Becky Olenchak (from Facebook):

Jimmy McCulloch accomplished much more in his 26 years than most of us do in a lifetime; he was playing lead guitar in bands that opened for The Who and Pink Floyd when he was barely in his teens. As 16 year old guitarist for Thunderclap Newman, he had a number one hit record. After performing with the likes of John Mayall and Stone The Crows, Jimmy became the lead guitarist for Paul McCartney and Wings and together they became the biggest rock band in the world. Still only in his early 20s, he had achieved so much and his potential remained beyond belief.

In “Little Wing: The Jimmy McCulloch Story” (fully authorized by the McCulloch family), Paul Salley shares details about Jimmy’s life from early childhood and his fascination with guitars and music at a very young age, throughout the onset of his career and on through the heady days of Wings and afterwards. Included are many lovely personal recollections from brother Jack McCulloch, who played drums in early bands The Jaygars and One In A Million as well as Thunderclap Newman and many others. Throughout the book, there are also memories shared by other family members and friends, plus a ton of incredible visual treats in the form of original newspaper and magazine articles and interviews and lots of photos, many coming from the family archive. Salley enables the reader to get a real glimpse of what Jimmy must have been feeling and thinking, from early days as a young Beatles fan learning guitar when not attending to his studies at Cumbernauld High School outside Glasgow, to later on when he was touring the world and playing enormous stadiums with Paul McCartney and Wings. It’s truly special indeed.

I wish I could rate this book more than 5 stars! In a nutshell, Paul Salley and Mark Cunningham (editor and designer) have produced the best rock bio I have read in years. "Little Wing" truly takes flight and soars!

✔︎ Helpful Review?

Too good a film for what it is.

...By that, I mean, this is a basic sea-creature feature type of thing, like you've seen a thousand times before, most notably in the shape of the original gold standard Jaws, through to Alligator (Remember that! :) - which this basically is, in new digitally enhanced trousers), Piranha, Sharknado perhaps, Mega Pirnaha, and etc. and etc. and so on, and so forth. - Except, the film-makers have gone about this with production values as if it was an Oscar contender!

Mercifully, it's not over-long, and is very entertaining and enjoyable, with a basic set-up, of young woman... (Who purely coincidentally, happens to be a swimming prodigy... what are the chances!?!) ... venturing deep into a disaster area caused by a hurricane induced flood, to rescue / recover her dad, who has stayed behind, and become incommunicado...

(meaning all the other locals have been evacuated, and the big nasty Alligator gang has had the opportunity to move in.... yikes!)

But some very good decisions, make this film work, it doesn't try to encompass the whole weather / disaster movie epic scope, but keeps the action very tightly focused around the house, in which they are trapped with the big green meanies lurking around.

...This makes for a more claustrophobic movie based more on tension than the usual gore-fest you usually get from these movies.

(There is some gore, but shot at a some distance for the most part, and artfully, and occasionally done.)

And so it mainly rests on the two lead actors here, who really are good - Kaya Scodelario carries the full weight of the film convincingly, and Barry Pepper gives strong support.

The thing that really sets this a cut above the rest, is the cinematography, staging / set design, and directing... films that look this good are usually reserved for more arty affairs, but it really does add atmosphere, because you are not distracted by unconvincing Hollywood cheapo weather affects, or comedy horror trying not to be.

The only thing that possibly lets this down though is the CGI Alligators themselves, as I've yet to see convincing and realistic movement and behaviour of an animal in cinema created this way... but they are sparingly used for the most part, and the great cinematography conceals a lot of the short-comings of the beasties...

(But oddly, also highlights them by way of contrast with the realism of the rest of the set.)

((Might even have been better tog o the animatronic route in some instances... might not have been the best, but I always appreciate the craft in creating a real alligator, albeit a stiff one, rather than just CGI-ing the thing))

So, Father and Daughter stuck in house basement which is slowly filling up with floodwater and Alligators, which they have to outsmart to survive...

... Worth an hour or two of anyone's time, and very enjoyable.

Solid 7.

4 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

From Scientific American
Thorough research has yielded much information and is well synthesized into a whole. The company, operations, and freight cars have been given their due. This is the finest book of its kind ever published.

From The New Yorker
A giant subsidiary of two major railroads, usually only referred to as a sidelight, has been thoroughly researcheed and accurately presented. An exceptional book.

Review
This book is comprehensive, carefully researched, and abundantly illustrated. It is an indispensable resource for scale modelers as well as historians. -- Richard Hendrickson, Railroad Model Craftsman magazine

✔︎ Helpful Review?

This new book is a wonderful addition to the history of the line, in that it fleshes out the visual coverage, and adds small pieces of history unable to be fit into the previous book. One of the best aspects of this new book is the many pictures reproduced from the camera of Richard Steinheimer. There are 85 such photos in the book, almost 15% of the total...As with all of John Signor's other works, it is a very well done piece of railroad history; and Thompson's historical touch adds measurably to it as well. -- Jeff Saxton, in Model Railroad News, March 2000

✔︎ Helpful Review?

