Books published by Crecy Publishing

First published in 2013 to critical acclaim, Railway Breakdown Cranes Volume 2 details the larger breakdown cranes of 36 tons capacity and above that were used by various railway companies as well as British Railways. Also included are cranes operated by the Ministry of Supply.As with the other two volumes in this series, Peter Tatlow, a now retired professional engineer, describes the types of cranes covered in great detail supplemented by his expert scale drawings.Information contained within includes the make up the cranes, their technical details, weights, sizes and other relevant information and just as importantly, many illustrations of cranes at work in a variety of situations. This is a reissue of a book which has genuinely been sought after by many and will enable those who did not get a chance to buy it first time out, to complete the three book series which has become the definitive reference source on British railway cranes.

This account of the battle of Arnhem provides a German perspective on Market-Garden and is original, penetrating and highly readable, essential for all of those interested in the history of World War 2.

This is a second and completely revised edition of a book first published in 2002 which has been long out of print and is now much sought after. There has always been something special about those classic British Railways totem station signs that no other item of railway memorabilia possesses. They recall a railway system that, for better or worse, was far removed from that of today, when life was simpler and less formulaic, when stations were welcoming locations rather than barrier-laden fortresses, and signage was straightforward but still informative. Totems were deceptively simple in terms of their design and typography but clear, easy to recognise and colour coded for the various BR regions. They were found on stations across the network from Penzance to Wick and from Fishguard to Cromer. They told you what you needed to know and no more, they were standardised throughout the railway system, and have rightly earned their place in the ranks of collectible railwayana, with some examples reaching five-figure sums at auctions. This volume is as close as it is likely to get to a definitive book on all aspects of BR totems. Across its 350 pages are to be found 2,214 images - including 2,250 totems - 43 maps and a wealth of relevant statistics. For collectors of railwayana, students of design and for all those with an interest in railway history, this book will be both a visual delight and a reference source to be referred to again and again.

The abc Rail Guide has established itself as the comprehensive, detailed, accurate and reliable guide to the railway networks of the United Kingdom. The new 2022 edition of this best-selling annual publication has been thoroughly revised and updated and reverts to its usual release date in March.The book provides the full fleet lists of the Train Operating Companies, open access and freight operators as well a round-up of new trains, charter operators, rolling stock providers, spot hire and maintenance providers. Stock used by Network Rail and the channel tunnel operators is also listed as are ex-UK locos abroad. Main line preservation groups, depots and maintenance works, heritage lines, preserved locos, main line steam, charter promoters and scrapyards are also all included.abc Rail Guide 2022 is simply the most comprehensive and accurate single volume reference source on the contemporary railway scene. Portable, up to date, concise, easy to use, with Train Operating Company route maps and colour photographs throughout, this is the essential guide for all railway enthusiasts seeking to keep up to speed with the dynamic and rapidly changing railway landscape throughout Britain and Ireland.This year''s edition includes:- Franchised Passenger Train Operating Companies- Open Access Operators- Private Train Operating Companies - Channel Tunnel Operators- Railfreight Operators- Preserved locos - Spot hire providers- Network Rail- Rolling stock providers- Industrial locos - Exported locos - Northern Ireland Railways- Republic of Ireland Railways- Trams, Metros and Light Rail, including London Underground, London Tramlink, London Docklands Light Railway; Edinburgh Trams, Glasgow Underground, Manchester Metrolink, Nottingham Express Transit, South Yorkshire Supertram, Tyne & Wear Metro, West Midlands Metro, Dublin Trams; Blackpool & Fleetwood Railway etc.- Scrapyards- Depot Codes, abbreviations and other supplemental information- Comprehensive vehicle check list

Rolls Royce built over 160,000 Merlins in 50 different variants, and over 50,000 examples were built in the USA under the Packard name.

Since the original publication in 2005, a considerable amount of new material has been unearthed, both from official and private sources. This is all included in this revised and updated edition of the definitive history of these fascinating trains.

