Ian Allan Publishing
Product brand
UnclaimedBritish specialist publisher known for books and periodicals about railways, transport, aviation, military history, and Freemasonry.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Ian Allan Publishing was an English specialist publisher established in 1942 by Ian Allan. The company originated in the railway-publication business. Allan was working in the public-relations department of the Southern Railway at Waterloo station when he began receiving frequent requests for information about locomotives and rolling stock. He responded by assembling the information into a reference book, ABC of Southern Locomotives. Its success helped establish the company and contributed to the growth of trainspotting as a popular leisure activity in Britain. From this railway-focused beginning, Ian Allan developed into a broad transport publisher. Its catalogue covered steam and modern railways, railway preservation, buses, trams, trolleybuses, civil aviation, military aviation, naval and maritime subjects, and other forms of transport history and operation. The company's books were generally aimed at enthusiasts, collectors, researchers, preservationists, and readers seeking heavily illustrated specialist references. The business also operated retail bookshops and sold publications through specialist channels, including transport and aviation events and mail order. A significant part of the company's expansion came through acquisitions and the development of imprints. It acquired the Locomotive Publishing Company in 1956, Oxford Publishing Company from Haynes Publishing in 1998, Midland Publishing in 1999, and Classic Publications in 2002. Midland Publishing was associated with illustrated military- and civil-aviation references, while Classic Publications strengthened the company's position in aviation history, particularly books concerning the Second World War. Midland Counties Publications, which had originated as an aviation-sales operation in the 1970s, was also brought into the group. Another important imprint was Lewis Masonic, which published ritual books for lodges and chapters under the United Grand Lodge of England as well as wider Masonic titles. Ian Allan was also active in enthusiast magazines. Its periodical portfolio included railway titles such as Modern Railways, Railways Illustrated, Modern Locomotives Illustrated, and Railway World, as well as Hornby Magazine and other model-railway publications. Transport titles included Buses, Buses Focus, Bus & Coach Preservation, Vintage Roadscene, and publications related to trams and light rail. Aviation magazines included Aircraft Illustrated, later retitled Classic Aircraft, and Combat Aircraft. Through its relationship with the Light Rail Transit Association, the company published Modern Tramway and its successor titles and continued to provide printing or distribution services for later LRTA periodicals. The Lewis Masonic imprint also published The Square, a Masonic magazine. The magazine business changed substantially in the 2010s. Key Publishing acquired the Ian Allan magazines that remained in print in March 2012. At the end of 2016, Ian Allan announced that it would withdraw from railway publishing, with Crécy Publishing acquiring the relevant railway titles and imprints, including Oxford and ABC. The company subsequently continued operating bookshops for a period, but the remaining stores closed over time: Cardiff in 2015, Manchester Piccadilly in 2016, Birmingham in 2019, and the Lower Marsh shop in London in October 2020. These developments marked a retreat from the company's historic railway retail and publishing presence, although the available reference material does not establish whether the legal entity itself remains active or define its current business scope.
History
Ian Allan Publishing began in 1942 when Ian Allan, employed in the Southern Railway's public-relations department at Waterloo station, created a reference work to answer recurring public questions about locomotives and rolling stock. The resulting ABC of Southern Locomotives became successful and helped turn railway spotting into a widely recognized British hobby. The publication's reception provided the foundation for a company initially focused on railway enthusiasts and railway reference material. The business expanded over subsequent decades from small-format locomotive and rolling-stock guides into a major specialist transport publisher. Its subjects included steam railways, contemporary railway operations, railway preservation, buses, trams, trolleybuses, civil aviation, military aviation, shipping, and maritime history. The company built a reputation for practical, illustrated books serving enthusiasts, collectors, preservation societies, transport professionals, and historians. Its headquarters were located at the western end of Shepperton railway station in Surrey, linking the business geographically and symbolically to its railway publishing origins. Acquisitions broadened both the catalogue and the company's publishing infrastructure. The Locomotive Publishing Company joined the business in 1956. Oxford Publishing Company was acquired from Haynes Publishing in 1998, and Midland Publishing followed in 1999. Midland Publishing developed a specialist list focused especially on illustrated military-aviation subjects from the Second World War to the present, alongside civil-aviation reference works. Classic Publications, another aviation publisher, was added in 2002 and reinforced Ian Allan's presence in the Second World War aviation market. Midland Counties Publications, founded in the 1970s to sell aviation books at events and by mail order, was also associated with the group. The company operated several editorial identities rather than relying on one uniform catalogue. Its railway and transport interests were represented by the Ian Allan and Oxford names, while Midland and Classic were particularly associated with aviation. Lewis Masonic formed a distinct Masonic publishing arm. That imprint supplied ritual books used by lodges and chapters under the United Grand Lodge of England and also carried general Masonic reference and informational works. From the 1990s, much of the company's broader Masonic list was consolidated under Lewis Masonic. Periodical publishing was another central activity. Railway and model-railway titles included Modern Railways, which developed from earlier railway periodicals, Railways Illustrated, Modern Locomotives Illustrated, Railway World, Hornby Magazine, Model Railway Constructor, and related publications. Bus and road-transport interests appeared in Buses, Buses Focus, Bus & Coach Preservation, and Vintage Roadscene. Aviation titles included Aircraft Illustrated, which began in 1968 and later became Classic Aircraft after changing its editorial focus, and Combat Aircraft. The company also published transport-related magazines that were later discontinued or sold. Ian Allan maintained a long publishing relationship with the Light Rail Transit Association. From 1962 to 2007 it jointly published Modern Tramway, later known as Light Rail and Modern Tramway. The title subsequently became Tramways & Urban Transit. Ian Allan continued to provide printing and some distribution services for that periodical and printed the LRTA's historical journal Tramway Review. The Lewis Masonic division published The Square, a quarterly Masonic periodical. The company also produced transport- and military-history videos, eventually using the Ian Allen SBS Video name for some releases. In later years, portions of this archive were reused for television broadcast, although that later broadcast activity was separate from the company's principal historical publishing role. The 2010s brought a substantial restructuring. Key Publishing acquired the Ian Allan magazines that remained in print in March 2012. In late 2016, Ian Allan announced its withdrawal from railway publishing. Crécy Publishing acquired the affected railway titles and related imprints, including Oxford and ABC. The retail network contracted as well: the Cardiff shop closed in 2015, Manchester Piccadilly in 2016, Birmingham in 2019, and the Lower Marsh store in London in October 2020. The available reference material does not confirm the company's present legal status or identify current executives, owners, or ongoing publishing operations.