The book is a treasure trove. Other railroad publications seldom even come close to providing such detailed and comprehensive photo coverage of a single rail line, the territory it served, and the trains that ran there. -- Richard Hendrickson, in Railroad Model Craftsman magazine, June, 2000

✔︎ Helpful Review?

Great Coffee Table Book
Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2012
This tribute to a bygone era was published half a century ago and holds up very well even if the printing is starting to fade. Interesting narrative enhances photographs of an America, chiefly midwest, that was emerging into the modern era. For example, Middleton describes how Interurban and Trolley Companies would build amusement parks on ther routes so that the public would have a reason to ride their cars on weekends and holidays. If you have the time it will transport you back.

✔︎ Helpful Review?

Review

Title: Sacramento Southern Railroad
Author: Juliet Farmer
Publisher: BC Culture
Date: 5/9/09

I was born and raised in Sacramento, California (not including four years in and around Portland, Oregon, when I was in third through sixth grades). I'm pretty sure that while I was learning about Lewis and Clark, my Sacramento peers were learning about the Sacramento Southern Railroad and how it changed the city I call home.

I'm not a railroad buff. I've always assumed this was more of a "guy" thing, as my grandfather and my own father, as well as practically every man I've ever met, is fascinated by trains. To me, they are/were a way to get from point "A" to point "B".

Then I had the opportunity to read Kevin W. Hecteman's book, Sacramento Southern Railroad, which enlightened me about what I've been missing, as well as filled me in on some of Sacramento's interesting back story. (Although there was text, the book is heavy on photos with accompanying descriptions, which makes the reading both light and entertaining.)

I live within walking distance of the southern end of the American River Bike Trail, which includes the leg from Miller Park to 25th Avenue and Riverside Blvd. I've run, biked, and walked this route many times, but I never before knew what the sign for "Baths" referred to, nor did I realize the significance of Miller Park itself and its role in Sacramento's railroad history.

Baths was a railroad stop for the Riverside baths, a popular local swimming pool frequented in the early 1900s. In the '30s, the enclosed pool's roof was removed, and it was renamed the Land Park Plunge. This property is now partly occupied by B'nai Israel Synagogue and Interstate 5.

Then there are "the tracks" (as I call them), a truss bridge above Riverside Blvd. just south of William Land Park's west side, which was built in 1907 for the train. Sacramento Depot, which is now an Amtrak station, opened in 1926. Miller Park was named for Alice Miller, who died in 1942. She bequeathed 38 acres to the City of Sacramento to use as a park and marina. Miller Park opened in 1958 and was a junction of the railroad until 1976, when it was abandoned, which also led to the abandonment of the Hood junction to Isleton in 1977.

In its heyday, the line was about 31 miles long and served the communities of Freeport, Hood, Locke, Walnut Grove, and Isleton. Trains -- on what became known as the Walnut Grove Branch -- hauled pears, sugar beets, asparagus, and other products. The last Southern Pacific train journeyed to Hood Junction on October 10, 1978.

The California State Railroad Museum opened in 1976, and the first steam powered excursion train set out from Old Sacramento to Miller Park on June 2, 1984. (This route was extended to include Baths years later.)

Today, the California State Railroad Museum's excursion railroad, the Sacramento Southern Railroad, is in operation from mid-April through September, when excursion trains depart every hour on the hour in Old Sacramento on the weekends (Hecteman himself is a crew member). The train features a combination of vintage closed coaches with comfortable seats, and open-air "gondolas" with bench style seating.

Since 1984, more than one million guests have taken a ride aboard the Sacramento Southern Railroad, served by all-volunteer crews fully trained and certified under Federal Railroad Administration regulations. Along the six-mile, 40-minute roundtrip excursion the train crosses Capitol Mall at Tower Bridge, passes under Pioneer Bridge, and rolls alongside the Miller Park Marina before stopping at Baths. At Baths, the steam engine uncouples from the front of the train, "runs around" the train on a sidetrack, and couples onto the other end of the train before sounding its whistle to begin the return trip to Old Sacramento.

It's a sight to behold. Thanks to Hecteman's Sacramento Southern Railroad, I plan to check it out very soon.

✔︎ Helpful Review?

Mick Lamont (from Facebook):

My copy of "Little Wing: The Jimmy McCulloch Story" arrived earlier this week. I've held off saying anything about the book until I had some time to take it in. This is because the author, Paul Salley, is a friend of mine - and I'm in it.

