The History of Great Western AEC Railcars
Colin Judge
Noodle Books
ISBN 978 1 906419 11 0
£25
www.kevinrobertsonbooks.co.uk
It might seem an improbable task to produce a 234-page text on the Great Western Railway AEC diesel railcars, but Colin Judge has done just that with a thorough, no-stone-left-unturned text.
It was first printed in 1986 by OPC, but Noodle Books has taken on the mantle of this weighty tome to produce a truly authoritative text peppered with line drawings, timetables, charts and literature to supplement the oodles of text and photographs.
If you like DMUs then this book should appeal. If you are a GWR fan whose blinkers don't get put on at the mention of the word 'diesel', then likewise, it is a book for you. Despite being a softback, it is worth its £25 price tag because it is so comprehensive. (PD)
Like this? Try this: The Heyday of the DMU (Ian Allan)

Railway Blunders
Adrian Vaughan
Ian Allan
ISBN 978 0 7110 3169 2
£12.99
www.ianallanpublishing.com
This is a paperback reprint of a text that first appeared in 2003 by well-known writer Adrian Vaughan and covers some of the high profile cock-ups the railway has achieved from its inception 200 years ago.
It ranges from the costly mistakes – such as building masses of diesel locos without testing them thoroughly, and closing lines that were useful diversionary routes - to the ridiculous, such as the need to change the name of a signalbox at a preserved railway because it might be 'confusing'.
This book fascinates as much as it is depresses, as you see how the railway has managed to make a meal of things which should have been relatively straightforward. (PD)
Like this? Try this: Railway Milestones and Millstones (Ian Allan)

A guide to Digital Railway photography
Kim Fullbrook
Ian Allan
ISBN 978 0 7110 3341 2
£19.99
www.ianallanpublishing.com
The timing of this book is impeccable given the rise of digital photography and the complex learning curve so many new users face in a short time.
Over 192 pages and seven chapters, and packed with informative case studies, digital photography expert Kim Fullbrook builds on his monthly RI column to bring all the information under one roof, so to speak.
Kim covers the basics right through to the advanced techniques to produce a colourful, yet above all, informative 'bible' for today's railway photographers. If you are a serious railway photographer, then this book is a must. (PD)
Like this? Try this: A year's subscription to RI for its month digital photoguides

The DC electrics
Colin Marsden
OPC
ISBN 978 0 86093 615 2
£24.99
www.ianallanpublishing.com
The companion to Colin Marsden's earlier text The AC electrics, published last year, This 160-page book has chapters on all the DC electric to have run on BR, including the LNER designs, plus all the different types of EMUs that have ferried commuters, in the main on Merseyside and in the South East, but also for short periods in Tyneside.
Each chapter is, after an introductory few paragraphs of history, mainly pictures with extended and informative captions with a mixture of black-and-white and colour.
Bang up-to-date with the latest Class 395 Javelin EMUs and London Overground 378s, this is a valuable asset for the modern traction historian and a suitable sister to Mr Marsden's earlier texts on the AC electrics and the Class 73/74 Electro-diesels. (PD)
Like this? Try these: The AC Electrics, The Electro Diesels, an illustrated history of the Class 73s and 74s (both OPC)

Hornby Magazine yearbook
Mike Wild
Ian Allan
ISBN 978 0 7110 3354 2
£16.99
www.ianallanpublishing.com
Hornby Magazine has been an award-winning runaway success since its inception two years ago and this 128-page book follows on that crest of a wave of success.
Produced by RI writer and HM editor Mike Wild, this yearbook is packed with 'how to' guides, fantastic layouts that ooze inspiration and some great photography. There is also a review of the best models of 2007/08.
If you don't already have a layout, this book will make you want one (PD)
Like this? Try this: Aspects of Modelling series (Ian Allan)

The Royal train – the inside story
Brian Hoey
Haynes
ISBN 978 1 84425 556 6
£19.99
www.haynes.co.uk
Written by a royal writer rather than a railway writer, this book fills a gap that has been long vacant – a detailed look at the Royal Train, a train of immense interest and no small amount of mystery as well.
Through its 176 pages and nine chapters, the book looks at the history of the train, its current operations, and its future. There are other sections devoted to the funeral trains, the cost of running the train and a look at Wolverton Works where it is kept when not in use.
After being an interesting read, the book will remain a useful reference work, and if the subject interests you, it is worth its price tag. (PD)

Branches & Byways Kent
John Scott-Morgan
OPC
ISBN 978 0 86093 616 9
£19.99
www.ianallanpublishing.com
Whereas the previous titles in this series have been much weightier tomes, this edition looking at lost lines and secondary routes in Kent is 112 pages long and hence is much cheaper at £19.99.
Over 200 black-and-white images are used, and through 13 chapters, each aided by a very useful map, plenty of pictures, informative captions and an introductory piece of text, the book charts the routes lost to passengers over the last century.
Well written, by an obviously knowledgeable author, this book is a good record of some of the lost railways in a part of the country often overlooked by railway writers, and subsequently, enthusiasts as well. (PD)
Like this? Try this: Past and Present Volume 46 Kent (Silverlink)