Ian Allan books

1st edition - August 1943

The ABC of Great Western Locomotives

24 pages and priced at 1/3
'Printed by McCorquodale & Co. Ltd., London'

As explained in the foreword initialled I.A., this first book was pretty basic being compiled using the RCTS GWR book as a reference due to the GWR themselves being unable to assist owing to a shortage of staff. There was no list of running sheds and only one small photograph was included, being that of 6000 King George V on page 10. A printing error on page 7 led to number 2883 being underlined in every copy.

Inside the front cover is a small advert for The ABC of Southern Locomotives being 'fully illustrated' and costing 1/6.

2nd edition - October 1943

ABC of GWR Locomotives

31 pages, now priced at 1/6
'Printed by McCorquodale & Co. Ltd., London'

This is an enlarged and corrected version of the one from August and it now contained a list of locomotive running sheds with codes and some more photographs. A foreword dated October, 1943 and initialled I.A. acknowledges all the help received and looks forward to the possibility of it being officially checked after the war. The cover drawing of a 'King' Class 4-6-0 is signed Baldwin.

Inside the front cover is a reminder that 'Uniform with this book' are The ABC of Southern Locomotives (fully illustrated) price 1/6, The ABC of L.M.S. Locomotives (Fully illustrated and with diagrams) at 2/- and The ABC of Southern Electrics (Fully illustrated and with diagrams) for 1/-.

This 2nd edition was re-published in facsimile form in 1982 and again in 1983

3rd edition - March 1944

The ABC of Great Western Locomotives

41 numbered pages (including inside rear cover), price 1/6
'Printed by McCorquodale & Co. Ltd., London and published by I.Allan, 225-7, Laleham Road, Staines, Middlesex'

Cover drawing of a 'King' Class 4-6-0 signed Baldwin.

Inside the front cover is a list of four books 'In The Same Series', being the ABCs of Southern (fully illustrated or spotters edition), L.M.S., and L.N.E.R. locomotives, and that of Southern Electrics, the prices ranging from 1/0, 1/6 to 2/0. Pages 40 and 41 (inside the rear cover) carry a table of principal dimensions of G.W.R. engines, but it is not indexed to the pages upon which they can be found.

3rd edition - April 1944 (reprinted and republished)

The ABC of Great Western Locomotives

41 numbered pages (including inside rear cover), price 1/6
'Printed by McCorquodale & Co. Ltd., London and published by I.Allan, 225-7, Laleham Road, Staines, Middlesex'

At first sight, with the exception of the changed month on the title page, this is identical to that impression which was published the previous month. Closer examination does reveal that the title of the image on page 19 has been corrected from "Saint" Class no.4031 "Queen Mary" to "Star" Class no.4031 "Queen Mary".

4th edition - July 1944

The ABC of GWR Locomotives

41 numbered pages (including inside rear cover), price 1/6
'Printed by McCorquodale & Co. Ltd., London and published by I.Allan, 225-7, Laleham Road, Staines, Middlesex'

The cover features another drawing of a 'King' Class 4-6-0 by Baldwin.

This is generally considered to be the rarest edition and, other than the cover illustration, little has changed from the edition published a few months previously in the April.

5th edition - January 1945

The ABC of GWR Locomotives

40 pages, priced at 1/6
'Printed by McCorquodale & Co. Ltd., London'

A Baldwin drawing of a 'King' Class 4-6-0, similar to that on the 4th edition, features on the cover.

Inside the front cover is a list of editions to date and a reminder that '...copies cannot be supplied to individual customers BY THE PUBLISHERS but should be obtained through booksellers or from the following main distributors...'. There follows a list of seven distributors, which interestingly includes Bassett-Lowke Ltd. in Manchester. Inside the rear cover is a list of eight other books 'in the same series' which serves to illustrate the breadth of coverage already attained, as it even includes The Mackintosh Locomotives of the Caledonian Railway.

6th edition - October 1945

The ABC of GWR Locomotives

48 pages, price 1/6
Printed by 'Westminster Printing Works, 92-96 Vauxhall Bridge Road, S.W.1'

The cover drawing is now that of 'Castle' Class 4-6-0 5041 Tiverton Castle again signed Baldwin.

A list of eleven more books in the same series' is carried inside the front cover, together with ABC Wallets (covers for loco books with pencil holder), very handy at just 1/9. A note mentions that a 2 1⁄2d stamp should be enclosed with postal orders, but doesn't actually give an address to which orders should be sent. Inside the rear cover a series of six 'High Quality Colour Plates by BALDWIN' is advertised at 6d each plus 3d postage. Four of these are also available as 60-piece jig-saw puzzles (cardboard) at 2/6. The address is given simply as IAN ALLAN - STAINES.

7th edition - June 1946

The ABC of GWR Locomotives

48 pages, price 1/6
Printed by 'Westminster Printing Works, 92-96 Vauxhall Bridge Road, S.W.1'

Cover drawing again by Baldwin is of 'County' Class 4-6-0 1011 County of Chester.

