Ian Allan books

1st edition - 1947

Published in 1946

Edited by Cecil J.Allen with foreword by Ian Allan

104 pages, priced seven shillings and sixpence
Text printed by Gibbs and Bamforth Ltd., St.Albans
Gravure Section printed by Vandyck Printers Ltd., London and Bristol
Cover printed and bound by Knightly, Vernon & Son, London, E.15

This first annual in what was to become the long running series was published without a dust jacket and with light weight pages. It contained fifteen fairly weighty articles interspersed with a large number of black and white photographs of subjects as diverse as the Talyllyn Railway, Isle of Man Railway, Swiss railways and electric locomotives from the South Shields, Marsden and Whitburn Railway. Four pages near the middle of the book constituted the 'Photogravure Section' which contained seventeen equally diverse images. The cover photograph shows LNER 'A1/A3' class 4-6-2 number 4473 Solario at speed in charge of an express passenger train. This locomotive was, in common with almost all of the class, named after a famous racehorse. The carried ABC Locomotive Series logo was printed beneath the price.

2nd edition - 1948

Published in 1947

Edited by and foreword by Cecil J.Allen

96 pages, priced seven shillings and sixpence
Printer and Binder not recorded

This second issue was printed on heavier weight paper and whilst there were many fine black and white photographs there was no photogravure section. The cover was now pretty plain although it was published with a colourful dust jacket, sadly missing on our example. The front of the dust jacket carried a drawing of he wheels and motion of an unidentified 4-6-0 or 4-6-2 locomotive travelling at speed towards an over-bridge. The editor was credited on the cover which also carried the ABC Locomotive Series logo and price. The magazine Trains Illustrated was heavily promoted on the back of the dust jacket.

It is interesting to reflect back on one of the articles entitled Britain's Biggest A.C. Electrification by E.R.Lacey. This describes the original overhead 6,600 volts a.c. system on the Brighton line for which the first contract for equipment was placed in 1906. It covers in detail the construction and stock used, complete with eight photographs. The system operated over a final total of just over 37 route miles but was relatively short lived and had ceased to operate by 1930, with few reminders of its presence being left at the time the article was written little more than 15 years later.

3rd edition - 1949

Published in 1948

Edited by and foreword by Cecil J.Allen

96 pages, priced 7/6
Printed in Great Britain by McCorquodale & Co., Ltd., London, S.E.1

Plain cover with a dust jacket, sadly missing on our example, which carried a painting of 'West Country' class Pacific 21C110 Sidmouth working The Thanet Belle. This locomotive was built in September 1945 and rebuilt in 1956 having been renumbered 34010 by BR in 1950. Withdrawn in March 1965 it was sent to Barry Scrapyard to await its fate. Rescued for preservation in 1982 it has since had a varied history and in 2019 was still in bits.

The foreword reflects upon the success of the previous two editions and states that this edition aimed to give some more technical information than previously. The first article, by the editor, examines the changes brought about during first year of nationalisation. There are no fewer than sixteen double sided pages of black and white photographs by various photographers.

4th edition - 1950

Published in 1949

Edited by and foreword by Cecil J.Allen

96 pages, priced seven shillings and sixpence
Printed and bound in England by Hazell, Watson & Viney Ltd., London and Aylesbury

This edition sported a dust jacket with a wrap-around painting by Terence Cuneo which is signed and dated 1949 and was, according to the foreword, specially commissioned for the book. It shows a busy snow covered railway scene with ‘Coronation’ class Pacific 46229 Duchess of Hamilton in blue livery, this was the only member of its class to carry the blue livery prior to 1954. This painting predates the introduction of his famous mouse which could often be found somewhere in his paintings. This particular painting was also published as a 300 piece jigsaw and a limited edition 15" x 10" print. The board covers of the book echo the dustjacket. In addition to the black and white photographs, four colour plates with paintings by various artists illustrating locomotives from each of the 'Big Four' are also included.

Two articles are of particular interest, one being by Terence Cuneo entitled The "Iron Horse" on canvas, the other covers the history of the railway ticket. Interestingly, when describing the cardboard 'Edmondson' ticket, rather than using Imperial units of measure, its dimensions are given as being 30.5 by 57 mm.

12th edition - 1958

Published in 1957

Edited by and foreword by G.Freemen Allen

96 pages, priced ten shillings and sixpence
Printer not noted

This is the first of the series to be edited by G.Freeman Allen. Our copy has lost its dust jacket which would have shown a painting of 'A4' Class Pacific 60004 William Whitelaw. The textured board covers are plain yellow except for the title, editor and publisher's name. It is, temporarily, the last in the series to be called simply Trains Annual as the next four will be titled Trains Illustrated Annual before the series reverts back to its original name.

With the exception of one colour plate, all illustrations are black and white. This is a painting, signed Jack Hill, of the broad gauge 8ft single locomotive Bulkeley hauling and express passenger train along mixed gauge track. Although not noted, this is the locomotive which hauled the very last broad gauge service which went from Paddington to Plymouth on Friday, 20th May 1892.

