What are your top 5 train books that you find most valuable? The kind of book that you go back to and look again and again. Can you name your top five here? Let us share our ideas for the greatest reference books in your collection. Hopefully this thread will help all model railroaders from beginners to experts to allow us all to see what others are using and find most valuable. Rules of the game: ~The books can be on any subject as long as they deal with model railroading in some way, shape, or form ~They can be for any scale ~They can be inprint or out of print ~Tell us what scale you model ~Tell us what subject the book covers ~Please post the full title, the author, edition, and date of publishing ~You have to use them on a regular basis or at least go back to them often ~Limit it to only 5 titles - I had trouble with this one as well even though I came up with the idea I always have been curious on what other books modelers found very beneficial. Hopefully this works and people participate. I will start: I model N-Scale Scenery - How to Build Realistic Model Railroad Scenery - Dave Frary - 5th edition - 1988 - Scenery for Model Railroads - Bill McClanahan - 12th Edition - 1982 Track Planing - 101 Track Plans for Model Railroaders - Linn H. Westcott - 14th edition - 1982 - Nine N-Scale Railroads - Atlas Model Railroading - 2nd Edition - 1988 Scenery and Track Work - Trackwork and Lineside Detail for your model Railroad - Kent Johnson - 1st Edition - 2000 Thank you and lets see if we can keep this going... Mr X
My favortie books are Operation Bruce Chubb, How to operate your model railroad W.Allen McClelland, The V&O Story Linn H. Westcott, Model Railroading with John Allen Model Railroad Bridges & Trestles from MR Wolfgang
The best five of the top ten list--- #5 Texas Almanac and State Industrial Guide Dallas Morning News, 1952-1953. A period-specific reference to the industries and commodities of Texas, railroad traffic listed by commodities, tonnage and carloads, similar seaport shipping information, county-by-county railroad maps. My layout's operation, freightcar fleet and physical appearance is designed in frequent consultation with this book, whether or not it looks like a railroad book. #4. Track Planning for Realistic Operation, by John Armstrong, Kalmbach, 1963. I have memorized and internalized so much of this, yet still need to pull it out so often. Been through 3 copies. #3 Official Guide of the Railways and Steam Navigation Lines of the United States, Porto Rico, Canada, Mexico and Cuba, National Railway Publication Company, March 1958. #4 Official Railway Equipment Register, April 1954. and #1. A Quarter Century of Santa Fe Consists by Fred W. Fraily, RPC Publications, 1974. Period-specific and Santa Fe-specific: What cars ran in what trains, at what point in their journeys they were switch on or off the trains, schedules, how schedules, consists, car-utilization etc changed through the years... I have a lot of books specific to a certain type of car just on the Santa Fe, but the above are the ones I go back to over and over. Most valuable. I model mostly N scale, but occasionally other scales for group projects, displays, gifts, etc. I think this rule was unhelpful and inappropriate: "The books can be on any subject as long as they deal with model railroading in some way, shape, or form." I believe the books that are most VALUABLE for model railroading do not deal with model railroading, nor are they books that have been written to be sold to railfans and railroad hobbyists. They are PRIMARY HISTORICAL SOURCE DOCUMENTS used by the modeler for a purpose other than their original intent, to study railroad operation as it relates to the interface of geography, economics and transportation. (Easy to see I am a traffic and freightcarology nut.)
