The SEPECAT Jaguar was designed to meet the requirements of the Armée de l'Air and the Royal Air Force for a light tactical fighter and a supersonic two-seat training aircraft. First flown in September 1968, the Jaguar went on to serve in both air forces for forty years. Jaguars were exported and licence-built in India, where they remain in frontline service today. Jaguars have also been acquired by the air forces of Ecuador, Oman and Nigeria.Best remembered today as a Cold War attack aircraft, the Jaguar offered a potent mix of high speed at low altitude, excellent navigational and weapons accuracy and a diverse payload of air-to-ground ordnance including tactical nuclear weapons and laser-guided bombs and missiles. While the Jaguars of the RAF based in West Germany helped to deter the Warsaw Pact during the 1970s and 1980s, the Armée de l'Air used their Jaguars in combat in Mauritania and Chad in West Africa. Both air forces participated in the international coalition following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, the Jaguar acquitting itself well during Operation Desert Storm. During the 1990s and 2000s, Jaguars served as peacekeepers in the skies over Iraq, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and Sri Lanka. The Jaguar has also seen combat in other faraway places as diverse as the Andes and Kashmir in the Himalayas.Drawing on archival research, Jaguar: A Development and Operational History describes the history behind the requirements that gave birth to the Jaguar, its design and technical development, and service use in peacetime and war; including the Jaguars that have served in Ecuador, Oman, India and Nigeria. The stories behind the export deals that never came to fruition are covered, as are the numerous design studies during the 1970s for improved Jaguars to meet Air Staff Target 396 and the Big Wing Jaguar. Detailed appendices are included for all the Jaguars ordered by the Armée de l'Air and the RAF.Illustrated throughout with photographs, drawings and specially commissioned artwork, Jaguar: A Development and Operational History is a comprehensive reference book on the technical and operational history of the Jaguar.
abc Rail Guide has established itself as the single most comprehensive, detailed, accurate and reliable guide to the railway networks of the British Isles. The new 2025 edition of this bestselling annual publication has, as always, been thoroughly revised for its regular March publication date.The book provides the full fleet lists of the Train Operating Companies, open access and freight operators as well as a round-up of new trains, charter operators, rolling stock providers, spot hire and maintenance providers. Stock used by Network Rail and the channel tunnel operators is also listed. In addition to the national networks, abc Rail Guide 2025 also provides full coverage of London Underground, the DLR and all tram, metro and light rail systems. Main line preservation groups, depots and maintenance works, heritage lines, preserved locos, main line steam, charter promoters and scrapyards are also all included.abc Rail Guide 2025 is simply the most comprehensive and accurate single volume reference source on the contemporary railway scene. Portable, up to date, concise, easy to use, with Train Operating Company route maps and a new selection of quality colour photographs throughout, this is the essential guide for all railway enthusiasts seeking to keep up to speed with the dynamic and rapidly changing railway landscape throughout Britain and Ireland.
Since it was first published in 2007, The Southern Way has become the definitive journal on the history and heritage of the Southern Railway and the Southern Region of British Railways. The first two of the four issues scheduled for 2025, numbers 68 and 69, will be released in January and May. Two more issues and a Southern Way Special are due in the second half of the year.Each volume contains a mixture of articles and photo features on various aspects of the SR including rolling stock, infrastructure, operations and personalities. The Southern Way remains essential reading for all who interested in the SR and those modelling it.Among the topics and features confirmed are: The Branch Line to LymingtonThe 'Lord Nelson' classScrapped at Norwich50s to the WestIndustrial Interlude: Southampton Dock SidingsSouthern Stations 3: Somerset & Dorset Joint RailwayA Day in the Life
When it was originally published, Hugh Longworth's definitive record of every steam locomotive operated by British Railways from nationalisation until the end of steam traction on the network in 1968 was very much welcomed as it provided for the first time in one place a detailed and accurate source of reference on this important subject.With the book having been out of print for some time, a new and revised edition was overdue. However, the extent of the revisions, which included the book's many photographs being given more space on the page and the use of enlarged and enhanced locomotive drawings, greatly increased the size of the work. Rather than attempt to cut or dilute the content, it was decided that instead of publishing one unwieldy and expensive book, a more realistic approach was to present the work in two volumes of roughly similar size. This is the first of these and focuses on the GWR and LNER locomotives which became part of BR stock in 1948. The second book, due towards the end of 2025, will cover Southern and LMS locos and the Standard classes introduced by BR.The entry for each class provides essential information including the size of cylinders and driving wheels, boiler pressure, weight, the type of valve gear used, the year the class was introduced and its tractive effort. For each locomotive in a class, its date and place of construction and withdrawal and scrapping dates are given, as are details of any renumberings that may have occurred during the BR era.Heavily illustrated throughout, this book and its companion volume will be of great value to all interested in the steam era on British Railways. All classes that were on BR's books in the years post 1948 are covered, and whilst the overwhelming majority of the locos featured are standard gauge, the few narrow gauge locomotives operated by BR are also included.
