Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
Wow! That's excellent news! The very best of British with the venture!
Trade Titfield Thunderbolt News
- Thread starter Simon
- Start date
Steph Dale
Western Thunderer
Jim,
Titfield Swan surely. Wild Thunderbolt sounds a bit too bombastic...!
Steph
Titfield Swan surely. Wild Thunderbolt sounds a bit too bombastic...!
Steph
queensquare
Western Thunderer
I do hope not. The way Wild Swan books are produced may be old fashioned but the products are beautiful and, in my opinion, still the market leader.
Jerry
D816Foxhound
Western Thunderer
Congratulations, and good luck Simon.
Dreadful!
Roger
Dreadful!
Roger
queensquare
Western Thunderer
Wild Swan produce, and I'm sure will continue to produce under Simon's watch, the very best in railway publishing. They have never been 'daft duck'. I'm sure a website will come along in due course but they have always managed very well without. What purpose would it serve beyond a list of what's available (possibly useful but available elsewhere) and an endless source of pointless frothing material for sights like this regarding what's coming next, what they should do etc etc.
I for one have always found the criticism directed at Wild Swan for its reluctance to embrace all the modern age has to offer just for the sake of it rather tiresome.
Christmas grumble over
Jerry
SimonT
Western Thunderer
Jerry, while I agree with your sentiment, I disagree with your argument. For my last 9 years in the RAF I was involved in the production of aircrew documents. These documents stand with Nuclear documentation in their standards of production, clarity, content and accuracy. Just before I joined Handling Sqn we switched from hand lay up of Camera Ready Copy to electronic production of .pdf for the printers. This also involved a radical overhaul of our QA process and an improvement in the quality of the printing. Simply, we improved our documentation by switching to electronic.
Electronic production is more economic in the long run and more flexible. An author's text is only typed the once, by the author, and it is then edited during the production process. Design is design no matter if it is implemented on a paste board or a computer. The irony of the Wild Swan process is that ultimately the CRC is processed by the printers onto their Macs to produce the plates. I would hope that costs do not force the priniting to be outsourced to Bulgarian printer as has been done by Ian Allen .
Either way, I look forward to seeing how Simon develops Wild Swan.
All the best
Simon
So the news is out at last! Very well done to you Simon and the very best of luck in taking WSP forward - it really couldn't have gone to a safer pair of hands and I am delighted for you!
And well said Jerry - I couldn't agree more! I have never understood why people get so wound up about how the best books in railway publishing are produced - all anyone has to do is buy them and it's no skin off their noses how the books are produced. After you with the 'bah humbug' hat!
Gerry
And well said Jerry - I couldn't agree more! I have never understood why people get so wound up about how the best books in railway publishing are produced - all anyone has to do is buy them and it's no skin off their noses how the books are produced. After you with the 'bah humbug' hat!
Gerry
Railwaymaniac
Western Thunderer
Wow! - As the rest of them said, "Well done, keep it up!" 
And all best wishes for the future ....
Ian
And all best wishes for the future ....
Ian
queensquare
Western Thunderer
I can see your point Simon but what is often underestimated regarding the aesthetic beauty of the books is the skill and input of Paul Karou as a book designer. The paste up is the way he likes to work and, having seen it done first hand I can see why. Who can argue with the results.
Jerry
Buckjumper
Flying Squad
Excellent news Simon, very pleased for you. I can't think of anyone more appropriate to take WS forward.
Steve Sykes
Member
Many congratulations, Simon. Looking forward to seeing how you develop the marque. Onwards and upwards!
Steve
Steve
Osgood
Western Thunderer
I can't see that appearing before the History of The Camerton Branch trilogy and Early Locomotives of the Liverpool & Manchester Rly
daifly
Western Thunderer
Simon
Flying Squad
Daft Duck, that's nothing - according to Ann Karau a well respected railway and museum fellow in the Midlands has been cheerfully referring to said organisation as Dead Duck for years - while Horsetan over on RMweb rather charmingly refers to it as Domestic Duck.
Hmm Titswan Wilderbolt, Titfield Swan, Wild Thunderbolt, Titwild Thunderswan, Wildfield Swanbolt - just how am I going to answer the phone in 2015?!?
Seriously, thank you all very much for all your good wishes and expressions of confidence. I am touched and will be trying my very hardest to maintain the very high standards set over the last thirty five years of publishing activity.
I have huge admiration for the achievement of Paul and June in setting Wild Swan and for the books that have been produced since. Without taking anything away from anyone else it stands as a remarkable achievement I think and in more recent years has also seen various high quality journals being produced alongside the books, by now with Ann's inimitable input too.
I am sure some things will change with time and production methods may be one of them, but rest assured that it is Paul's continuing enthusiasm and support for the project that really makes it very exciting for me.
There is lots to think about and do, but I do not intend to institute any changes for changes sake. Current concerns are the management and logistics of the change over, the Christmas break being quite helpful in that context.
I also hope to be making some modest announcements about future intentions in the New Year.
Thank you again for your best wishes for the venture, very much appreciated.
Simon
Hmm Titswan Wilderbolt, Titfield Swan, Wild Thunderbolt, Titwild Thunderswan, Wildfield Swanbolt - just how am I going to answer the phone in 2015?!?
Seriously, thank you all very much for all your good wishes and expressions of confidence. I am touched and will be trying my very hardest to maintain the very high standards set over the last thirty five years of publishing activity.
I have huge admiration for the achievement of Paul and June in setting Wild Swan and for the books that have been produced since. Without taking anything away from anyone else it stands as a remarkable achievement I think and in more recent years has also seen various high quality journals being produced alongside the books, by now with Ann's inimitable input too.
I am sure some things will change with time and production methods may be one of them, but rest assured that it is Paul's continuing enthusiasm and support for the project that really makes it very exciting for me.
There is lots to think about and do, but I do not intend to institute any changes for changes sake. Current concerns are the management and logistics of the change over, the Christmas break being quite helpful in that context.
I also hope to be making some modest announcements about future intentions in the New Year.
Thank you again for your best wishes for the venture, very much appreciated.
Simon