To me, books that have been and still are important, insofar as actually doing any physical model railroading, (Yes I own histories, O Guides, ORER, etc), : These could actually fit more than one category: Operating/Track Planning= How To Operate Your Model Railroad- Bruce Chubb- 1977 Model Railroading with John Allen- Linn H. Westcott- 1st Ed. The V&O Story- W.Allen McClelland- 1984 Scenery= How to Build Realistic Model Railroad Scenery- Dave Frary- 1988 Scenery for Model Railroads- Bill McClanahan- 1969 Boxcab E50
The top five refference books I use with consistancy are; #1) Locomotive and car builders cyclo. circa 1957 by Simmons- Boardman. #2) Railway Enginnering and Maintance Cyclo. crica 1948 by Simmons-Boardman. #3) Track Planning for Realistic Operation by John Armstrong. #4) DCC Made Easy by Lionel Stang. #5) WM and B&O Roadway and Track Standards by their respective Enginnering Departments. As well as a host of publications, BMX, 2200 South, ect...ect... And books on The Western Maryland Railway. "Still Training After All These Years"
1)Track Planning for Realistic Operation 2)Guide to Modeling Irish Railways (even though not US specific it has some great ideas) Most of the information I get though is from the internet (like Trainboard.) Eric
Every one has shared some good ones so far. The books of course do not have to specific to the United States either. They can be on any subject as long as it helps you in some way with model railroading. Mr X
The 5 books I keep coming back to: 1. John Armstrong's Creative Layout Design, Kalmbach Books, 1978. 2. John Armstrong's Track Planning for Realistic Operation, Kalmbach Books, 1979. 3. Bruce Chubb's How to Operate your Model Railroad, Kalmbach Books, 1977. 4. Mike Walker's Railroad Atlas of North America, Great Lakes West, Steam Powered Publishing, 1996. (I loaned out my 1st copy and it never came back; but, IIRC, it was an edition printed before 1996.) 5. Rand/McNally's Handy Railroad Atlas of the United States, 1982. When I saw this thread, I immediately thought it was a great idea and dashed to my bookshelves to pick my favorite 5. But 3 points came to mind as I was looking: 1. By limiting selection to books alone, I was eliminating many of my favorite resources. mg: These invaluable resources include: magazine/journal articles, annual reports, maps [all kinds--topo, valuation, system, Sanborn Fire Insurance, road, rail, city, digital], satellite imagery, time tables, Chamber of Commerce pamphlets describing community resources [industries, businesses, rail services], CLIP manuals (manuals printed by the RR showing Car Locations and Industrial Profiles for stations along a route), ORERs, personal communications with former or current RR or industry employees in the area I'm modeling, Internet forums (like TB!). Perhaps we can start a second thread for a list of 5 sources other than books that have been most helpful/useful/frequently referenced. 2. Many of the references I find incredibly valuable, will have little or no value to someone modeling a different RR or a different part of the country (world). :embarassed: I have been over and over a 1985 magazine article about the history of the Peoria and Pekin Union Railway, as well as the 100 Year Anniversary Annual Report (actually a thick booklet) put out by the P&PU for their Centennial. I had to have a 1975 P&PU system map copied before it fell apart from overuse, and I had my 1:24,000 topographical maps of Peoria and Pekin laminated to preserve them from additional wear and tear. I've printed off dozens of Sanborn Fire Insurance maps of this area at a local university, and downloaded or printed hundreds of TerraserverUSA and GoogleEarth satellite pics from the Internet. As a member of the PeoriaRails Yahoo group, a local forum on RRs in the Peoria Illinois area, I have relied heavily on the posted files about RRs I am modeling and have used the forum to obtain answers to hundreds of questions. 3. Books (or other resources) that are used almost daily at one stage in a layout's development, are not referenced too often when at a different time in the life of the layout. I've built 4 or 5 versions of the P&PU. In the early planning stages, I spend time looking at lots of maps, atlases, and track planning books. When I am constructing benchwork, Linn Westcott's Benchwork for Model Railroads becomes invaluable. Later in the life of each layout, I look for satellite pics, valuation maps, industry blue prints, and Sanborn Fire Insurance maps to determine shapes of buildings or siding configurations in industries. When I get to the point of fine tuning operations for each version of the layout, then time tables and files on RRs in the area or rail users in the area, became indispensable. When problem-solving scenery techniques or DCC issues, Internet sites like TB can be life-savers that are frequently referenced.
