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I have written four books for Ian Allan covering various model railway subjects. All start with the basics and work up to more complex ideas.

The links below the covers will take you to Amazon and Ian Allan Plus (Midland Counties, as was) where, should you feel so inclined, you can buy a copy.

 

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Introduces the concepts and practice of wiring model railway layouts in an easy and accessible way. Beginning with the basics, it works through powering the track, common return and cab control to wiring points, point motors, colour light signals, light bulbs, LEDs and the use of diodes. Packed with easy to follow diagrams, plus photographs, as well as a glossary of terms and a list of suppliers, this is an essential reference source for all who embark on building a model railway. 67 colour photos. 80 pages. Softback

Cover Price: £12.99

 ISBN13 / EAN: 9780711033436

Over 1,500 copies sold in the first three months after publication.

 

With the arrival of Digital Command Control operation of a model railway layout can be much more akin to the real thing. This book explores both theory and practice of DCC, explaining in understandable terms how it works and how it can be used - whether from scratch on a new layout or by upgrading older models. Over 30 coloured diagrams. 64 colour &2 b/w photos. 80 pages. Softback

 Cover price: £12.99

ISBN13 / EAN: 9780711031524

Now out of print - with well over 5,000 copies sold. A revised second edition is scheduled for publication August 2010.

 

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Baseboards are the foundation of every model railway but their construction is often skimped or rushed in the eagerness to get on with the more interesting parts of the layout. This book explores a wide variety of methods and materials that can be used to build baseboards of many different types. 89 colour & 2 b/w photos. 80 pages. Softback.

Cover price: £12.99 

ISBN13 / EAN: 9780711031531

Over 3,000 copies sold. Reprint due April 2010  

 

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  Today's model railways layouts often involve recreating the whole townscape or countryside through which the railway operated. An essential ingredient is the correct range of road vehicles, from trams and trolleybuses in the urban environment through to tractors and other farm vehicles in the countryside. This publication takes the beginner and more experienced modeller through this fascinating subject with valuable information about scale, period, type and quantity, roads, signs and registrations plates as well as building road vehicles and making them move, and much more. 109 colour & 5 b/w photos. 80 pages. Softback

Cover price: £12.99

ISBN13 / EAN: 9780711031548

 

Somewhat older, dating from 1995, and only available on the secondhand market is this title that was published by British Bus Publishing.

A5 sized with 96 pages this book was a guide to the model bus hobby (as opposed to die-cast collecting) at the time. It covered modifying the limited range of die-casts then available (it was before EFE and OOC flooded the market), building kits (resin kits were still a curiosity rather than mainstream) and scratchbuilding. Published price was £9.95. ISBN  1-897990-30-8 (in the days when ISBNs were shorter!)

Last Updated on Tuesday, 09 February 2010 14:37