The need to learn the skills necessary to drive a steam locomotive safely and efficiently did not disappear with the end of the Steam Age on Britain's railways. Indeed, such knowledge is vital to the future survival of the many successful heritage lines in operation today, many of which offer footplate courses to would-be drivers, a testimony of the enduring appeal of working with steam.First published in 1998, this is a reprint of an indispensable guide for footplatemen and aspiring heritage railway volunteers. Packed with diagrams and detailed text, every aspect of working with steam locomotives and their equipment is covered. In this comprehensive practical manual, former BR steam engineman Brian Topping conducts us along the traditional learning path from cleaner to fireman to driver, reminding us that for all the glamour of the footplate, there is also a great deal of dirty and strenuous work involved.With nearly 300 illustrations, including more than 70 diagrams, this is very much a 'hands-on' guide to all aspects of the various types of steam locomotive likely to be encountered on today's heritage railways. It covers not only the mechanical anatomy of the locomotive, but also such matters as maintenance, lubrication, braking systems, valve gear, firing techniques, footplate controls, basic railway signalling, and much more. It concludes with descriptions of typical journeys from both the fireman and driver's points of view.Whether you are an established driver wishing to brush up on your locomotive knowledge, an armchair enthusiast, or a would-be volunteer keen to get your hands dirty, this is the indispensable aid to safe and successful steam locomotive driving and management.
For many people, the 1950s was the golden era of military aircraft development, and a time when the world's air forces boasted probably the most varied and eclectic fleet of aircraft ever seen in peacetime. Aircraft in active military service ranged from a few left-over World War Two designs, through first generation jets and 1940's re-purposed aircraft, to new machines at the cutting edge of aerospace technology, some of which would continue in service for decades to come.The UK armed forces alone were operating more than 100 types of aircraft, many of them produced by domestic aviation manufacturers. The US and Canada were also fielding a wide variety of military aircraft and starting to push the boundaries of speed and altitude capabilities. In continental Europe it seemed that almost every country had its own indigenous military aircraft; whilst rumours and speculation were rife about the latest aerospace advances by the USSR.The 1950s also saw the rise of the 'abc' range of books by Ian Allan. Originally started as a series of 'spotters guides' for railway enthusiasts wanting to record the identities of steam locomotives, the series grew to encompass hundreds of titles on subjects as diverse as ships, military vehicles, motorcycles, space travel and, of course, aircraft. Each abc book contained the known data and specifications for each aircraft type, together with a short description, three view drawing and photograph. In an era when public information on military aircraft types was often in short supply, the abc guides were the acknowledged reference source for enthusiasts, aviation professionals and even the military themselves!The original abc books have become highly-prized collectors items, but to bring their contents to a wider audience Crécy Publishing has delved into its extensive Ian Allan archives and produced this compilation of several abc titles from the mid-1950s. Covering military aircraft from Britain, the USA, Canada, Continental Europe and even the USSR, the types covered range from the famous and legendary, to experimental one-offs and rare designs which were destined for obscurity or even notoriety.For many, this book will be pure nostalgia for a lost era of classic military aviation; but it is also an important historical record of its time, highlighting the contrast between the break-neck pace of military aircraft development for the front-line, alongside the classic wartime aircraft still to be found operating in many parts of the world.
This is the lively autobiography of Group Captain Hamish Mahaddie who was at various times a Halton apprentice, bomber pilot, staff officer, station commander and technical adviser to the British film industry.In an animated narrative liberally laced with anecdotes, the author reflects on his formative years in Edinburgh and the part he played in the Trenchard Experiment at Halton in the late 1920s. We follow him to the outposts of the Empire during the 1930s with postings to Egypt and Iraq where he gained his wings. On his return to the UK in 1937, he found a very different Royal Air Force now frantically preparing for the inevitable cataclysm of war which was about to engulf the world.Hamish flew on two tours of operations with Bomber Command in the dangerous night skies over Europe in Whitleys and Stirlings before joining AVM Don Bennett's Staff at Pathfinder Force HQ. He finished the war as Station Commander at RAF Warboys where he transformed the Sergeants' and Airmen's Messes into meccas of popular entertainment with seating liberated from the Globe Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue. At one stage he was the only Station Commander in Bomber Command with an elephant on the strength!Post war, he remained in the RAF and during this time helped introduce the Canberra into Bomber Command service. Upon retirement in 1958 he acted as a technical adviser on various feature films including The Battle of Britain and A Bridge Too Far.This is a well written, entertaining and very interesting account of the author's varied career in aviation, in peace and war, told by a raconteur par excellence, which will appeal to a wide range of readers.