I am now able to say that it is my considered opinion that this book is a remarkable piece of work. The research that Paul Salley has undertaken is quite frankly unbelievable. He has interviewed a vast number of people from every period in Jimmy's incredible career: The Jaygars, One in a Million, Thunderclap Newman, John Mayall, Wings, Small Faces and more. His pursuit of witnesses has been assiduous: from megastars to school friends in Cumbernauld. (Paul even tracked me down and I am a very obscure and minor footnote in Jimmy's story). Most of the narrative comes from these interviewees. Paul lets the people who were there tell the story.

The photographs in the book (603 of them!) are an astonishing record not just of Jimmy's life but of the rock world in the sixties and seventies that he inhabited. Many come from the McCulloch family archives and have never been seen before. We have the wee boy with the guitar - that is bigger than he is - up to the last known photo of him in September 1979.

I was already pretty well-versed in the details of Jimmy's life and times but I learned many gobsmacking things from this book: One in a Million played at the legendary 14 Hour Technicolor (sic) Dream at Alexandra Palace in 1967 with Pink Floyd; Pete Townshend's father, Cliff, had a hit in 1941 as a member of The Squadronaires with a tune called "There's Something in the Air".

The depiction of life in a Scottish rock band in the early sixties is detailed and vivid: for me it exerts an almost visceral - if morbid - fascination!

The sheer volume of research is staggering. The amount of information jaw-dropping. As biography, it is a startling achievement.

The book is available from Amazon.

As you may have figured out, I do heartily recommend it.

✔︎ Helpful Review?

ROBERT TOUPIN : un joyeux touche-à tout

La plupart des gens (et nous en sommes) connaissent surtout Robert Toupin comme un personnage de “Quelle famille » comme animateur de l’ex-émission de variétés "Moitié, moitié" et comme homme de théâtre.

Ce que l’on sait moins cependant. c'est que Robert Toupin est pianiste, qu’il gratte de la guitare et qu’il s'amuse à la chanson depuis fort longtemps

Toupin n’a pas brûlé les étapes et c’est à 30 ans qu’il enregistre son premier microsillon solo. Et cela donne un beau disque où la maturité est évidente.

Et il n’y a pas que la maturité, Robert Toupin sait écrire et ne tombe pas dans le travers de l’écriture populaire, forme d’écriture trop souvent gratuite.

Robert Toupin a l’inspiration vaste, par ailleurs. Il n’y a pas de redite. Et tout cela est sain et beau. Je pense en particulier à « La terre est un village », « Chante donc » ou à ce très beau « Gazoum » « …les yeux des hommes bleus, et la prière des Berbères ont lavé nos cœurs, ont nettoyé nos têtes. Le soleil du désert brûle dans nos âmes. Mohammed El Gazoum, mon ami, viendras-tu nous voir dans notre pays. »

Joyeux touche-à-tout, Toupin aborde la chanson avec bonheur.
(André Gaudreault - Le Nouvelliste, samedi 7 mai 1977, page 12)

✔︎ Helpful Review?

friends on holiday discover a clandestine underground goods railway, and stow away on board under a tarpaulin (as one does) to discover a relict colony of - apparently - the roman empire°, still functioning - and when discovered, they get away with their strange behaviour there because it's saturnalia - or at least they do, to start with...

° - the first clue as to the language people there were speaking was overhearing an obsequious ''beany, beany, dominay!'' from a worker unloading the train to a supervisor...

it's far too long since yr hmbl srppnt. read this out of the children's library to judge it fairly now, or rate it; but a young me definitely enjoyed reading it enough to find it again and re-read it.

2 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

More Trains of the 1940s—book review

Looking back, it was a special time on American rails in the 1940s— thousands of handsome, well-kept steam locomotives were the backbone of the nation, along with bustling freight and passenger business.

Railroads were kept especially busy with moving goods and troops on trains during America's war years 1941-1945.

As we look back today on this period in railroading, we remember everything from the stylish 2,000-horsepower DL109s on the New Haven, the Burlington Route's sleek and highly-polished silver Nebraska Zephyr, the Pennsylvania’s mammoth 4-8-2 M-1 steam locomotives, and even the rare Akron, Canton & Youngstown RR mixed freight-passenger trains.

These and many more remembrances flood back as you experience this 106-page treasury of black and white photos and well-written, classic articles from this time period. The lead article features GE designer Raymond Paten known for his design of the popular Alco PA and FA (freight) locomotives, along with several pages of color photos of these well-received diesels.

An absorbing 10-page article follows with illustrations detailing the Milwaukee Railroad shops, engine terminal and car-building facilities located in Milwaukee.

Philadelphia’s three major railroads are also featured—the Pennsylvania, Reading and B&O—the article re-printed from a 1948 Trains magazine story.

A cab and caboose ride on the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway, New York Central’s Boston & Albany tortuous mountain operating problems, and Southern Pacific’s War-Baby 4460-series steamers are also featured, along with a 2,500-mile no-reservations-required railfan trip during the war years over 14 various U.S. rail lines.

