 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2010) |
 Ian Allan Publishing's Shepperton building in 2008 | |
| Founded | 1942 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Ian Allan |
| Defunct | 2020 |
| Country of origin | England |
| Headquarters location | Shepperton |
| Publication types | Books |
| 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.
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]
- ^ "Ian Allan". Exec. Norwich: White Digital Media. 31 May 2007. Archived from the original on 4 December 2008. Retrieved 13 May 2010.
- ^ Interview for "The Last Days of Steam", Timeshift, BBC Four, broadcast 5 April 2012
- ^ a b Ian Allan…the man who launched a million locospotters The Railway Magazine issue 1174 February 1999 pages 20-27
- ^ "Trainspotting explained and its rise and fall". Rail. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ Hewitt, Sam (13 January 2017). "Era ends as Ian Allan quits railway publishing business". Heritage Railway. Mortons.
- ^ Thank you and Bon Voyage Ian Allan Publishing