Title: | Private Owner Wagons series |
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Author: | Andrew Marshall |
Publisher: | Metro Enterprises Limited, Shipley |
Format: | Book |
Subject: | Wagons |
Category: | Numbers - Current |
Spec: | A5, card covers |
Publication date: | 1989-1992 |
Summary: | Metro Enterprises produced some good quality number books from 1989 onwards, focusing on the private owner and 'ferry' wagon fleets. |
Review: | Between 1989 and 1992 a number of titles were released by Metro Enterprises covering the private-owner and RIV wagon fleets. Probably the best of the early wagon number books in terms of production quality, these were well illustrated and gave full build details (including weights, lengths, etc) for each batch. Wagon numbers were shown in full (i.e. with prefixes) and former numbers were shown where known. Code letters were used to distinguish variations in TOPS or design codes. Each batch heading also indicated the areas and flows upon which the wagons were used. PO Wagons Volume 1 (non-tanks) ran to a second edition. |
Reviewed: | 10/03/2011 by Thomas Young (Comments made by others can appear in the notes section towards the bottom of this page) |
Sample pages: | (Click on any image to view full-sized in a new window)
The first title covered the non-tank private-owner fleet and ran to 100 pages with a generous 64 photos.
The layout followed the SCT-standard, with each batch headed by build details (and areas of use), while variations of TOPS and design codes were indicated by symbols.
The numerous photos, all of which were excellent, were laid out two per page.
The rest of the private-owner fleet was tackled in 1990, these being the tank wagons. Rather thicker at 148 pages, this book had 53 photos.
The pages looked somewhat more professional, having been typeset. Otherwise details were the same as for the first volume.
The photos were uniformly excellent, and well reproduced.
Metro covered the international wagon fleet in 1990 with this 148 page book featuring 25 photos.
The layout was familiar, with individual TOPS and design codes shown, including the 1990 changes. To save space, the numbers were abbreviated. The exchange code was shown in the batch heading, while the check digit was omitted. Previous number series were outlined but not always clearly.
Photos were generally good, though one was printed back to front (not on the page shown here).
Metro seemed to be content to stick to the PO and RIV fleets, and an updated edition of volume 1 appeared in 1992. The new edition was again 100 pages but with fewer (50) photos.
The layout was generally the same as the first edition, though now typeset.
Photos were good and featured some rare types such as the MoD flask carrier seen here. As far as I know, Metro produced no further wagon number books after this one. |
Notes: |
No notes have been left yet. ?There may be some notes posted but which have not yet been approved.
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Edits: | This item has not been edited.
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