A 1940’s In Photos section, an ACF’s postwar streamliners feature describing the Georgian and Hummingbird from a 1947 Trains magazine article—and an engrossing story about the meandering St. Johnsbury & Lake Champlain RR in Vermont help round out the bill of fare.

This publication transports readers back in time during an important period on our nation’s rails.

—Don Heimburger, Heimburger House Publishing Co.

✔︎ Helpful Review?

Musically, occupying a space somewhere in the mid-point of a triangle, who's points are Eagles, Paul McCartney / Wings, and occasional tones of Fairport Convention...

... And when, for the most part, they lean toward the first two stylistically, they are, although a very pleasant listen, a lot like many other bands of their time... Some fairly strong, although largely unremarkable songs, with a nice soft rock melodic, tuneful vibe...

- Fans of (The Eagles) will probably love this in general -

...But for me, it is when they go a bit more "Folky" that they are best, with the almost timeless, "traditional" sounding: I Was In Chains, and the folky acoustic: Sunny Street W.14 being the best songs on the album.

The rest probably will be a grower, but I'm not there yet, having had only a couple of listens so far.

[YouTube Video]

[YouTube Video]

3 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

distillation into one typical day in the life of a prisoner working in one of the ''gulag'' forced labour camps of alexander solzhenitsyn's experience of three years in the ekibastuz gulag camp in kazakhstan, 1950-1953.

ralph parker's translation is of the censored russian text originally published in novy mir 11/1962;
first published in h/cvr edition by victor gollancz (london) and dutton (new york), both 1963.

the only english translation from the uncensored russian text is stated to be that made by h. t. willetts, first published by farrar, strauss & giroux (new york) in 1991.

(source: solzhenitsyncenter.org)

2 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

In 1945, the legendary Pullman Company, one of the most successful enterprises in America, was operating more than 5,500 cars nationwide. Incorporated in 1867, Pullman’s business ballooned as the nation’s railroad network swelled from 39,000 route miles to 229,000 miles. As rail routes became longer, the Pullman Company provided what was considered an essential element of rail travel, with passengers often journeying overnight to reach their destination. By 1899 already Pullman was a virtual monopoly on the rails, handling 90% of the railroad sleeping-car business.
Pullman, America’s Hotel on Wheels is a 9×11” comprehensive glossy, color-cover, 106-page compilation of this iconic company and its many achievements. One advantage the company had was shifting its railroad cars between railroads in different parts of the country, depending upon demand, either because of the seasons, or because of large conventions in certain cities. And during WWII Pullman was essential in moving as many as 125 million passengers and troops.
All of the inviting articles—there are 14 of them—are laden with facts, large black and white or color photos, and even humor in some cases. Some of the articles include “I’ve Been Riding the Pullmans," where a traveler looks back on 35 years of overnight train rides; a feature on Santa Fe's Chief, an all-Pullman extra-fare streamliner that ran between Chicago and California; a story on Pennsylvania’s 1902-1903 Special between New York and Chicago; and details of B&O’s roundabout Capitol Limited route to Chicago. There’s even a picture gallery of passenger trains entitled “Pullman in Pictures,” highlighting such roads as the Pennsy, L&N, FEC, ACL, Wabash and the Milwaukee Road. 
In all, this is a keepsake publication, loaded with stories and facts, that deserves space on your bookshelf.
—Don Heimburger, Heimburger House Publishing Co.

✔︎ Helpful Review?

This VHS, along with The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and The Little Mermaid, it has the Universal Home Entertainment rating from 2000 until 2005.

2 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

David A Gilbertson
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2017
Interesting Read!
Really enjoyed this book! It was a little smaller than I thought it would be and it could use an update with more details. But it's the only book I'm aware of that details the history of the railroad in this area. With the Smart Train on the horizon and a proposal to make the Healdsburg Freight Depot into a train museum, this would be a good time for a second edition!

✔︎ Helpful Review?

D. at LLRC
Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2019
For the knowledge that these DVDs have, it's exciting to see steam engines working.

I purchased these DVDs for the history of Southern Pacific in modeling my HO SP trains.

I found out that Cab Forward steam locomotives pulled passenger trains over the "HILL."

I hope to model these at my model railroad club.

✔︎ Helpful Review?

Donald M O'Hanley
RAILWAYS, FREEWAYS AND THE DECLINE OF A CITY
Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2014
Authors Crise and Patris have combined to produce a book tha contrasts the Los Angeles area of a half-cetury and more ago versus the asphalt and auto dominated metro area by presenting an excellent collection of period photographs. Once vibrant downtown Los Angeles has given way to shopping mall dominated suburbia thanks to the loss of the Pacific Electric Railway,once described as the largest electric railway system in the world, operating 1,000 miles of standard trolley lines. Its two great terminals in the downtown no longer witness the lawful and useful comings and goings of many thousands of passengers daily. One is now given to office space and the other a residential loft building.
Pacific Electric Railway, Then and Now, offers a graphic view of the pleasantly remembered past to all who enjoy travel down memory lane.

