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Hidden locos

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by 22A, Oct 8, 2016.

  1. Peter Hall

    Peter Hall Guest

    35B raises the absence of a Platform 5 preserved LHCS book in recent years, actually twenty, so might be worth using this as an example of where the web is being embraced.

    Pre web you could say publications with spotting and associated listings came from three different sources.

    1) Mutual benefit societies such as the RCTS (Coaching Stock of BR) and the ICRS (shunter duties) where the books were created by members with any profits bolstered the societies funds.

    2) Cottage publishers such as Mayfield, Lineside Publications and Coorlea Publishing where the proprietors were making available the fruits of their endeavours. The original Platform 5 Publications (1977-84) falling into this category. Because overheads were minimal these could produce small runs viably with any profits funding the proprietors hobby or keeping her indoors on side.

    3) Commercial publishers such as Ian Allan and the present day Platform 5 Publishing who concentrated on higher demand publications that were viable despite all the business overheads.

    The rejuvenation of the hobby from the mid 1970s saw the expansion of cottage publishers with some becoming commercial publishers, such as Platform 5. At the same time the output of the mutual benefit societies started to decline. Similarly the demand for spotting and associated listings increased and listing on subjects never previously covered emerged often moving from cottage to commercial publisher quite quickly. By the mid 1990s sales were beginning to decline and the commercial publishers started to drop some titles with not all of these being picked up lower down. Then of course the web emerged.

    The Preserved Coaching Stock book for all intents and purposes is mine. The late Peter Fox of Platform 5 was very interested in coaching stock and always wanted to do a book about preserved coaches. He did though not have the knowledge of what was actually out there. From the mid 1980s I had been chasing round building up listings of preserved carriages, the last comprehensive list being that in 'Preserved Railway Coaches' published by Ian Allan a decade earlier. Initially the fruits of my labours were to appear as a Lineside Publication (cottage) but Peter Fox has happy to take the commercial risk and thus they were published by Platform 5 in 1994 & 1995. Of course in 1992 'Preserved Railway Carriages' was published based on the research of John Lloyd. We both had different approaches, John scoured every conceivable book and magazine he could whilst I went tramping around. We came to fairly similar results and have discussed often at length our differing findings over the years. The fact no similar books have appeared since from commercial publishers perhaps gives a clue to viability.

    Anyhow, the VCT came along, but they did not wish to engage with me which was fine. Actually, these days I send them corrections to their website most weeks so no animosity. However, I was always keen to produce updated listings in the same style as the Platform 5 books and as anyone who spoke to me nicely knows these could be made available as a printed A4 size document. With the VCT online such a book is in reality a none starter for even cottage publishers although some do make an attempt. The solution after long deliberation and discussion was to actually put the book on line on the website of a mutual benefit society. This was done in 2013 and revised editions added in 2015 on the RCTS website http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/preservedcoaches/ where all the Amendment Sheets I have produced since 1994 can be found. The hope is that by doing it in this may those who know something I don't know can get in touch and that information can then be made available for all. In addition those who want a hard copy can download one and as time goes by you have the element of a snapshot in time as well. For the future though the issue is how this is funded but that is for the future.

    Quite possibly as sales decline of other specialist listings they will too move to the web, quite possibly some of the listings included in https://www.rcts.org.uk/features/carriages/ might once have formed the basis of a cottage publishers title.

    The Platform 5 market is indeed vulnerable to the web but its market has always been vulnerable in a similar way to other competing publishers and still is. Not wanting to get into legal issues but you cannot copyright facts as such. However, as those who have straight copied information from Platform 5 and others find out to their cost from time to time if you start straight coping you could well come a cropper. So were do all these sites and aps actually get their information?

    Back on topic. It could be argued that a significant number of 'preserved' steam locomotives are actually hidden. The draconian restrictions on access at many heritage railways, museums and centres means you are not going to see many of those that are actually there on a visit.

    The magazine hacks are always keen to claim a vehicle was not known to exist or similar. The reality is often that it was listed as being their in some specialist listing or other and if they had bothered to make contact with those with a good knowledge of such things could have been put straight. As mentioned earlier we only consider one steam locomotive of those we list as location unknown, although we do have concerns over a few multiple unit vehicles at present
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  2. 34014

    34014 Member

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    Everything at Carnforth is 'hidden' until they want you to see it !
     
    paullad1984 likes this.

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