Ian Allan Publishing

Last updated

Ian Allan Publishing
Shepperton, Ian Allan Ltd - geograph.org.uk - 1078155.jpg
Ian Allan Publishing's Shepperton building in 2008
Founded1942
Founder Ian Allan
Defunct2020
Country of originEngland
Headquarters location Shepperton
Publication typesBooks
Nonfiction topics Transport, freemasonry
Revenue£631,000 (2020)
Official website www.ianallanpublishing.com

Ian Allan Publishing was an English publisher, established in 1942, which specialised in transport books. [1] It was founded by Ian Allan.

Contents

In 1942, Ian Allan, then working in the public relations department for the Southern Railway at Waterloo station, decided he could deal with many of the requests he received about rolling stock by collecting the information into a book. [2] The result was his first book, ABC of Southern Locomotives. This proved to be a success, contributing to the emergence of trainspotting as a popular hobby in the UK, and leading to the formation of the company. [3] [4]

The company grew from a small producer of books for train enthusiasts and spotters to a large transport publisher. Each year it published books covering subjects such as military and civil aviation, naval and maritime topics, buses, trams, trolleybuses and steam railways, including history, preservation and modern operations. The headquarters was at the western end of Shepperton railway station in Surrey. [3]

At the end of 2016, the company announced that it was withdrawing from railway publishing. Crécy Publishing acquired these titles, including the Oxford and ABC imprints. [5] It continued to operate bookshops until the last was closed in October 2020. [6]

Company acquisitions

Ian Allan Publishing acquired several companies and imprints.

Ian Allan Publishing's trade representation is provided by Amalgamated Book Services for its own imprints and a growing list of associated publishers. Midland Counties Publications, acquired by Ian Allan Publishing at the same time as Midland Publishing, was established in the 1970s with the objective of selling books at aviation events and by mail order to a growing number of enthusiasts who could not always find the publications they wanted to read on the shelves of their local bookshop.

In addition to the above, Ian Allan also owns the imprint Lewis Masonic. Lewis Masonic produces the ritual books used by lodges and chapters under the United Grand Lodge of England. Ian Allan Publishing also published an extensive catalogue of general Masonic publications, but from the 1990s these were also transferred to the Lewis Masonic imprint, alongside the ritual books.

Stores

The company formerly had stores at Cardiff (closed 2015), [8] Manchester Piccadilly (closed 2016), Birmingham (closed 2019) [9] and London at Lower Marsh (closed 2020). [6] [10]

Magazines

Ian Allan Publishing was well known for its range of enthusiast-based magazines, including the following titles:

A history of the company and of its publications down to 1967 appeared in the November 1967 edition of its magazine Railway World .

Those magazines still in print were acquired by Key Publishing in March 2012. [12] [13]

Through the Lewis Masonic imprint, the company also published the quarterly masonic magazine The Square, the longest running masonic periodical in the United Kingdom.

From 1962 to 2007, Ian Allan also published, jointly with the Light Rail Transit Association (LRTA), the monthly magazine Modern Tramway, later as Light Rail and Modern Tramway and currently as Tramways & Urban Transit (TAUT), and continues to handle printing and some distribution of TAUT, as well as printing of the LRTA's quarterly historical journal, Tramway Review. [14]

Videos

The company was also responsible for producing a number of videos for sale in the shops on the themes of railway lines and military history, latterly under the name of Ian Allen SBS Video. [15] A number of the titles such as Then and Now [16] were picked up from the archive for broadcast on That's TV in 2024. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Railfan</span> Rail transport enthusiast

A railfan, train fan, rail buff or train buff, railway enthusiast, railway buff, trainspotter or ferroequinologist is a person who is recreationally interested in trains and rail transport systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Rail Class 40</span> Diesel-electric railway locomotive used in Great Britain

The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel electric locomotive. A total of 200 were built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962. They were numbered D200-D399. Despite their initial success, by the time the last examples were entering service they were already being replaced on some top-level duties by more powerful locomotives. As they were slowly relegated from express passenger uses, the type found work on secondary passenger and freight services where they worked for many years. The final locomotives ended regular service in 1985. The locomotives were commonly known as "Whistlers" because of the distinctive noise made by their turbochargers.

Brush Traction was a manufacturer and maintainer of railway locomotives in Loughborough, England whose operations have now been merged into the Wabtec company's Doncaster UK operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brookville Equipment</span> Rolling stock manufacturer

Brookville Equipment Corporation, based in Brookville, Pennsylvania, United States, manufactures railroad locomotives for industrial and light capacity switching needs. The company also builds and restores streetcars. The company used to be known as Brookville Locomotive Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xochimilco Light Rail</span> Light rail line in southern Mexico City

The Xochimilco Light Rail is a light rail line that serves the southern part of Mexico City. It connects to, but is not considered a part of the Mexico City Metro. Rather, it is operated by the Servicio de Transportes Eléctricos (STE), the authority that operates Mexico City's electric trolleybus system and formerly operated the municipal electric tram system.

<i>Modern Railways</i> British magazine

Modern Railways is a monthly British magazine covering the rail transport industry, which was published by Ian Allan until March 2012 and Key Publishing since then. It has been published since 1962. The magazine was based originally in Shepperton, Surrey, and Tunbridge Wells subsequently.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Rail Class 45</span> British diesel-electric railway locomotive

The British Rail Class 45 or Sulzer Type 4 are diesel locomotives built by British Railways' Derby and Crewe Works between 1960 and 1962. Along with the similar Class 44 and 46 locomotives, they became known as Peaks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Rail Class 20</span> Class of diesel-electric locomotives

The British Rail Class 20, otherwise known as an English Electric Type 1, is a class of diesel-electric locomotive. In total, 228 locomotives in the class were built by English Electric between 1957 and 1968, the large number being in part because of the failure of other early designs in the same power range to provide reliable locomotives.