✔︎ Helpful Review?

Paul Sahlin
LA's Pacific Electric Interurban lines, one foot in history and the other today
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2013
There are a number of excellent coffee table picture books extant to chronicle the rise and fall of the once great interurban rail system called the PE that the greater LA basin had in operation. An April, 1938 timetable I checked listed 36 separate carlines running a total of 2,160 scheduled trains daily. Routes were a mixture of PE-owned right of way and streetcar lines runing on city streets. The system operated a total of 901 miles of track and was carrying upwards of 180,000,000 passengers a year at its peak in almost 500 big red passenger cars, some modified to also carry USMail, Express and LCL freight. It was formed by merging traction companies in 1911 under the SP and ceased operating in the late 1950's. Over 7,000 employees worked at the PE at its peak. This book has photos all over the LA basin of PE cars in operation then jumps to the same photo site taken in the past year or so. Very interesting.

✔︎ Helpful Review?

By Amy Hughes at Beatles Freak Reviews.

✔︎ Helpful Review?

By Angie Moon, the founder of the blog The Diversity of Classic Rock.

See Little Wing: The Jimmy McCulloch Story by Paul Salley

✔︎ Helpful Review?

This film and The Craic are amazing Jimeoin movies.

2 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Pulp Fiction - reminded a not small, but a big popular movie, has won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.



The 90s decided to make this movie a delight to this country - and it's the most popular 90s movie people could watch along with Titanic.

2 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

I used to own this, sadly I think it got thrown away when I moved. It's a solid collection. No prizes for guessing Killer Gorilla is a clone of Donkey Kong and a cracking version, Killer Gorilla 2 is Donkey Kong Jr. Commando is a version of the Capcom arcade game, it plays similar to Ikari Warriors and some people might know it as Rambo on consoles; they are all effectively the same. Again really good version. Palace of Magic isn't as far as I know an arcade game, it plays similar to the NES game Zelda II or Prince of Persia, but it is a bit messy as to what you are supposed to do. Arguably the weakest, but still a game I enjoyed at the time.

1 person found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

I've read so many books purporting to tell the history of Rock and Roll and so very few are worth the trouble....this one was surprisingly interesting and told the story in a conversational style interspersed with little asides which prompted a "Ooh, I didn't know that"

Eventually he comes to the British invasion...and here was where a few alarm bells started ringing. Apparently British teenagers learned all about US Rock and roll from Decca's London-American label..naming Mimi Trepel as the lady who signed up all those legendary labels for UK consumption.

London-American existed thanks to Mantovani, who's sales in the US allowed Decca to do reciprocate deals - taking US artists to the UK!!!!!
Every UK teenager had the iconic "blue and silver labeled discs with their triangular centres, in their collections.!!!
A few pages later talking about Cliff Richard, the Shadows were recording for HMV.

These annoyingly, silly mistakes could have been so easily checked by a proof reader but otherwise I quite enjoyed this book.

Another plus is the attempted index that most book in the genre seem to ignore

1 person found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

There's an awful lot more to Lynyrd Skynyrd than Sweet Home Alabama and Free Bird much of which can be witnessed on this concert footage shot in 1976 at Knebworth. For me the star attraction of this disc set has to be the concert footage. The only other time I saw this was on BBC's special 15 hour event called "Rock Around The Clock" on 27th August 1983. It was part of a phone in vote which won and was subequently aired. Free Bird is a great track but at this concert it was the pièce de résistance. Filmed at sunset during the summer of '76 (which was one of the hottest summers I ever remember) this version of Free Bird is so full of energy you felt exhausted by the end of it, an absolutely stunning performance which is still talked about to this day, I would've just loved to have been there, now with this Blu Ray edition and Home Cinema I can get the next best thing to being there. This is one not to be missed, BUY IT!

1 person found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Bit of a RoboCop rip off, and with a few other movie elements mashed in, but an enjoyable film nonetheless...

... Little bit of action, some schlocky gore, and a few interesting ideas / twists on established sci fi themes.

1 person found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

B.B. KING-LUCILLE The original recording of 'LUCILLE' when B.B. was doodling on guitar and flipped on live by Bob Thiele...Moments in Time'....

✔︎ Helpful Review?

The best pressing of 'The Dark Side of the Moon' I've heard.

1 person found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

This CD does what it says on the tin - versions of famous instrumentals with lyrics added. While a few are clearly tongue-in-cheek, others are played straight and work really well. Not all the songs here have had lyrics written specifically for this album - You Can Count on Me is a cover of Sammy Davis Jr.'s vocal version of the Hawaii 5-0 Theme from the early 1970s and I have heard a version of Popcorn with lyrics before. Many of these work really well: Magic Star is "Telstar" but manages to recapture the magic of the original space-race instrumental. Apache becomes a love song. Walk Don't Run gives a rationale for the title. But the best track on the CD is Honky Tonk. I have no idea if there were lyrics ever written for the original, or if these were written for Dickerson but the fact I can't tell shows how well they fit the Bill Doggett classic. Be warned, though, if you think Popcorn sticks in your head now, just wait till you hear it with lyrics!