Since its first issue was published in 2007, The Southern Way has become the definitive journal on the history and heritage of the Southern Railway and the Southern Region of British Railways. Two more issues are scheduled for 2024, numbers 66 and 67. Each contains a mixture of articles and photo features on various aspects of the SR including rolling stock, infrastructure, operations and personalities. The Southern Way remains essential reading for all who interested in the SR and those modelling it.Among articles confirmed at the time of this catalogue going to press is a review of events on the SR in 1964 and a feature on the demise of the Longparish line in Hampshire.
Speedlink was launched in 1977 as an attempt to arrest the decline in British Rail''s wagonload freight business. One of the things that distinguished Speedlink workings from almost all of the freight services that had preceded them was that all the wagons used were air braked. At its peak in the mid 1980s, it carried over 8 million tonnes annually. Despite this, Speedlink was never profitable, and in the run up to railway privatisation the service was abandoned in 1991. This is the second in a four-book series, each one complete in itself, which will provide a comprehensive survey of the whole Speedlink wagon fleet. This volume looks at the types on order in 1977 and delivered subsequently. It will also cover existing stock either fully or partially converted to be compatible on these services and include their former identities. Full coverage of each type is given, particularly livery changes and conversions where appropriate.Wagons produced under 15 Design Codes are covered in this second volume. Among the types included are; 100T Bogie Steel Carriers, 80T Bogie Plate Wagon, 49T Borail Wagon, Flatrol Nuclear Flask Wagon, 32.5T Hopper Coal Wagon, 31T Open Goods Wagon, 12T Pipe Wagon, 31T Plate Wagon, 45T Vanfit and14T Van (Ammunition). Written by wagon expert David Larkin and heavily illustrated throughout, this series is an invaluable source of reference for all those interested in the post steam era on Britain''s railways. Those modelling the railway scene from the 1970s to the 1990s will also find these books essential reading.
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.
A popular feature of our publishing programme for a number of years has been our facsimile reprints of selected titles from the famous Ian Allan Publishing abc series that first appeared in the 1940s. These modestly priced volumes are welcomed by both the enthusiasts who may have used them when they first came out and also by those not around at the time they were first published. They provide wonderful, nostalgic snapshots of a railway scene that has long since disappeared.The latest volume we have selected for reissue is abc British Railways Locomotives Combined Volume 1966. The Combined Volumes were in effect two books in one, abc British Railways Locomotives and the Locoshed Book. The abc lists all the locomotives and multiple units which were in service at that time, and the Locoshed book shows where they were allocated at the time the listings were compiled.By the time this abc appeared, steam was in full retreat across the country and had already officially ended on the Western Region on 31st December of the previous year. However, many steam locomotives were still on BR's the books in the other five regions and hundreds of new diesel and electric locos and multiple units were being delivered to ensure the final elimination of steam traction would occur in 1968.This mix of traction makes the year covered in this volume a particularly interesting one. As with all of these facsimile reprints, this volume provides a wonderful, nostalgic window on a railway scene which has long since disappeared and will be enjoyed by enthusiasts of both steam and modern traction.
This is a welcome reissue of the biography of one of the relatively few railwaymen in the age of steam who became what would now be described as a 'personality'. Bill Hoole was born in Liverpool and his first job was as a messenger in the Goods Department of the Midland Railway in the city. The fascination of steam locomotives soon cast its spell over him and he transferred to the Great Central at Walton-on-the-Hill-sheds. After service in the Great War he moved to London, passing out as a driver at Neasden in 1926 before moving to Kings Cross the following year.He finished his career as a top link driver on the East Coast Main Line based at Kings Cross. Driver Hoole's normal locomotive in British Railways days was the now preserved A4 Pacific No 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley, and it was with 'Number 7' that he achieved the official post war steam speed record of 112mph on 23 May 1959. His name became a household word among railway enthusiasts on the East Coast Route during the declining years of steam traction out of King's Cross. In his quiet unassuming way he always had time to answer every question, pose for every camera and help everyone who needed help.After his retirement from British Railways, Bill took to driving on the narrow-gauge Festiniog Railway in north Wales, where his cheerful personality made as much an impression on the visitors as it did on steam lovers during his main-line days. On his death in 1979, he was interred in the cemetery at Minffordd close to the Festiniog Railway, his gravestone bearing the title of his biography: Bill Hoole, Engineman Extraordinary.
