

7¼in gauge

{Between the Fires} BETWEEN THE FIRES by Mike Wadey. Published by the author. ISBN 0780953204106. 64pp, 150 x 210mm.

This an absorbing story of how the Wadey family went about constructing their commercial 7¼in gauge railway at Eastbourne, whilst neither Mike nor Rachel gave up their day jobs! Well written and presented (with colour photographs throughout) it's a classic tale of triumph over adversity. Although more about building and civil engineering than railways it's none the worse for that, and should be made compulsory reading for anyone thinking that a miniature railway would make an easy way to make money out of their hobby.

Where to buy these books:

From my friends at Camden Miniature Steam Services.

From Adrian Sant's Miniature Railway Book and Artefact Emporium.

You can visit Plateway Press at their own web site

Go now to Out of Print section

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This page last updated: 06/08/2008
Links tested and updated: 03/06/2008