Hi everyone,

My name is [Your Name], and I'm an Australian N Gauge modeller visiting the UK from the 7th of September to the 2nd of October. I'll be based in London during my trip and I'm hoping to track down some second-hand bookshops or specialists with extensive railway sections.

In particular, I'm on the lookout for materials on the LNER and Southern Region (especially the Isle of Wight and Lyme Regis lines). I'm especially interested in:

LNER Passenger Trains and Formations by Steve Banks

LNER Standard Gresley Carriages by Michael Harris (1945)

If anyone has recommendations for good second-hand railway bookshops in or near London—or even heritage lines with decent bookshops nearby—I'd really appreciate the advice! Moreover, if you have either of these book on your bookshelf and are happy to sell them please reach out.

Thanks in advance,

Aaron

Hello Aaron,

May I recommend a trip to the Bluebell Railway in Sussex? You can get to it easily from London by taking a train to East Grinstead station which is next door to the northernmost station of the Bluebell. Apart from an excellent day out, there is the Carriage Shop at Horsted Keynes station. This is a second-hand bookshop situated in a...er...carriage and holds a vast quantity of stock from every region and overseas. There is another bookstall on Sheffield Park station.

Enjoy your trip!

Cheers,

Chris

Quote from: AaronSW on July 21, 2025, 11:30:26 AMIf anyone has recommendations for good second-hand railway bookshops in or near London—or even heritage lines with decent bookshops nearby

I don't know what you class as nearby but if you're in the Yeovil area on a Sunday morning the Yeovil Railway Centre have their shop open from 10.00 to noon.

Here's a link (just in case)

http://www.yeovilrailway.freeservers.com/shop.html

No books, but TINGS is the main national show while you are in the UK:
https://www.meridienneexhibitions.co.uk/events/the-international-n-gauge-show

I can always recommend the bookshop at the Great Western Society's depot at Didcot. On several occasions have obtained books that I hadn't seen elsewhere.   

Hi Aaron

If you are anywhere near Peterborough, there is the excellent Robert Humm transport bookshop in Stamford.



Click HERE

Good luck, sure the Harris book will turn up, dont rate your chances on the Steve Banks though

I have found a copy of the Harris Book, the Steve Banks book seems to be the holy grail of LNER literature, just like a Graham Farish 4-wheel coach in teak... One day I will have both!

LNER Passenger Trains and Formations by Steve Banks is available online through the Internet Archive here:

https://archive.org/details/lnerpassengertra0000bank

It is free to sign-up and borrow books.  Perhaps not as user friendly as a "real" book, but still a useful option. 

Ian

Thanks for the tip Ian.

Keen to get my hands on the real thing. Nothing beats reading a physical book.

I feel like Mark Smith - the medal expert from the Antiques Roadshow - looking for his converted Guinea Pig Badge! Or Lord Ashcroft hunting his next Victoria Cross.

Not sure if you have access to the Abebooks website downunder, but they have one copy available. You may want to sit down before you look at the asking price...   

Abebooks

Cheers,

Chris

Thanks Papyrus, I have seen it going for more.

Just purchased it!

Sadly very few bookstores left in Central London. The days of Charring Cross being the book street are long gone. Very few survivors, and what they carry varies. Foyles is still there but it doesn't have the bit military and train sections it once had.