In the years after the Second World War, aircraft optimised for various kinds of special missions began assuming ever-greater importance in the inventories of the world''s leading air forces. The Soviet Union was no exception - numerous special mission versions of Soviet military fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters were developed and fielded, and the process is continuing in modern Russia. Some of them have seen action in various armed conflicts, including the Afghan War, the Chechen Wars and, most recently, the Syrian War.The need to control friendly forces on the move and manage airborne air defence assets efficiently resulted in the development of airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. The first of these in the Soviet inventory was the early 1960s vintage Tupolev Tu-126 which was replaced in the 1980s by the Ilyushin/Beriyev A-50. The latter has been constantly upgraded but is now due for replacement by the latest A-100.An equally important role is filled by airborne command posts - mostly based on airliners, including the Ilyushin Il-22 army-level ABCP, the Tu-214PU and the Il-80 national emergency airborne command post (the Russian equivalent of the Boeing E-4 ''doomsday aircraft''). The latter may be replaced by a specialised derivative of the Il-96-400 airliner. Rotary-wing aircraft in this class were also developed, such as the Mil'' Mi-8VzPU and Mi-6VKP/Mi-22.Another important class is reconnaissance aircraft of various categories - photo reconnaissance, electronic intelligence, nuclear/biological/chemical reconnaissance, radiation intelligence (RINT). These were represented by ELINT versions of bombers (including the Tu-22 and Tu-22M), airliners and transports (ELINT versions of the Antonov An-12 and An-26 transports, the Il-20 derivative of the Il-18 airliner), RINT versions of the An-12 and the An-24 airliner etc.A separate chapter covers electronic countermeasures aircraft, such as specialised versions of the Tu-16 and Tu-22 bombers and An-12 transport, the latest Il-22PP, the Army Aviation''s many ECM versions of the Mi-8 helicopter (including the latest Mi-8MTPR) and the heavy Mi-10PP.A singularly important class is in-flight refuelling tankers supporting the operations of both heavy aircraft (notably strategic bombers) and tactical jets. These include tanker versions of the Tupolev Tu-16 and Myasishchev M-4/3MS series bombers and the Il-78, including the latest Il-78M-90.Another category which assumed considerable importance is search and rescue aircraft, such as the naval An-12PS equipped to carry a paradroppable lifeboat and the latest Beriyev Be-200PS amphibian able to pick up survivors at the scene of a maritime disaster.The book is illustrated with numerous previously unpublished photos, line drawings and many colour side views.

Much has changed in this region since the first edition of this Atlas was published in 2016, notably the confirmation of the route of HS2 and extensions to the West Midlands Metro. As a consequence, a completely revised edition of this masterly cartographic portrayal of the railways and tramways of the West Midlands by leading railway cartographer, Joe Brown, is particularly timely.The Atlas covers the entire West Midlands continuous urban area of Birmingham, Walsall, Wolverhampton, West Bromwich, Stourbridge and Dudley. It also features the towns and cities surrounding this core area. This includes Stafford, Lichfield, Tamworth, Nuneaton, Coventry, Rugby, Leamington Spa, Stratford-upon-Avon, Bromsgrove and Kidderminster. As well as dealing with the complex railway system that served the area, the entire historic passenger tramway network of the region is mapped with opening and closing details provided in an Appendix. This is brought up to date with the current West Midlands Metro system and future extensions to it which have been announced as well as the planned Coventry ''Very Light Rail'' system.Intricate and finely drawn mapping shows individual track and platforms for all lines whether open and closed, as well as stations, changes of station name and opening and closing dates, and much, much more. Many of those both interested in both transport and local history will already be aware of the superb quality of Joe Brown''s cartography and will wish to add this new and much enhanced edition of the Birmingham and West Midlands Railway Atlas to their libraries.