Surveys World War II U.S. fighter prototypes from 1940-1946 that never entered production, showcasing innovative designs.During World War II, America's air arms fielded some superlative fighters such as the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, North American P-51 Mustang and Vought F4U Corsair. The large numbers of these excellent fighters produced by the US aircraft industry made a significant contribution to the eventual success of the Allies. However, even as the war was raging and the industry was working flat out to produce the huge numbers of aircraft required for front line duties, extensive research and development programmes were also being pursued to create the next generation of fighters. This book focuses on the aircraft generated by those programmes and provides a detailed survey of the fighter prototypes produced and flown during the period from 1940 to 1946, which, for various reasons, did not progress to production and service.The work has twenty-four chapters that embrace the great diversity of design and layout of these prototypes. They demonstrate the remarkable creative flair that was present in the US aircraft industry during the war. There are designs of all shapes, sizes and configurations powered by piston, jet and mixed power plants. The designs encompassed various configurations including pusher layouts, swept and flying wings. Each of these prototypes is given its own chapter.The book also reviews a selection of production fighter types that were kitted out for trials and used as test bed aircraft. A small number of unbuilt projects and studies are also included. The thoroughly researched text is complimented by a superb collection of photographs and illustrations.For all of those interested in World War Two US aviation and the aircraft produced in its aftermath, this book will be a revelation. Written by Tony Buttler, one of our most distinguished aviation writers, it will be a must read for all modellers and students of aviation history in this era.
The mid-1950s marked a high point in the history of Britain''s railways. Seven years after the nationalisation of the ''Big Four'' railway companies in 1948, there was a feeling of optimism within the industry. The ''Modernisation Plan'', with its promise of wholesale dieselisation and main-line electrification, was intended to bring a new era of profitability, and it was still possible to travel through much of Britain by train using the extensive network of rural branch lines and secondary routes, many of which were to disappear forever during the closures of the next decade.Crécy has been building a reputation for producing quality atlases of Britain''s railways, and in addition to completely new works we are bringing back into print some of the atlases we inherited with our acquisition in 2016 of Ian Allan Publishing. Rail Atlas 1955 is one of these. This is a revised and expanded edition of the Atlas with a bigger page size, making it easier to use. It also includes a new 32-page photo section showing aspects of the railway scene in 1955. This volume covers the network as at 1 January 1955, the dawn of the modernisation era. Different colours identify the lines of each of the six regions, with passenger and freight-only lines being further highlighted. In addition, there is a useful index of station names. This atlas thus provides a fascinating snapshot of the extent of British railways in the period immediately prior to Beeching''s cuts of the early 1960s. Comprehensive and detailed, it is a testament to the remarkable breadth and depth of the network post-Nationalisation, much of which was soon to be erased, and is an invaluable reference source for all railway enthusiasts and historians.
This book is a history of RAF support units since 1945. These elements undertook a wide range of vital duties including providing intelligence in the form of radar and photographic reconnaissance, early warning and air defence, casualty evacuation, air-to-air refuelling and even VIP transportation; the aircraft of both the King''s or Queen''s Flight and those used to ferry the Top Brass around the theatre and battlefields.The aircraft used in these roles since World War Two were as varied as the roles themselves. Radar and photographic reconnaissance involved English Electric Canberras, Handley Page Victors and ultimately the Sentinel R1. Tactical reconnaissance missions used the Gloster Meteor, Supermarine Swift and Hawker Hunter followed by the SEPECAT Jaguar and Panavia Tornado of the late and post-Cold War eras.In the air defence field, Avro Shackleton AEW.2 and BAe Nimrod AEW3 were developed to provide airborne early warning, a role that was eventually passing to the Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW.1. Air-to-air refuelling, in which the British led the field in 1945 but then abandoned, was revived in the late 1950s when surplus Vickers Valiants and Handley Page Victor were converted to tankers. Since 1982, tankers have become invaluable to the RAF; among the aircraft used were the VC10, Hercules and Vulcan and the Airbus Voyager.This detailed and meticulously researched book shows how support types became increasingly important as the Cold War evolved. Using recently declassified information, it examines design studies and prototypes that led to the development of the systems that allowed the sharp end of the RAF to operate in the Cold war and in the wars of the decades that followed.
