NRM books on signalling history & development

[Peter Jordan]

I was talking to a friend this evening who is trying to find out details of the second volume in the series published by the 'Friends of the NRM' about the history and development of British signalling. Libraries and bookshops have done computer searches but can find nothing and a search of the 'Friends' website also failed to find any mention of this book.

I seem to recall that we have someone on the Group who does some volunteer work at the NRM and I was womdering if they could find out more about this book, please? Alternatively, does anyone have a copy my friend can buy?

All information gratefully received.

Peter Jordan

[John_S]

Peter, details as follows:

The History and Development of Railway Signalling in the British Isles

Volume 2 Part 1 : The Telegraph and the Absolute Block

Volume 2 Part 2: Single Line Operation

by David Stirling

[both parts in one book]

published by The Friends of the National Railway Museum

ISBN 1 872826 13 X

first published 2002

hope this helps, John

[Peter Jordan]

Thanks for that, John. Do you know what the price is, please?

Peter Jordan

[David Holden]

The sleeve price on my copy is £30.

[Peter Jordan]

Thanks - I'll pass the information on.

Peter Jordan

[John Hinson]

That price probably won't help - it appears to be out of print and David Stirling's web site appears to have closed. You may find a second-hand courtesy Mr Google.

John

[JRB]

..............or indeed Mr. e-bay or Mr.Amazon. If sufficiently affluent, try Mr.Humm.

[Ashley Hill]

Sorry for reserecting this old thread but I've just purchased volume 2 from the Friends of the NRM. Vols 3 and 4 are also available. Search online for their website shop.

[Corrour]

Thanks for posting AH. Hadn't realised a Volume 4 published!

kind regards,

Robert

[KEVIN SMITH]

I picked up my new copy of volume two at my local railway club's annual show last year. Friends of the NRM had a stand there selling all four books! Volume four deals with level crossings; this goes into some depth on the subject believe me! I would have bought it but I think they do not accept card payments (or at least not on that day) and as I did not have enough cash on me so I had to let it go.

[Ashley Hill]

How does vol.4 on level crossings compare with Stanley Halls book on the subject?

[Andrew Waugh]

I presume you mean 'Level Crossings' by Stanley Hall & Peter van der Mark?

The two books complement each other. Hall & van der Mark is essentially a history of level crossing focussing on policy and the drivers of the policy changes (often safety/accidents). Pinkstone & Peart focus on the technology. Of course there is overlap; changes in policy usually drive changes in changes in technology.

If you are looking for the *history* of the technology, Pinkstone & Peart are stronger on the modern history of flashing lights and lifting barriers, than on the traditional mechanical gates. If you have the IRSE green book on level crossings, you are unlikely to learn much that is new from these sections. They focus on the technology, rather than the history of the technology, and they do not really get to grips with the different approaches by the pre-grouping companies or the signalling contractors. To be fair, mechanical gate technology largely evolved prior to 1900 and is very poorly documented.

Pinkstone & Peart do not make the mistake in Hall & van der Mark who infer that the requirement for gated level crossings consistently began in 1839. In fact, the 1839 Act largely involved extending the existing (1835) requirements for highways to also apply to turnpikes.

I felt that neither book really dealt with the international (largely US prior to WWII) development of flashing lights and lifting barriers prior to their introduction in the UK. (Though both discuss the European trips of the BTC/MOT leading up to the introduction of automatic crossings.) This leads, for example, to the faintly curious feature that flashing lights in the UK seem to be known as 'wig wags' without any explanation as to why or what wig wags actually are. It is quite possible, of course, that this accurately reflects the UK knowledge of international practice at the time.

The production values of Hall & van der Mark's book (published by Ian Allen) are higher than Pinkstone & Peart.

[Ashley Hill]

Thanks Andrew for you're reply it was very helpful. I have the Hall/Van der Mark book and was wary of shelling out £30 for what could have been a similar book. Clearly it's not. Cheers AH