Ian Allan...RIP

[D1042 Western Princess]

No idea who he is/was other than seeing the name occasionally posted on here, but obviously he was an eminent individual.

RIP


Paul

Hello Paul, it was Ian Allan who, virtually single handed, began the modern era of 'trainspotting' and railway enthusiasm. He saw how people liked to collect loco numbers and other railway information and thus collected together lists of then currently operating locomotives, putting them together in books, which sold to enthusiasts like hot cakes.
He also produced atlases of the UK rail routes and, as they say, one thing led to another, until Ian Allan became perhaps the leading name in railway publishing and, eventually, covered most transport matters.
His firm also opened several book/model shops around the UK.
Best wishes,
Greg.

[D1042 Western Princess]

This little book (on the left) was a bible to me as a kid. It was one of his publications, and I have it here with me right now.

I wish I'd kept mine, complete with all the underlined locos I'd 'copped'. Sigh...

I remember it well - every new edition saw hours of work carefully transferring the numbers underlined from the old book to the new and (as ever) once or twice messing up and accidentally (by genuine mistake, I promise) underlining one I hadn't seen!
I expect we all did that though, if we are honest.

[Bealman]

The book I refer to in the photographs is not a trainspotting book - it's a little manual about building model railways. 

[austinbob]

The book I refer to in the photographs is not a trainspotting book - it's a little manual about building model railways. 

Oops.. Should have looked closer. Must have nostalgic trainspotting on the brain!

[PhilD]

What a shame! He also published (on an annual basis, I think) a book of British Civil Aircraft registrations. In the late 50s and early 60s I spent many a happy hour armed with binoculars, a red pen, ruler and a pile of egg sandwiches) on top of the Queens Building at Heathrow spotting aircraft numbers and underlining them in the book!
And in those days you could stand about 100 yards off the end of the runway on the North side to watch the planes take off and land. The early jets made everything shake so you could barely standup!
Life was lot simpler then!
Cheers
Phil

[trkilliman]

Aged 12 I was given the Ian Allen 1966 Trains annual by an aunt on my birthday. WOW, I was so pleased with it. An article called the Broccoli specials from Ponsandane, Cornwall had me mesmerised.
Written by the late Dick Riley it told of the immense vegetable traffic when we used home grown produce, in the days before air-freight. (I was amazed back last year to see blackberries from BOLIVIA in my local supermarket)!

Anyway, I gave said annual away when I reached 17 and my attentions moved to girls with big eyes and blond hair.  A few years ago I found a good copy and just had to buy it. There is a certain inner glow to be had from re-reading text that you had previously enjoyed so much.

Now living in West Cornwall and just 22 miles from Ponsandane I have made a sort of pilgrimage there a few times. The loading platforms in a delapidated state remain, but not for much longer I understand. I would like to find some plans for Ponsandane Goods shed build in 1937, demolished around 1974...anyone?

Ian Allen, SO many of us were inspired by his books...R.I.P.

[Newportnobby]

Some quick pics of my Ian Allan books. Check out the prices
Mind you, I only got half a crown pocket money so it took ages to save up for them.
I also have the Observers book George showed (1966 edition) and the same from 1964.








And before some wag comments on the 1944 edition, that was only purchased a few years ago

[Malc]

  would we say anything , Mick?

[Papyrus]

This little book (on the left) was a bible to me as a kid. It was one of his publications, and I have it here with me right now.

I wish I'd kept mine, complete with all the underlined locos I'd 'copped'. Sigh...

Ditto... 

There probably isn't anyone in this country who is interested in railways who doesn't have at least one of his books on their shelves. He was an inspiration to so many of my generation. Long may he sit on a cloud watching the celestial trains go by.

Chris

[Jerry Howlett]

I still have 2 of them including the same locoshed book as Newport Nobby.  The combined volume quite often gets bought out when Mrs "H" is doing general knowledge crosswords.. Lots of loco classes named after various subjects.

RIP Mr Allan.

Jerry

[D1042 Western Princess]

What a shame! He also published (on an annual basis, I think) a book of British Civil Aircraft registrations. In the late 50s and early 60s I spent many a happy hour armed with binoculars, a red pen, ruler and a pile of egg sandwiches) on top of the Queens Building at Heathrow spotting aircraft numbers and underlining them in the book!
And in those days you could stand about 100 yards off the end of the runway on the North side to watch the planes take off and land. The early jets made everything shake so you could barely standup!
Life was lot simpler then!
Cheers
Phil

I remember it well - Viscounts, Vanguards, Comets, VC10s, Britannias, Boeing 707s - great days and NO security problems. Well, nothing like those today, anyway.
We only went there three times on school trips (made a change from Bristol zoo!) but I happy memories.

P/S Sorry Mods, wandered a bit off topic there.

[PhilD]

Add Dakotas, DC4s, Constellations, Fairy Rotodyne plus the USAF fighters escorting President Eisenhower's plane into Heathrow. Plus airlines that no longer exist - TCA, PanAm, TWA, BEA, BOAC etc

Cheers
Phil

[D1042 Western Princess]

Add Dakotas, DC4s, Constellations, Fairy Rotodyne plus the USAF fighters escorting President Eisenhower's plane into Heathrow. Plus airlines that no longer exist - TCA, PanAm, TWA, BEA, BOAC etc

Cheers
Phil

  How could I have forgotten the Fairey Rotodyne? 

P/S   For those younger folks than us here (just about everyone I'm guessing) who has no idea of what we mean


! No longer available

[PhilD]

That's gold! Fairy had their factory near where I lived and occasionally it would fly into Heathrow.

This thread had got me thinking now - what about the Russian Tupelovs (can't remember the numbers now!) and the Handley Page Herald.

My mum and dad and I used to live in Heston under the approach to what was then the main runway at Heathrow. No night curfews, planes landing overhead every 2 minutes in summer, engine run-ups from the maintenance area at night, cracked windows and vibrating door knockers when the planes went over. I could lie in  the back garden and watch the planes going over!

Cheers
Phil

[D1042 Western Princess]

That's gold! Fairy had their factory near where I lived and occasionally it would fly into Heathrow.

This thread had got me thinking now - what about the Russian Tupelovs (can't remember the numbers now!) and the Handley Page Herald.

My mum and dad and I used to live in Heston under the approach to what was then the main runway at Heathrow. No night curfews, planes landing overhead every 2 minutes in summer, engine run-ups from the maintenance area at night, cracked windows and vibrating door knockers when the planes went over. I could lie in  the back garden and watch the planes going over!

Cheers
Phil

All of which brings us back to Ian Allan and his spotters books which must have done for aircraft fans much the same as they did for rail fans.