Roy C. Link is a well-known narrow gauge modeler, author, and publisher in the United Kingdom. He is the founding editor and publisher of the quarterly Narrow Gauge & Industrial Modeling Review magazine. He also publishes books through RCL Publications — a busy and talented guy.

For years Roy has been modeling a 2-foot gauge railway called the Crowsnest Tramway. It once hauled lead ore in England. He has written a detailed history of this little railway and many articles about his models of it. But in truth it never existed, and is in Roy’s imagination.

This book tells the story of the four Crowsnest Tramways Roy has built over the past 47 years. He begins with an Introduction describing its early, pre-Crownest’s years. Then he discusses each of his layouts in detail.

The first was a small On2 diorama with a track plan shaped like a wye with a little wagon turntable. Roy shows with diagrams, how he switched cars around his little layout, sort of like a board game. He also describes how he built the track, locomotive and cars, scenery, buildings and even a bunny rabbit.

Crowsnest #2 was 16mm scale, 32mm gauge with a simple track plan. His third layout was built to 1:32 scale running to On3 standards. I believe this layout was sold to a collector in Canada, and I remember seeing it at a Narrow Gauge Convention, but I can’t remember which one.

Roy’s 4th Crowsnest Tramway is still under construction and is 16mm scale running on 32mm track. Roy’s book is 96 pages long, has 174 photos, and 25 drawings, diagrams, and plans, and fully 50 pages are devoted to this last layout. This section describes, in detail, the cars, locomotives, track and turnouts, switch stands, scenery, including creating grass and stonewalls, structures, housing the layout, a hand pump, fences, coal scale, wheelbarrow, grindstone and figures. He even shows you how he makes ivy with individual leaves. This section is a treasure trove of techniques with how-to-do-it photos and diagrams.

There are two appendices. One contains the history of the Crowsnest Tramway, the other, the origins of 16 mm scale modeling in England. After describing several pioneers in 16mm scale, and articles and exposition layouts that helped promote the scale, Roy discusses a group of 16mm scale modelers who formed the Merioneth Railway Society, and their magazine, the Merioneth Mercury, which I read for many years.

While Roy never says this, I took away from his book the idea of building a small scene perfectly. With only two turnouts each bolt, rivet, and plate, can be modeled. Roy has a scale for weighing ore cars. The scale house has a perfectly modeled scale, and a desk complete with ledgers, ink well and pen. Detail like this might be hard to accomplish on a large layout. I’ll have to try it.

This book is beautifully designed and laid out. It shows Roy’s background in design, and his skills as a model builder. It is full of ideas on how to build small layouts with every little detail correct and in place. A must read if you love fine modeling.
-Bob Brown.

Ron's Books is re-publishing a series of builders’ catalogs including Jordan Spreader & Russell Snow Plows, Browning Locomotive Cranes, Budd Passenger Cars, Properties & Plants Bethlehem Steel, Bucyrus-Erie Co., and Mining Locomotives of Ironton & General Electric. I have samples of the Jordan Spreader & Russell Snow Plows, and Browning Locomotive Crane catalogs. They sell for $35.00 each.

The Spreader/Snowplow catalog is 92 pages long and has descriptions of numerous spreaders and how they work. There is information on fighting snow, attachments available for spreaders, a partial list of users of Jordan spreaders, and many images of spreaders in use. The Russell snowplow section has images and data on 13 wooden snowplows and several more on flangers attached to cabooses or special flanger cars.

I was especially interested in the Browning Crane catalog because I have built three self-propelled, 4-wheeled locomotive cranes over the years. One is in O fine scale P-48, and is over 40 years old, and two On3 models. I love to see them waddling down the track. This crane catalog is labeled Volume 1:1914, is 74 pages long, and has some 121 images of four and eight wheeled locomotive cranes at work. These images show cranes loading coal into locomotives, digging trenches, working as pile drivers, loading logs, hauling cement, and in many other activities. The catalog also has a section describing the inner workings of Browning Locomotive Cranes and their specifications.

The Properties & Plants of Bethlehem Steel Corporation: 1925, has numerous photos of steel mills, ore docks, factories, ship building yards, dry docks, and ships. It is a treasure trove of industrial modeling ideas and inspiration.

