The Model-Railway Men: Diary of a Railway Kid
Ray Pope, Gareth Floyd, Mark Pope
(Ray Pope Publishing, April 11, 2017)
The Model-Railway Men is a surreal and humorous adventure that records the continuing events surrounding the discovery on Marks model railway of a miniature family named after famous engineers.. Nothing strange about that you may say. Well that's exactly how Mark needs to keep it. Marks suspicious Mother might not be too pleased having them in the house. Set in the '70's, The first in what may be described as a 'Diary of a Railway Kid' book series introduces us to the miniature family and invites the reader to join Mark in his zany adventures with his small and somewhat vulnerable extended family, where the reader learns a little about railways and modelling, and a lot about relationships and fun. Not just written for males. Ladies play an active role. There is something for old and young rail and non rail fans who may like this fun series that adds real people into a model world which turns reality upside down, making young Mark something of a guardian for his small adult friends who bring his railway to life in a slightly Pythonesque way.The first in a series of 10 books that sees Mark and his small friends meet others, travel overseas, save railway lines from closure and have many other adventures. Do other people see the miniature people? Find out in later episodes. Recent comments."Great book. Brilliant!" Rod Stewart...a perfectly captured miniature world exquisitely realised, very charming and nostalgic. "Aardman". Mark's model-railway was the most important thing in the world to him. It was not just a toy but a carefully worked out system designed to operate as much like the real thing as possible. And for Mark, of course, the real thing meant the Southern and L.M.S. railways in the great age of steam. But what Mark did not realise, until he saw the pullover, was that he and his father were not the only 'steam' enthusiasts in the house. The pullover was so small as it lay on a bench at the end of the station platform on his railway. Old, torn and grubby as it was, and much too tiny even for a doll to wear, Mark realised at once that it was a real pullover. So he waited motionless, hardly daring to breathe, for its owner to come and claim it. That was how he met the first of the model-railway men, Telford. “Steam and the smell of oil" were what Telford and his sons and grand- sons loved and soon Mark was learning things about his railway that he had never known before. But the railway people were a big responsibility, too. They had to be kept hidden from his parents!Reviews of The Model Railway Men series include:-"For all proper----that is, steam age----railway enthusiasts this is a must....a tonic whiff of the grease-gun for all nostalgic fans." The Spectator."Plenty of expertise (and diagrams) for the technically minded; a drama in miniature for the rest." Naomi Lewis, Smith's Trade News."Railway enthusiasts will learn much with Mark, everybody will enjoy the warm humanity of the midget railway-men." The Birmingham Post.The Model Railway Men (Book 1)"A charming story about a family of tiny steam train enthusiasts....Mr. Pope brings to it a sense of characterisation and situation, plus a railway expertise that combine to make a very enjoyable book"School Librarian (The Journal of The School Library Association).Telford and the American Visitor (Book 2)"The Model-Railway people are growing in depth of character as they encounter more trials, and Mark is learning the cost of secrecy...the story is exciting and funny". School LibrarianThe Model Railway Men Take Over (Book 3)"This book combines the 'romance of steam' with the miniature which most children enjoy."Times Literary Supplement