16th edition - 1962

Published in April 1961

Edited by and foreword by G.Freemen Allen

96 pages, priced 10/6
Printed in the United Kingdom by Staples Printers Ltd., at their Rochester, Kent, establishment

This is the fourth, and last, in the series to be titled Trains Illustrated Annual, the series reverting back to its original name with the next edition. The textured board covers are plain light green except for the title, editor and publisher's name. Our copy retains its original dust jacket which carries a painting of 'Royal Scot' Class 4-6-0 46162 Queen's Westminster Rifleman preparing to leave Glasgow Central. Originating from a 1927 design, this locomotive was rebuilt by the LMS Derby Works in 1948.

There are a number of colour plates being, with one exception, based on paintings by various artists. The single colour photograph is courtesy of English Electric, and shows a 3,000 h.p. 25kV locomotive operating a train on the Euston-Manchester-Liverpool line.

17th edition - 1963

Published in 1962

Edited by G.Freemen Allen

96 pages, priced 10/6
Printer not noted

This edition saw the series revert back from Trains Illustrated Annual to its original title. The textured board covers are plain cream except for the title, editor and publisher's name. Our copy retains its original dust jacket which carries a painting of 'Battle of Britain' Class 4-6-2 34087 145 Squadron. Originally built in Brighton towards the end of 1948 it was rebuilt twelve years later and finally withdrawn in July 1967.

There are many black and white photographs supplemented by some in colour. An interesting article shows the artist, Terence Cuneo, developing the painting which is used in part as the dust jacket illustration. A double page spread inside the book illustrates the entire completed painting together with an explanation of the very busy scene.

20th edition - 1966

Published in August 1965

Editor unattributed

96 pages, priced 12/6
Printed in the United Kingdom by R.J.Acford Ltd., Industrial Estate, Chichester, Sussex

This is the first edition to be published with a laminated cover and no dustjacket. The cover photograph is of a BR Sulzer Type 2 D5262 working a short local Chinley to Chester train through the Hope Valley in May 1964 soon after delivery. This photograph also appears as one of the colour plates. The centre colour spread is a painting by V.Welch of the streamlined Stanier Pacific 6220 Coronation leading its train out of Euston bound for Glasgow in 1937.

The emphasis of this edition is on the British railway scene with seven of the ten articles no less than seven covering various subjects. One of particular interest covers the transport and delivery of several locomotives to various Butlin's holiday camps for static display.

21st edition - 1967

Published in August 1966

Editor unattributed

96 pages, priced 12/6
Printed in the United Kingdom by Netherwood Dalton & Co., Huddersfield, Yorkshire

The colour printed front cover carries a painting by V. Welch of a Webb 4 cylinder compound 4-4-0 1927 Goliath leaving Euston with a down express for Manchester at about 7.00 am. Also shown is a photograph of an unidentified 4-6-2 at full speed. This is the last edition to be called Trains Annual, the last four editions in the series having the word 'Annual' replaced by the year in words.

There are a number of colour plates being either photographs or based on paintings by various artists, and many black and white photographs.

15th edition - 1971

Published in 1970

Written by Cecil J.Allen

64 pages, priced 10/6 (decimal price 52 1⁄2p)
Printed in the United Kingdom by Netherwood Dalton & Co. Ltd., Huddersfield, Yorkshire

This was the final edition of the series. The cover shows an official Hawker-Siddeley photograph of the prototype 4,000 h.p. diesel locomotive Kestrel on a test run at an unknown location. One interesting short article British Rail's Trains in the 1970s consists of four artist's impressions of (then) the very latest proposals being an electric multiple-unit, a development of the Kestrel, the Advanced Passenger Train and the 'interim' 125 diesel-electric multiple-unit train.

1st edition - 1948

56 pages in total, price unknown
Printed in Great Britain by McCorquodale & Co. Ltd., London, S.E.1.

This was the very first of the books to be dedicated to maps of the railway system, and is based on official Railway Clearing House maps. The introduction acknowledges their co-operation and explains that the maps are '...intended to represent the geography of Britain's railways at the close of private ownership, December, 1947.'

This hard backed book would have been published with a dust jacket, lost on our copy, which is believed to have shown a photograph of 4-6-0 ‘Royal Scot’ class 6153 The Royal Dragoon bursting through a series of maps. The book was republished later in the year in paperback form with a stapled cover which carried the same picture.The plain board covers share the same overall layout and typeface with the 1948 (second) edition of Trains Annual.

Three pages of introduction served to provide a geographical index to the maps, an explanation of colours and scale used, and a comprehensive explanation as to the notations used. A publisher's note at the foot explains that the inclusion of a station is no guarantee that it was in use, and that others may be omitted. These are followed by 39 pages of maps with an index of stations completing the book.