Re: Ways to support your tourist railroad and museums in these tough times

Here in the UK publisher Iain McCall of Mainline & Maritime has started a series of photo albums on a non-profit basis to support some of our heritage railways, which face much the same cash flow issues as heritage railroads in the US. The first is a book of photos of the 2ft 6ins gauge Welshpool & Llanfair which has been written by Oliver Edwards, one of the preservation society’s trustees, and draws on the railway’s photo archive. I’ve been asked to produce the second, a photo album of the 2ft 3ins gauge Talyllyn Railway, drawing on my photo collection. It wasn’t difficult to assemble the photos as we’ve been spending our summer family holidays at the railway for many years. Oliver’s book is due to be published any day now. Mine is at the printers and should be published some time this month. Writing it came with a deadline to submit the photos and text within 8 days, a first for me!

I’m sure that many of the skilled photographers who post regularly on the NGDF could do the same to support some of the US heritage lines if a sympathetic publisher stepped forward! I’ve been asked to produce a second album about narrow gauge steam railways in the Americas, again in support of the Talyllyn, and I’m currently writing it. Altogether it will contain 120 photos, 80 from the US, and also Canada (in the shape of the White Pass), and 40 from Central and South America. It should be published in July. I’m only a very occasional visitor to the Americas and I’m sure that many contributors to this forum must have enough photos to produce a really stunning album!

Best wishes,

James