The range of available items 'In the same series' listed inside the front cover has greatly expanded to include not only books, but Colour Plates of Famous Engines, Real photo Postcards of Trains, and even a guide and timetable for the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway. The rear cover lists in more detail the available post cards, advertises two bi-monthly continental magazines available from Ian Allan Ltd., and a book about the Southern Railway in War Time. It gives the postal address of the Ian Allan shop at 282 Vauxhall Bridge Road, S.W.1.

8th edition - December 1946

The ABC of GWR Locomotives

48 pages, price 1/6
'Printed by: Bushey Mead Press (T.U.) 492 Kingston Road, Raynes Park, S.W.20'

The cover drawing, whilst being very similar to those of previous editions, appears to be signed W.G.Eaton and shows 'Castle' Class 4-6-0 5077 Fairey Battle.

Things have moved on somewhat since the last edition as the front cover carries a list of twenty different publications, colour plates, real photo postcards and photogravure postcards. In addition to the Ian Allan address at Vauxhall Bridge Road, the address of a new mail order department is given as 33, Knollys Road, Streatham, S.W.1. The rear cover highlights the fact that an American, a French, a Belgian, and a Spanish railway magazine are all available, and includes the notice 'LOCOSPOTTERS We will be pleased to see you at our shop at:- 282, Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, S.W.1. near Victoria Station'.

9th edition - June 1947

ABC of GWR Locomotives

48 pages, price 1/6
'Printed in Great Britain in the City of St. Alban by Gibbs & Bamforth Ltd.'

Initially printed wrongly as the 6th edition in the frontispiece text.
~ A copy of one of which is in our collection ~

A second printing corrected this to read 9th edition, but with no other known changes. The cover drawing of 'King' Class 4-6-0 6028 King George VI alongside 2301 Class 0-6-0 2309, is unsigned, but is thought to be by A.N.Wolstenholme.

The front cover in this edition states that 'For the first time ever -' the Railway Clearing House maps are to be published in the November, and urging customers to use the Mail Order service whose address in Streatham is printed at the foot of the page. The new book Studies in Steam is advertised to the rear as being 'Unquestionably the finest publication devoted to railway photographic art ever produced at so reasonable a price'. Again, the mail order address is printed at the foot of the page. For the first time, the outside of the back cover carries an advert which simply states 'You must get a copy of Titans of the Track = G.W.R. = price 1/6'. Also seen for the first time in this series of books is a logo showing the Houses of Parliament in silhouette and the words 'Published in the City of Westminster by Ian Allan Ltd.'.

10th edition - October 1947

abc - GWR locomotives

48 numbered pages, increased in price to two shillings
'Printed in Great Britain in the City of St. Alban by Gibbs & Bamforth Ltd.'

This edition is incorrectly marked as being the 7th edition on the frontispiece, and for the first time the 'ABC' of the title now appears in lower case rather than capital letters. This is the last pre-nationalisation edition. The cover drawing is believed to be by A.N.Wolstenholme and shows 'County' Class 4-6-0 1019 County of Merioneth. There are two known variations of cover for this book, the more common being this dark green one in our collection, and a rare brighter green version.

The booklet carries no advertisements whatsoever with the inside front cover being devoted to a list of running sheds and their codes. Both the inside and outside of the back cover are used to list the principal dimensions of G.W.R. engines indexed to the page upon which they can be found. The introduction is initialled B.W.A.

This is the final edition prior to nationalisation.

Locomotive Engineers of the GWR

Published in 1946

Written by Ben Webb

29 numbered pages, priced one shilling
'Printed by H.O.Lloyd & Co., Ltd. London, N.1.'

This fairly thin but interesting booklet documents, as the title suggests, the working lives and achievements of the Chief Mechanical Engineers of the GWR. These were given as being Daniel Gooch (1837-1864), Joseph Armstrong (1864-1877), William Dean (1877-1902), G.J.Churchward (1902-1921), C.B.Collett (1921-1941) and F.W.Hawksworth (1941- ). Possibly in an attempt to fill it up a bit, a sketch map of the Great Western Railway is included as a double page centre spread. The final page and inside both the front and back covers carry several advertisements for other Ian Allan pubications, notably two which cover the Southern Railway (Ian Allan's passion) in wartime. Ian Allan locations (presumably shops) are given as London, Streatham, Woking and Croydon.

Nameplates of the GWR

Published in September 1947

Compiled by Frank H.A.Burridge

56 pages, priced two shillings
'Printed and published by Sydenham & Co. (Est 1840) Ltd., Oxford Road, Bournemouth'

Whilst this is not an Ian Allan publication it fits in here both in terms of format and date of publication. This is one of a short series which cover the 'Big Four', the other booklets being advertised inside the back cover. Containing listings of named locomotives, many photographs of nameplates, and both drawings and text describing the standard designs used, this small booklet provides a comprehensive guide to the subject.