I'm sure we all use much more than just those few books within the scope of this question. Other resources, especially the Internet. (Research, aerial photos, topo maps, etc.) However, even since the advent of this venue, those five I named, are the hand full to which I keep returning. Used them long before the 'Net. Continue to do so. Which to me proves their enduring worth. Boxcab E50
Pocket Guide to American Locomotives, Walter A. Lucas Pennsy Power I, Alvin F. Staufer Pennsy Power II, Alvin F. Staufer Pennsy Power III, Alvin F. Staufer Official Railway Equipment Register, April 1966, The Railway Publication Co., Agent
Honestly, I've read so many MR articles over the years I feel I do not need anymore books. when I run into a problem I come to Train Board for the collective wisdom we have archived, or ready to be shared, here. My fave books are all full of old proto pics of steam and transition diesels. I tend to buy them at thrift stores and used book stores. Tracking Ghost railroads in colorado has seen much use lately. The collected colorado rail annual is another one I seem to return to alot.
Building the Burlington Northern in N-Scale. This was a Model Railroader project from the magazine that was eventually put out in book form, which is where I got it. What it did was really convince me to pick up the hobby in N-Scale. Modeling the Clinchfield Railroad in N Scale. Another Model Railroader project that I got in book form. Same thing as the BN project, it really convinced me to pursue N-Scale. I still enjoy looking at both of these books, just for inspiration. Diesels of the Southern Railway, 1939 - 1982. Withers Publishing, Paul K. Withers. A must for anyone who is interested in modeling the Southern. 101 Track Plans for Model Railroaders. Kalmbach - Linn H. Westcott. The trackplan for the "Jefferson Memphis & Northern" has always taken me in. Very simple, and yet convey's a specific time/place/rationale. Made it clear that even a small simple layout can provide operations too. The 5th one? No one in particular. Lot's of scenery books, project books etc could all fill this spot.
For reference, the following: "Frisco Diesel Power", Marre and Harper "Frisco In Color", Louis Marre Frisco Modelers Information Group The Frisco group on Yahoo For modeling, the following: Dave Frary's "How to Build Realistic Model Railroad Scenery" All of John Armstrong's trackplan books Rand McNally railroad atlas ORER, 1981 I'm sorry, but to me all these books and quite a few more are most helpful to me. It's impossible for me just to limit the list to five print sources.
I agree I found it very hard as well to limit it just to five books even though came up with the idea for the thread. I just figured five each would be a good cut off number, so that way we might be able to help others. Rather than overwhelming people and causing them to wade through hundreds of titles. I agree with all of you there are so many resources out there I could potentially spend the next three pages on this thread telling all the links that I have for web sites. But in some ways that may not be as beneficial as having every one share. Thank you for sharing and hopefully more will as well. Some really nice stuff coming forward so far. Mr X
It's all good There are just so many darn good sources, print & otherwise, that it's hard for me to limit things down to just five. And thank goodness we have this problem today.
I'll give it a shot. 1. Track Planning for Realistic Operation--John Armstrong c. 1970 2. The Clinchfield RR by MR 3. Scenery for Model Railroads--Bill McClanahan c. 1975 4. The bridges book by Paul Mallory, Carstens Publications, mid 70s 5. 101 Track Plans by Linn Wescott I'm on my second edition of Track Planning. My roundhouse is basically Armstrong's version for a mid-sized club layout, bent around a curve. I scanned it in 2002, having bought a new copy, flopped it around a bit, then drew it. I remember trying to figure out the scale. I think I used the turntable diameter as the metric for scaling.
Chesapeke And Ohio In Color (All 3 volumes) Chesapeke And Ohio In The Coal Fields of West Virgina And Kentucky Chesapeke And Ohio Diesels in Color: 1949-1972 Clinchfield Country Clinchfield In the Coal Fields
Let's see, there's, Engine-house Big-boy Hostler Oh, those are magazines that feature the undecorated models:zip: Seriously, Morning Sun, SP color guide vol. 1-3 SP in color vol. 2-3 Signature Press, SP frt cars vol. 1-4 Hundman, SP Oregon Division Plus many Strapac books.