1 person found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

This new book is a wonderful addition to the history of the line, in that it fleshes out the visual coverage, and adds small pieces of history unable to be fit into the previous book. One of the best aspects of this new book is the many pictures reproduced from the camera of Richard Steinheimer. There are 85 such photos in the book, almost 15% of the total...As with all of John Signor's other works, it is a very well done piece of railroad history; and Thompson's historical touch adds measurably to it as well. -- Jeff Saxton, in Model Railroad News, March 2000

✔︎ Helpful Review?

The book is a treasure trove. Other railroad publications seldom even come close to providing such detailed and comprehensive photo coverage of a single rail line, the territory it served, and the trains that ran there. -- Richard Hendrickson, in Railroad Model Craftsman magazine, June, 2000

✔︎ Helpful Review?

Signor has previously authored six highly regarded books...his latest effort is the best of the lot. -- Richard Hendrickson, Railroad Model Craftsman magazine

✔︎ Helpful Review?

Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2015
Jeffery G. Smith
There wasn't a great deal of depth to how the author designed the ...
The book was ok. There wasn't a great deal of depth to how the author designed the layouts and why certain choices were made.

✔︎ Helpful Review?

Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2013
Time Bandit100
Excellent, simple, realistic track plans
Found a very practical, versatile plan adapted to my space in this book. Very good book. Excellent presentation. Recommend it highly

✔︎ Helpful Review?

Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2020
Bill
Not worth the money.
All the plans are for the same 11' x 12' room. Only one plan allows constant running. All the plans are variations the same theme. Noth9ing really innovative or clever. Not worth $20.

✔︎ Helpful Review?

Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2011
R. Lee
More great ideas from a master builder...
Another in the series of books from Lance Mindheim. I found the perfect layout here after searching for quite a while in other books and plans. The plans here are unique in that they capture the era and location along with the operational reasons for the railroads existance. This gives you a head start on planning the correct buildings, rolling stock and and industries to model to make the layout come alive.

✔︎ Helpful Review?

Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2012
Mase
Mindheim Book Review - 2
The book is well written and illustrated with photographs that are representative of the geographic areas described in the particular track plan designs. The plans allow for realistic and efficient service to the various industries represented on each track layout. All this is done with the minimum of track necessary to carry out the various switching duties. I would certainly recommend this book for the model railroader looking for a great switching layout in a small spare room.

✔︎ Helpful Review?

Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2009
Fredrick C. G. Scheer
8 Realistic Track Plans for a Spare Room by Lance Mindheim
Represents remarkable value. Mr. Mindheim gives you a rich palette of construction-ready, operations-ready layouts to choose from, using crystal clear graphics and augmented with straightforward, high-quality guidance without excess drivel, just what you need to get it started, built, and running. These railroads are for modelers looking for advanced design and yet are "doable" in every way, even for a novice.
Part of doing a layout instead of just dreaming about one is getting in touch with what is reasonably possible in your modest space. Accordingly, Mindheim shares his discipline: (1) to put aside childish notions of huge empires in your crawl space or laundry room, and (2) to get yourself focused on what you can do to achieve a state-of-the-art rail operations platform. Having said that, any of these layouts could become a branch within a larger model railroad system.
The plans are complete (with an inventory of track and switches you'll need, and showing principal structures you'll want), operationally elegant, and sophisticated, doing railroading patterned on the real thing, no silly switching puzzles and other toy train stuff in here. This is the best layout book I've seen in four decades of model railroading. You'll be pleased.

✔︎ Helpful Review?

Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2009
Paul Boehlert
Layout Design For the Real World
It's tempting to think of Lance Mindheim's book "8 Realistic Track Plans For a Spare Room" as strictly appealing to the small-layout fans among us, but I think it's got a lot to say to every student of model railroad design. The railroads in this book are modest and attainable, firmly based in the prototype,operationally interesting and refreshingly free from the gimmicks and gadgets that seem to teem in other current trackplans.
The book itself is a simple soft-cover of 56 pages which includes 22 color photos and 12 diagrams, both trackplans and construction diagrams. One minor but much appreciated feature; smooth-finish uncoated page stock is used, making it easy to write notes and marginalia. A yellow data block accompanies each plan, with dimensions, curve radii and other vital info. Pretty standard, but appreciated nonetheless. My one gripe is with the perfect binding--opening the book flat on the workbench (it is essentially a workbook, after all) will likely result in damage to the spine and possible loss of pages.
Perhaps the greatest value of this book is the support and validation it provides to the 'average model railroader'. The model press features large, elaborate layouts, as it should; such endeavors are inspiring and contain lots of great ideas. But most of us are far more humble in our vision, and Lance's books and articles serve as a continuing reminder that small and relatively uncomplicated layouts can be just as absorbing and fulfilling as the gymnasium-sized railroads. I'm considering two of the trackplans in this book for my next layout project. There's no higher accolade a planbook can receive than that.