- 2020
Last documented bookshop closes
[1]The Lower Marsh shop in London closed in October, ending the company's documented retail-bookshop network.
- 2016
Withdrawal from railway publishing announced
[1]Ian Allan announced its exit from railway publishing, with Crécy Publishing acquiring the affected titles and imprints.
- 2012
Magazine portfolio acquired by Key Publishing
[1]Key Publishing acquired the Ian Allan magazines that were still in print.
- 2003
Railway World replaced by Railways Illustrated
[1]Railways Illustrated replaced Railway World within the company's railway-magazine portfolio.
- 2002
Classic Publications added
[1]Classic Publications joined the group, strengthening its illustrated aviation and Second World War publishing.
- 1999
Midland Publishing acquired
[1]The acquisition added a specialist aviation list covering military and civil aviation.
- 1998
Oxford Publishing Company acquired
[1]The Oxford Publishing Company was acquired from Haynes Publishing and became part of Ian Allan's railway and transport publishing portfolio.
- 1968
Aircraft Illustrated begins publication
[1]Ian Allan launched Aircraft Illustrated, an aviation magazine covering civil aviation, airliners, current news, and preservation.
- 1962
Modern Tramway publishing relationship begins
[1]The company began jointly publishing Modern Tramway with the Light Rail Transit Association, a relationship that continued through later title changes.
- 1956
Locomotive Publishing Company acquired
[1]Ian Allan Publishing expanded its railway publishing interests through the acquisition of the Locomotive Publishing Company.
Products and positioning
A specialist, enthusiast-oriented publisher combining illustrated reference books, periodicals, retail, and archival media across transport, aviation, railway, and Masonic subjects.
Railway reference book · 1942
ABC of Southern Locomotives
Ian Allan's first major publication, created to provide accessible information about Southern Railway locomotives and rolling stock. Its success established the company's railway reference model and helped popularize trainspotting in Britain.
Transport publishing
Railway and locomotive books
A broad range of books covering steam locomotives, modern railway operations, rolling stock, railway history, preservation, and enthusiast reference. The railway list formed the company's original specialty before its later withdrawal from the sector.
Aviation publishing
Aviation books
Illustrated civil- and military-aviation titles published through Ian Allan, Midland Publishing, and Classic Publications. The list included aircraft references, operational subjects, preservation, and aviation history, with particular strength in Second World War material.
Transport publishing
Transport books
Specialist titles on buses, coaches, trams, trolleybuses, historic road scenes, maritime subjects, and other transport themes. These books were generally aimed at enthusiasts, preservationists, and readers of transport history.
Masonic publishing imprint
Lewis Masonic
The company's Masonic imprint, producing ritual books for lodges and chapters under the United Grand Lodge of England and publishing wider Masonic reference material. The imprint also published The Square periodical.
Periodical publishing
Enthusiast magazines
The magazine portfolio included railway, model-railway, bus, road-transport, aviation, and light-rail titles such as Modern Railways, Railways Illustrated, Hornby Magazine, Buses, Vintage Roadscene, Aircraft Illustrated, and Combat Aircraft.
Transport and military-history video
Ian Allen SBS Video
A video label used for releases concerning railway lines, transport subjects, and military history. Some archive material was later reused for television broadcast.
Brand decisions
2016
Exit from railway publishingStrategyBackground
Railway publishing had been the company's founding and most recognizable specialty, but the business announced at the end of 2016 that it would withdraw from the sector.
Action taken
Ian Allan transferred the affected railway titles and related imprints, including Oxford and ABC, to Crécy Publishing.
Aftermath
The decision marked a major retreat from the company's historic railway publishing role. Ian Allan continued operating bookshops for a period, while its magazine portfolio had already been acquired by Key Publishing in 2012.
2012
Transfer of magazines to Key PublishingM&ABackground
Ian Allan maintained a substantial enthusiast-magazine portfolio, but the periodical business was separated from the company's remaining operations.
Action taken
Key Publishing acquired the Ian Allan magazines that remained in print.
Aftermath
The transaction moved many of the company's continuing enthusiast periodicals to another specialist publisher.
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