Overview

In 1955, Ian Allan Publishing produced the first five books in a new series entitled, Famous Trains. Another three were added in 1956 to complete the set. The extent of these little booklets was around 30 pages and they were priced at 6 (old) pence each. They were similar in format and appearance to the abcs which were being produced and sold in vast numbers at the time when locospotting had become something of a national obsession for schoolboys in particular. Each of the books featured one of the well-known named express trains of that era; The Elizabethan, The Royal Scot, The Cornish Riviera Express, The Atlantic Coast Express, The South Wales Pullman, The Queen of Scots, The Royal Wessex and the Bournemouth Belle and The Irish Mail. They were all written by one of the most prolific railway authors of the 1950s and 60s, G. Freeman Allen, and followed the same format. A short introduction led to a description of the route traversed by the trains. This was illustrated with sketches of relevant portions of the route and photographs of the trains themselves. Major railway and topographical features, which could be seen by passengers along the journey, were also highlighted. All the covers carried a drawing by A.N.Wolstenholme of the train featured, similar in style to the covers of the 'abcs' of the time. Long out of print, we are republishing facsimiles of all eight titles in one combined volume. This book will transport the reader on a wonderful nostalgic journey back to those years that, seen from the perspective of the twenty first century, represents the golden age of British Railways and the apogee of steam traction on the network.

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9781800353206

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The son of the noted railway writer Cecil J. Allen, who was one of the formative figures in the early years of Ian Allan Ltd as a publishing company, GFA as he was known to colleagues first joined the business as a 26-year-old in 1948 as a writer for Trains Illustrated. He took over the editorship of the magazine in 1950 and, over the next decade, saw the publication become one of the most influential in the business and overseeing its transition to Modern Railways in 1962. He continued with that role along with an increasing involvement with the management of the company for a number of years. After leaving Ian Allan Ltd he became the editor of Jane's World Railways and a prolific freelance author of railway books. He died in 1995.

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