<i>Buses</i> (magazine) UK transport magazine

Buses is a monthly magazine published in the United Kingdom that primarily focuses on the British bus and coach industry. Founded in 1949, the magazine was originally published by Ian Allan Publishing, however from March 2012 onwards, it has been published by Key Publishing after their takeover of the former. The current editor is James Day and is published on the third Thursday of each month. The magazine is accompanied by a yearbook published in August every year for the next year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Northern Railway (Ireland)</span> Defunct railway company

The Great Northern Railway (Ireland) (GNR(I) or GNRI) was an Irish gauge (1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)) railway company in Ireland. It was formed in 1876 by a merger of the Irish North Western Railway (INW), Northern Railway of Ireland, and Ulster Railway. The governments of Ireland and Northern Ireland jointly nationalised the company in 1953, and the company was liquidated in 1958: assets were split on national lines between the Ulster Transport Authority and Córas Iompair Éireann.

The Light Rail Transit Association (LRTA), formerly the Light Railway Transport League (LRTL), is a non-profit organisation whose purpose is to advocate and encourage research into the retention and development of light rail and tramway/streetcar systems. The LRTA publishes the monthly magazine Tramways & Urban Transit, and is based in the United Kingdom but with an international membership and remit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Smith Trolley Museum</span>

The Fort Smith Trolley Museum is a streetcar and railroad museum in Fort Smith, in the U.S. state of Arkansas, which includes an operating heritage streetcar line. The museum opened in 1985, and operation of its streetcar line began in 1991. Four vehicles in its collection, a streetcar and three steam locomotives, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The now approximately three-quarters-mile-long (1.2 km) streetcar line also passes four NRHP-listed sites, including the Fort Smith National Historic Site, the Fort Smith National Cemetery, the West Garrison Avenue Historic District and the 1907 Atkinson-Williams Warehouse Building, which now houses the Fort Smith Museum of History.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birmingham Corporation Tramways</span> Birmingham tramway operator (1904-1953)

Birmingham Corporation Tramways operated a network of tramways in Birmingham from 1904 until 1953. It was the largest narrow-gauge tramway network in the UK, and was built to a gauge of 3 ft 6 in. It was the fourth largest tramway network in the UK behind London, Glasgow and Manchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rittnerbahn</span> Light railway near Bolzano, Italy

The Ritten Railway is an electric light railway which originally connected Bolzano with the Ritten plateau and today continues to operate on the plateau, connecting the villages located there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Key Publishing</span> Magazine publishing company

Key Publishing is a magazine publishing company specialising in aviation titles, based in Stamford, Lincolnshire, England.

<i>Tramways & Urban Transit</i> British monthly magazine

Tramways & Urban Transit(TAUT or T&UT), also known as Modern Tramway, is a British monthly magazine about tramways and light rail transport, published continuously since 1938. Its content is orientated both to tramway enthusiasts and to persons working in the tram transport field or studying tramways. It has been issued monthly from the beginning. Although published in Britain, the magazine's coverage is international, and its regular "World News" column includes detailed news on electric trams and light rail worldwide.

<i>Railways Illustrated</i> British monthly railway magazine

Railways Illustrated is a British monthly railway magazine. Aimed at railway enthusiasts, it includes news, detail of stock changes, tours, and more.

Modern Locomotives Illustrated was a British bi-monthly railway publication.

Ian Allan, OBE was a publisher who specialised in transport titles through his company Ian Allan Publishing.

Locomotive, Railway Carriage & Wagon Review was a British monthly magazine covering the rail transport industry. It was first published in 1896 as Moore's Monthly Magazine. After 65 years and 807 issues, it ceased in November 1959 being incorporated into sister Ian Allan Publishing publication Trains Illustrated in January 1960 which in turn became Modern Railways in January 1962.

References

  1. "Ian Allan". Exec. Norwich: White Digital Media. 31 May 2007. Archived from the original on 4 December 2008. Retrieved 13 May 2010.
  2. Interview for "The Last Days of Steam", Timeshift , BBC Four , broadcast 5 April 2012
  3. 1 2 Ian Allan…the man who launched a million locospotters The Railway Magazine issue 1174 February 1999 pages 20-27
  4. "Trainspotting explained and its rise and fall". Rail. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  5. Hewitt, Sam (13 January 2017). "Era ends as Ian Allan quits railway publishing business". Heritage Railway . Mortons.
  6. 1 2 Thank you and Bon Voyage Ian Allan Publishing
  7. OPC sold to Ian Allan Rail issue 332 3 June 1998 page 14
  8. We have made the sad decision to close: End of an era for bookshop with 130 year history WalesOnline 30 January 2015
  9. Young, Graham (24 October 2019). "City centre's famous trainspotting bookshop to close". Birmingham Mail.
  10. Famous Bookshop Closes Rail Express issue 294 November 2020 page 9
  11. Marsden, Colin J. (December 2024). "Welcome". MLI Plus. No. 270. p. 5.
  12. Key Publishing Ltd acquires Ian Allan Magazines Buses 2 March 2012
  13. Key Publishing acquires Ian Allan Magazines InPublishing 5 March 2012
  14. "A new look for T&UT – and a new publisher". Tramways & Urban Transit , July 2007, p. 244.
  15. "Ian Allan Video - Closing Logos".
  16. "Then and Now, 2:25pm on That's TV".
  17. "What's on That's TV?".