✔︎ Helpful Review?

Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2014
J. Scofield
Book for prototype modeling
Great book if you are into running a railroad with lots of switching like the prototype. Lance Mindheim is the king of formulating plans for room size small model railroads with lots of prototypical switching action. His model railroads are made to operate like the real thing and not just run around in circles. If you like railroad action on your model railroad this is the book for you, or any of his other books for that matter.

✔︎ Helpful Review?

Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2014
FredB
Should be in a modeler's library.
Lance Mindheim's books should be on every modeler's "to read" list. His writing is concise, down-to earth, and always helpful in some way, even if one is a veteran modeler. There's always something to be learned about the hobby, even if it's just a little, less time-consuming way to do something, or maybe something that's been troublesome that you've overlooked, and found the answer in one of his books or magazine articles. Lance was kind enough to take the time to answer an e-mail I sent him once, (as a total stranger!) asking for some advice about DCC. Later, I was fortunate to meet him in person at a train show, and a conversation with him in person is like his books; down-to-earth, personable and helpful. Any book by him is worthwhile to have and to read!

✔︎ Helpful Review?

Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2011
Philanthropic Pundit
Apartment switching at its best...
If space is tight, there are enough ideas in this book to help you create a believable small layout, be it a shelf or small room sized layout.
Construction methods are glossed over as there are enough books on the relevant subject matter (bench-work, scenery, wiring, operation etc) that deal with them exclusively if you require more reading. One suggestion would be Lance Mindheim's book How To Build A Switching Layout However, the plans are some of the most adaptable I have seen in many years. For example, two notable plans stand out (to me anyway.)
The Appalachian Coal Branch Line and The Milwaukee Branch Line. The former provides for some continuous running whilst switching can be done in two towns and the loading tipple... very reminiscent of the Clinchfeild. The Milwaukee Branch is a wonderful example of a prototype that is selectively compressed and an actual timetable provides an idea on how to operate this type of layout.
Colour pictures abound and provide examples of the types of scenes and details to aid in successfully producing a satisfactory outcome.

✔︎ Helpful Review?

Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2021
RichfromRoch
Another Gem
Lance Mindheim has been supplying model railroaders for many years with solid tips on layout design, operations, scenery and just about every other aspect of the hobby. This book is no different. The title says 8 track plans, but he threw in a ninth as a bonus. Plus he added tips on benchwork, sub-roadbed, roadbed and liftout bridges (usually necessary for spare-room layouts). Most of these layouts are big, but would easily fit in a basement, too. The bonus layout is a shelf only 80" long and could occupy a wall in just about any spare room, providing lots of switching action.

✔︎ Helpful Review?

The Hawk appeared on BBC 2 in 1995 as part of their Screen Two strand of TV Movies. It seems to have played in cinema two years earlier in 1993 though.

It's a weird one allegedly loosely based on the terrible case of Peter Sutcliffe, The Yorkshire Ripper. Unfortunately it just isn't convincing despite the veteran cast. Helen Mirren puts on a weird and not quite convincing cod-Northern accent, not sure if it is Yorkshire, Lancashire or RADA. Her character is as unbelievable as the accent. A housewife who suspects her husband might be the ripper, but without the depth of Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect, but it is difficult with a comparatively short runtime of 85 minutes. Then there's the car driving she does which which Steve McQueen would struggle to pull off. In addition to that madness there's some bizarre scripting choices including some racist jokes told in a Curry House and a fair amount of swearing for a TV movie of this time. To be fair there's only one Dennis Potter and one David Mamet. David Hayman does a fine job with the material and as a pro of TV direction and British film (The Bill, Finney, Firm Friends) stretches the low budget far and makes it look more expensive than it cost to make.

This film can be difficult to find. An expensive OOP DVD on Cinema Club might be the best way, but it doesn't look massively better than an upscaled VHS; I think largely because I'm suspecting this was shot on tape rather than the film stock. For a comparison between film and tape, TV Series Jack The Ripper (1988) with Michael Caine was shot on film and looks gorgeous.

1 person found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

The first series was an Irish production by the team behind Zig & Zag, Double Z Enterprises for Channel 4 / E4. I think Zig & Zag worked mainly because they timed it right. In the late 80s\early 90s there was a penchant for slightly risqué humour as well as TV that appealed to both children and (stoned) adults see also Maid Marion and Her Merry Men, The Crystal Maze and Rainbow.

