31/07/09: Brought To Book

It isn’t often that I come across a book that will part me from my cash at first glance. Usually it takes a lot of umming, ahhing and procrastination before either I relent or, more likely, forget all about it. So if I tell you that George Dent’s tome on detailing RTR diesels had me metaphorically snapping the bookseller’s hand off you can gauge how good it is.

For anyone who wants to tweak their diesel fleet but needs some guidance or hand-holding, this book is just what the doctor ordered. Running to 192 pages it covers everything from tools, techniques and materials, to painting, weathering and adding enhancements like etched grilles and fans. There are getting on for 400 colour photos illustrating the techniques - and they are large and clear enough to show what is going on.

DETAILING & MODIFYING READY-TO-RUN LOCOMOTIVES IN OO GAUGE
Vol. 1: British Diesel & Electric Locomotives 1955-2008
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The last book that nearly got me to put my hand in my pocket was Nigel Burkin’s volume on modern wagons. Packed with photographs and ideas many topics are covered, including the choice of couplings, further detailing and weathering but for me many of the photos illustrating what to do are just too small to be clear. The wagons were a bit too modern for my preferred era as well.

MODERN WAGONS IN 4mm SCALE: British Railways Modelling Book 3
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Currently on the ‘um and aah’ list is David Larkin’s latest book. I'm umming and ahhing purely because I already have quite a few Larkin and Bartlett volumes and am wondering if I can justify yet another one. (And just how can you describe 1982 as Early British Rail era?)

WAGONS OF THE EARLY BRITISH RAIL ERA: A Pictorial Study of the 1969-1982 Period
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