The Budd Passenger car catalog contains 128 pages of diagrams, technical data, and plans for Budd railcars and passenger trains.

Catalogs like these are invaluable when building models. I wish I had the crane catalog when I built my cranes. I may even try a fourth crane inspired by my new catalog.
-Bob Brown.

The 7mm Narrow Gauge Association promotes 7mm scale, 16.5mm gauge model railways. We call them On30. This is one of several handbooks published by the Association and is designed to get people into narrow gauge, It includes topics like Why Narrow Gauge, Scales and Gauges, Creating an Atmosphere, Setting the Scene, Realistic Narrow Gauge Operation, Track, and describes several 7mm 16.5mm gauge layouts. Gazette author, Bob Harper, describes his fictional 3-foot gauge Canadian Rockies layout, and there are several photos of his On2 layout.

But beware, there is very little U.S. material. But still inspiring articles on atmosphere, setting scenes, track, and operation are universal and can be applied to any narrow gauge model railroad, and I found the articles on layouts inspiring.
-Bob Brown.

This is the sixth book by Jerry DeVos on the Sandy River Railroad and its predecessors. This volume describes the railroad between Strong, Freeman and Salem. It covers the railroad, industries, and people in each town. The text is organized milepost by milepost, and describes buildings, features, and even events such as accidents and acts of vandalism.

As an example, after a brief history of Strong, 17 features in Strong are described, many with photos. Details of the Strong yard are next with information on the coal shed, various industries, tool shed, water tank, turntable and engine house, and depot. The text then takes you towards Phillips, and describes the Franklin & Megantic (SR&RL Bigelow Division).

Next is Freeman, including Salem, and North Freeman with descriptions of trestles, industries such as a toothpick mill, depot, and several nifty sawmills including one with a wood dam to provide power, and another covered with tarpaper held in place with battens. All neat modeling ideas. There are several group shots showing how people dressed, and many photos of street scenes for atmosphere.

We return to the mainline in the last section of the book at Mt. Abrams Junction, again with descriptions of the various industries, coal sheds, depots, bridges, and sidings.

The places and industries are illustrated with photos, many never before published, and there are some drawings of turntables, culverts and trestles. One section has detailed information on the rehabilitation of the Mt. Abrams Branch right down to the number and size of the timbers used. The book also has numerous track plans right down to single sidings, and several vintage photos such as F&M #2, S.W. Sargent. There are also photos of trains roaring by, switching mills, hauling passengers, and scrapping the railroad. There are several photos of the rail busses used by the SR&RL, and my favorite photo of Homlyke Lunch on page 83. I have got to build a model of that little restaurant.

If you are an SR&RL fan, you already have the first five volumes of Jerry DeVos’ work and cannot wait to get this new volume. If you are new to the 2-foot lines, don’t miss this new book. If you are planning to model the SR&RL, Jerry’s books are a must add to your reference library. You should be able to build a foot by foot representation of the SR&RL Railroad using his books. Bob Brown.

This new book is a compilation of action photos in color, of preserved railways and equipment in the United States, British Columbia, and Central and South America. It was published to assist the Talyllyn Railway during the Covid-19 pandemic. The introduction tells the story of railroad preservation in the U.S. starting with Edgar Mead’s efforts to save the 2-foot Bridgton & Harrison, and Ellis Atwood’s preservation efforts at Edaville. The Introduction also describes most of the other preserved lines in North and South America from east to west in photos with long captions. The author starts with the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington in Alna, Maine. Other photos include Monson #4 at the Portland Museum, an S.D. Warren paper mill locomotive, Edaville. The East Broad Top, Durango & Silverton, and Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. I can’t list them all, but loved the photos of the Sumpter Valley, Death Valley Railroad, SPNG, West Side, and the restored Eureka & Palisade EUREKA. One other favorite was the Tanana Valley Railroad’s 0-4-0T Porter with its huge wooden cab. There are also numerous photos of Central and South American trains and locomotives unfamiliar to me. The book has no table of contents or index and I could not find the Sandy River Railroad in Phillips, Maine, or the Booth Bay Museum. I found this a pleasant read that brought together the preserved railroads of North and South America.
-Bob Brown.