The puppets Teddy T (a giant panda with a cigarette in his mouth) and Bronx Bunny (a brown bunny) some how manage to be even more grotesque than Zig & Zag. I'm not doubting the talent of Mick O'Mara and Ciaran Morrison, especially when it comes to voice acting and improv. I just don't like the characters.

This came out in 2003. The "American" series was 2007 and featured bigger guests. Unfortunately like a lot of TV at the time it suffers from featuring celebrities who were of the moment: Steve-O, Judy Reyes, Jessica Alba, Seymore Butts. And occasionally household names: Hugh Hefener, William Shatner, Bryan Cranston. It's basically interviews with the puppets swearing in every sentence with really crass comedy sketches such as, Teddy T (a giant panda) having sex with a woman to spoof porn films! And Sesame Street-style spoofs spelling out words like Skank Ho. I'm not offended or bothered by it, there's just no cleverness to it beyond the basic premise of spoofing Kid's educational TV. There a lot of crude comedies I find hilarious: Bottom, The Young Ones, Nathan Barley, Curb, F Is For Family, even the odd Hale and Pace sketch; unfortunately this isn't one of them.

Series 1 is still available on All4 for the curious. Series 2 is available on Prime USA.

✔︎ Helpful Review?

I saw Bronco supporting Free in 1970. Not really heard anything of them before that. I was impressed by them, especially the front man - Jess Roden. Bought the album Country Home the next day. Has some good tracks on it. "Time" and "Well Anyhow" are the stand out tracks. Still give it a spin every now and then. Ace of Sunlight is no better than average with one or two decent tracks.

2 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2010
Excellent and Enjoyable
This book is a real treat for any PE fan and history buff. The author shares his personal experiences as if he were sitting across the table with a cup of coffee. Very personable and even humorous at times. I found his interests to mirror my own and was delighted to find references to the minor details that are often undiscussed and left in the background. As an example there are two photos and personal informative text about the ACME traffic signals that were once unique to Los Angeles. Not a PE subject matter, but just as much a part of the times and places as the PE. Most of the photos were new to me as well as much of the information. The four elevation views of Oneonta Park Station and descriptive text are worth the price of the book themselves as are other detailed views, in this fan's opinion.
Now the bad part. The printing of the photos is a bit too light as is the weight of the paper. But then the price is right, I guess, in today's market. It is because of these two detractions that the book gets 4 stars from me. I heartily suggest it. Thanks, Mr.Long.

✔︎ Helpful Review?

Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2014
Good memories and information, poor photos
Great source for information not found elsewhere. The author relates his personal experiences, including the photographic. It's refreshing to have an opinionated author, even if you don't agree with all his opinions. He tries a dig at public ownership when telling of the yellow cars demise, by saying they were clean and free of dirt under private ownership. They were just as clean under public ownership, and it was not "politicians" who did-in the cars, but a pro-bus management crew. It's odd that he has coverage of the yellow cars until the end, his red car coverage stops in 1953 when a notorious private bus-loving owner (Metropolitan Coach Lines, owned by Jesse Haugh) bought them, and let them get filthy and rundown. A minor error is that April 8, 1961 is given as the date of the last red train to Long Beach, when actually it was the early morning of April 9.
A major drawback is that most of the photos are of terrible quality. They are washed out and grey, as if taken through a thick fog. I'd love to see this book in an edition with high quality photos.

✔︎ Helpful Review?

This was a really big deal, when it was released. Acornsoft pretty much threw the kitchen sink at it, marketing and packaging wise. The computer press duly took the bait and raved about it. The game won all kinds of awards. It was the first (and probably only) major-player video game which actually started life on the Beeb, rather than getting an after-thought port from some other platform. It was a remarkable programming achievement and demonstrated what could really be achieved on the Beeb, despite its oft-criticised lack of memory. So why do I dislike Elite so much ? Maybe it's because I expect to be able to actually get started with a game I've paid an arm and a leg for. The game appeared to demand that you learn how to slot a flying parcel through a rotating letterbox with millimetre accuracy, before you were allowed to discover what you shelled out all that cash for. My vivid recollections of Elite are not of the vast universe it opened up or the complexities of trading which it simulated, but of endlessly crashing into that bloody docking bay. (This rather reminds me of when my wife spent about 40 quid on a copy of Return To Castle Wolfenstein as a present and I couldn't get past the first 4 or 5 locations.) I suppose alarm bells should have been ringing when I opened the Elite manual. Software which comes with a 64-page (!!) manual isn't a game, it's a job of work. Even the novella was only 48 pages long! Any supposed game which needs a "quick reference guide" and a wall chart, because the manual is so fat, has clearly lost the plot. After a long day at work (ironically, writing computer software), I wanted much more instant gratification from my games. Unfortunately the trend to ever more "immersive" gameplay seems to have been one that the games industry has followed ever since. Now, where's my copy of Space Invaders ...

3 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?