Unlike many of his fellow managers, Dick was a rail enthusiast at heart and never lost his passion for locomotives and their crews. He considered himself first and foremost a ''people person'' and estimated he had worked during his career with more than 25,000 men and women, many of whom became close friends and remained so for many years afterwards. After retirement in 1982, he made a major contribution to the continuance of main line steam train operations across the network. This book is a welcome reissue of two of his autobiographical volumes outlining aspects of his illustrious railway career, Steam in the Blood and Railways in the Blood. These have been out of print for some years and their reissue in this competitively priced paperback edition, will bring the life and times of this remarkable railwayman to the attention of a new audience.

A popular feature of our publishing programme for a number of years has been our fascimile reprints of selected titles from the famous Ian Allan Publishing abc series that first appeared in the 1940s. These modestly priced reprints are welcomed by both the enthusiasts who may have used them when they first came out and also by those not around at the time they were first published. They provide wonderful, nostalgic snapshots of a railway scene which has long since disappeared. The next reissue in the series - British Rail Locomotives and Other Motive Power: Combined Volume 1967. Two years before in 1965, there had been 3,000 steam locos on BR''s books. But such was the remorseless march of diesel and electric traction, by the end of 1967, this had shrunk to a mere 361; 307 of LMS origin, 2 ex LNER locos and only 52 out of the 999 BR Standard locos built. This is also the first of our abc reprints which uses the term ''British Rail'' in its title, that having been introduced in 1965. The focus of the 1967 abc Combined is therefore firmly on diesel and electric motive power with new locos being added all the time and almost all of the early Modernisation Plan types still in service. For generations of enthusiasts, these were the locos they grew up with and spotted so this volume will be one many can relate to more strongly than the rapidly fading age of steam.

First published in the 1970s, Military Aircraft Markings has become an indispensable annual publication for aircraft enthusiasts, historians and students of military aviation. At the heart of Military Aircraft Markings is the most complete listing of all the aircraft of the UK Armed Forces; the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, Army and associated units. For each entry the military serial, aircraft type, unit/operator and usual base are given. Further listings cover Ireland''s military aircraft and historic aircraft in military markings. Other sections of Military Aircraft Markings include American military aircraft based in Europe, overseas military aircraft which may be seen in the UK, unit markings and a unit serial number/letter de-code. In addition, the book provides a comprehensive listing of visiting aircraft from overseas air forces that may be seen during the air display season, together with a new full colour photo section. Also included are details of the UK''s main military air bases, a maintenance unit cross-reference and detailed RAF Squadron markings. This new 2022 edition of Military Aircraft Markings has been fully revised and updated by one of Britain''s leading authorities on military aviation. This is the must-have companion for all those interested in UK military aviation.

Now remarkably in its 28th edition, ever since it was first published in the 1960s every edition of Wrecks & Relics has been eagerly sought after by aviation enthusiasts, restorers and curators alike. It is renowned as the go-to source charting the highlights, changes and trends in the preservation of the aviation heritage of the British Isles. With in-depth coverage of more than 700 locations across the UK and Ireland, it charts over 5000 aircraft including their potted histories, build and arrival dates.Wrecks & Relics is the only publication required to discover the incredible aeronautical treasures found across the United Kingdom and in Ireland. It provides a trusted, comprehensive rundown of museums and their exhibits - static or flying - workshops, military 'gate guardians', stored and instructional airframes. It also reveals redundant airframes being used for the most unlikely of purposes, including for 'glamping' and at paint-ball sites.Each edition is illustrated with both colour and black and white photographs and fully indexed making easy the task of where to go over the weekend, or where to find an extant example of a favourite aircraft. Whether it travels in the car or sits on the bookshelf, this new and fully revised edition of Wrecks & Relics will continue to be the most useful and accurate companion to the aviation heritage of the British Isles, which will be referred to again and again.