Since its first issue was published in 2007, The Southern Way has become the definitive journal on the history and heritage of the Southern Railway and the Southern Region of British Railways. Two more issues are scheduled for 2024, numbers 66 and 67. Each contains a mixture of articles and photo features on various aspects of the SR including rolling stock, infrastructure, operations and personalities. The Southern Way remains essential reading for all who interested in the SR and those modelling it.Among the features in this issue are:The LSWR ''700'' ClassClass 4LAV EMUsCranbrook & Paddock Wood Railway Southern Steam SurvivalSouthern Stations on the Withered Arm
Since its first issue was published in 2007, The Southern Way has become the acknowledged definitive journal on the history and heritage of the Southern Railway and the Southern Region of British Railways. Now under the editorship of Peter Waller, as always, four issues will be published in the course of 2024. Each contains a mixture of articles and photo features on various aspects of the SR including rolling stock, infrastructure, operations and personalities. The Southern Way remains the essential read for all who are interested in the SR and those engaged in modelling it. Among the features and articles in Issue No. 65 are: Class 4VEP EMUsSecond‐hand SR locomotivesThe Folkestone, Hythe & Sandgate TramwayLBSCR AtlanticsThe Crystal Palace (High Level) branchA Day in the LifeSouthern sheds in London
abc Rail Guide has established itself as the single most comprehensive, detailed, accurate and reliable guide to the railway networks of the British Isles. The new 2024 edition of this best‐selling annual publication has, as always, been thoroughly revised for its regular April publication date.The book provides the full fleet lists of the Train Operating Companies, open access and freight operators as well as a round‐up of new trains, charter operators, rolling stock providers, spot hire and maintenance providers. Stock used by Network Rail and the channel tunnel operators is also listed.Main line preservation groups, depots and maintenance works, heritage lines, preserved locos, main line steam, charter promoters and scrapyards are also all included. abc Rail Guide 2024 is simply the most comprehensive and accurate single volume reference source on the contemporary railway scene.Portable, up to date, concise, easy to use, with Train Operating Company route maps and a new selection of quality colour photographs throughout, this is the essential guide for all railway enthusiasts seeking to keep up to speed with the dynamic and rapidly changing railway landscape throughout Britain and Ireland.
Now remarkably in its 29th edition, since it was first published in the 1960s every edition of Wrecks & Relics has been eagerly sought after by aviation enthusiasts, historians, restorers and curators alike. Through five decades of publication under the authorship of Ken Ellis, 'W&R' has become renowned as the go-to source charting the highlights, changes and trends in the preservation of the aviation heritage of the British Isles. With in-depth coverage of more than 700 locations across the UK and Ireland, it lists more than 4,000 aircraft including their potted histories, previous identities and arrival dates. Wrecks & Relics remains the only publication required to discover the incredible aeronautical treasures found across the United Kingdom and Ireland. It provides a trusted, comprehensive rundown of museums and collections and their exhibits - static or flying - together with workshops, military 'gate guardians', stored and instructional airframes etc. It also reveals redundant and even derelict airframes being used for the most unlikely of purposes, including 'glamping' and at paint-ball sites. Each edition of Wrecks & Relics is profusely illustrated with both colour and black and white photographs and is fully indexed making easy the task of where to go over the weekend, or where to find an extant example of a favourite aircraft type. Whether it travels in the car or sits on the bookshelf, this new and fully revised edition of Wrecks & Relics will continue to be the most useful and accurate companion to the aviation heritage of the British Isles, which will be referred to again and again.
First published in the 1970s, Military Aircraft Markings has become an indispensable annual publication for all aircraft enthusiasts, historians and students of military aviation.
The 2024 edition of this best-selling annual publication builds on the long history and heritage of the title. First published in 1950, this will be the 75th edition of Civil Aircraft Markings (two editions were published in 1982).
Since its first issue was published in 2007, The Southern Way has become the acknowledged definitive journal on the history and heritage of the Southern Railway and the Southern Region of British Railways. Now under the editorship of Peter Waller, as always, four issues will be published in the course of 2023. Each contains a mixture of articles and photo features on various aspects of the SR including rolling stock, infrastructure, operations and personalities. The Southern Way remains the essential read for all who are interested in the SR and those engaged in modelling it. Among the features and articles in Issue No. 64 are:Post-Nationalisation Southern-built LocomotivesBranch line to Lyme RegisSouthern SnippetsThe Class 460 StorySouthern Engine Sheds in Surrey and BerkshireFocus On: Bishop''s WalthamA Day in the LifeThe Class B4Bulleids at Bournemouth
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