This is the latest addition to our ever growing and highly successful portfolio of railway atlases. At its core is a set of maps contrasting, on opposite pages, the Scottish railway network in 1920 and the same areas today. This graphically illustrates how the system has contracted over the course of the last 100 years and allows comparison between these two eras to be easily made.However, there is so much more to this atlas than just the maps. For example, the Index of Stations has photographs of all those that are currently in use. For closed stations, each entry gives their OS Location, site status description and has a small map of the station. All stations in the Index have a chronology referring to the date of opening, closure dates for those no longer in use and any changes to their names that were made.Other sections of the Atlas contain information on British Railways Scottish Region Motive Power Depots with closure dates and locations, preserved railway lines, major structures on the network, signal boxes and a listing of the Scottish railways companies which became constituents of the LMS and the LNER. This excellent addition to our range of railway atlases will be very much welcomed by the many railway enthusiasts who have great interest in and affection for Scotland''s railways, their history and heritage.

Since the last edition of abc Air Traffic Control in 2009 there have been many changes in the air traffic control industry in the UK and UK-related airways. Air traffic is set to increase in the future resulting in a demand for more complex air traffic control systems which still fulfill safety and environmental regulations. Covering current issues facing the air traffic control industry, the author covers the opening of the new Prestwick control centre in 2010 and the success in managing airspace during the Olympics in summer 2012 and also looks at the problematic congestion plaguing the UK skies, particularly in the busy Southeast. The National Air Traffic Services, which took over from the Civil Airliner Authority in 2001 following partial privatisation of the industry, is also consulting with the Spanish to develop the next generation of air traffic management systems for Europe.Graham Duke is an authority in the study of Air Traffic Control and has been writing these useful pocket guides since the very first edition in 1984. In this latest volume he covers all the latest developments within the industry, explaining the structure of the system and the regulations controlling it in a straightforward manner, with a window into military air traffic control systems as well. Alongside this wider picture, intimate details are also revealed about the operations of ground control, the communications systems in the aircraft flying, the standard modes of communication, and airport procedures. The North Atlantic system and other aeronautical information such as charts, weather and airfield data are explained, as well as a full assessment of future developments. This is the essential handbook for anyone interested in civil aviation and the operation of modern air traffic control practice.

Island railways hold an enduring fascination for railway enthusiasts and although many books have been published about the railways on the Isle of Wight surprisingly very little has been written about the locomotives which ran on the island.Apart from a modest volume written by the late D.L.Bradley which was published in 1982, there has been no attempt to compile a definitive history of all the locomotives which have seen service on the island since the opening of the first line, that between Cowes and Newport, on 14 June 1862. Compiled by four members of the Isle of Wight Steam Railway who are donating their royalties from the sale of this book to the IWSR to further its activities, this book seeks to redress that deficiency.Building on the acquired rights of the Bradley book, this history uses every available resource to present as much information as possible on all the locomotives which worked on the island and includes a selection of colourised images to depict as accurately as possible the variety of liveries carried by those locomotives. The story is brought up to date with the inclusion of details of locomotives which are now preserved on the Isle of Wight, some of which are types seen today on the island for the first time.

In 1976, the High Speed Train arrived on a British railway scene where trains were predominantly in three colours; blue and grey with a large patch of yellow at the front. On the new trains the yellow warning panel was now strikingly extended down the sides of the power cars, thus beginning a transformation both in terms of the trains themselves as well as in their liveries, from BR''s corporate years to the variety that we see today. HST The Train that Saved Britain''s Railways is a photographic tribute to a train widely credited with rescuing Britain''s railway system from further decline. Few items of rolling stock have stayed in front line service for so long, more than forty years, least of all on longer distance duties. The HST has achieved this whilst leading the move away from traditional patterns of operational practice utilising locomotives and coaches, towards one of fixed formations. This was something of a gamble and it has had its down sides, but is now accepted as the norm. The book focuses on the numerous liveries carried by the HST fleet, particularly since privatisation, rather than on their technical and operational achievements.This colourful celebration of these magnificent trains shows HSTs in action in a wide range of locations across the network from the lineside and at stations and depots. It is a celebration of a great British success story which will be relished by the legions of enthusiasts who admire them.