Bob Essery
British railway modeller and historian (1930–2021)
Robert John "Bob" Essery (22 November 1930 – 23 November 2021) was a British railway modeller and historian with a particular interest in the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) and one of its principal constituents, the Midland Railway (MR).
Essery was one of the founding members of the LMS Society in 1963, and particularly with David Jenkinson has authored many books. He worked in his early working years as a fireman on the LMS. Essery also established the historical journals Midland Record and LMS Journal. From 1999 in collaboration with the National Railway Museum, Essery with others have produced monographs on individual locomotive classes.
Bibliography
Locomotive Liveries of the LMS D Jenkinson & R J Essery 1967 B 0-711003-05-X Ian Allan
The LMS Coach D Jenkinson & R J Essery 1969 B 0-7110-0074-3 Ian Allan
British Goods Wagons R J Essery, D Rowland & W O Steel 1970 B 0-7153-4739-X David & Charles
Portrait of the LMS V R Anderson, R J Essery & D Jenkinson 1971 B 0-900586-32-X Peco
LMS Coaches 1923 - 57 D Jenkinson & R J Essery 1977 B 0-902888-83-8 Oxford Publishing Company
An Illustrated History of Midland Wagons Vol 1 R J Essery 1980 B 0-86093-040-8 Oxford Publishing Company
An Illustrated History of Midland Wagons Vol 2 R J Essery 1980 B 0-86093-041-6 Oxford Publishing Company
An Illustrated History of LMS Wagons Vol 1 R J Essery 1981 B 0-86093-127-7 Oxford Publishing Company
LMS Locomotives Vol 1 General Review D Jenkinson & R J Essery 1981 B 0-86093-087-4 Oxford Publishing Company
Midland Carriages (1877 0nwards) D Jenkinson & R J Essery 1984 B 0-86093-291-5 Oxford Publishing Company
Midland Locomotives from 1883 Vol 1 General Survey' D Jenkinson & R J Essery 1984 B 0-906867-27-4 Wild Swan Publications
LMS Locomotives Vol 2 Pre group Western & Central Div D Jenkinson & R J Essery 1985 B 0-86093-264-8 Oxford Publishing Company
LMS Locomotives Vol 4 Pre group Midland D Jenkinson & R J Essery 1987 B 0-947971-16-5 Silver Link
Midland Locomotives from 1883 Vol 2 Passenger Tender D Jenkinson & R J Essery 1988 B 0-906867-59-2 Wild Swan Publications
Midland Locomotives from 1883 Vol 3 Tank Engines D Jenkinson & R J Essery 1988 B 0-906867-66-5 Wild Swan Publications
LMS Locomotives Vol 5 Post group standards D Jenkinson & R J Essery 1989 B 0-947971-39-4 Silver Link
Midland Locomotives from 1883 Vol 4 Goods Tender D Jenkinson & R J Essery 1989 B 0-906867-74-6 Wild Swan Publications
LMS Standard Coaching Stock Vol 1 General Intro & NPCS D Jenkinson & R J Essery 1991 B 0-869034-50-0 Oxford Publishing Company
LMS Jubilees R J Essery & G Toms 1994 B 1-874103-17-8 Wild Swan Publications
LMS Locomotives Vol 3 Pre group Northern Div D Jenkinson & R J Essery 1994 B 1-857940-24-5 Silver Link
LMS Standard Coaching Stock Vol 2 Gen Service Gangwayed vehicles D Jenkinson & R J Essery 1994 B 0-869034-51-9 Oxford Publishing Company
LMS Reflections R J Essery & N Harris 1995 B 0-947971-09-2 Silver Link
Official Drawings of LMS Wagons Vol 1 R J Essery 1997 B 1-874103-30-5 Wild Swan Publications
Official Drawings of LMS Wagons Vol 2 R J Essery 1998 B 1-874103-33-X Wild Swan Publications
LMS & LNER Garratts R J Essery & G Toms 1998 B 0-906867-93-2 Wild Swan Publications
LMS Locomotive Profiles: No. 1 The Rebuilt Royal Scots F James, B D Hunt & R J Essery 1999 B 1-874103-49-6 Wild Swan Publications
Midland Engines: No. 1 The '1883' & '2228' Class Bogie Passenger Tanks F James, B D Hunt & R J Essery 1999 B 1-874103-50-X Wild Swan Publications
British Railway Modelling - A Century of Progress R J Essery 1 2000 B B.R.Modelling
Midland Engines: No. 3 The Class 2 Superheated 4-4-0's (483 Class Rebuilds) B D Hunt, R J Essery & F James 2000 B 1-874103-60-7 Wild Swan Publications
LMS Locomotive Profiles: No. 2 The Horwich Moguls F James, B D Hunt & R J Essery 2000 B 1-874103-56-9 Wild Swan Publications
Midland Engines: No. 2 The Class 3 Belpaire Goods Engines F James, B D Hunt & R J Essery 2000 B 1-874103-55-X Wild Swan Publications
LMS Standard Coaching Stock Vol 3 Non Corridor & Special purpose D Jenkinson & R J Essery 2000 B 0-869034-52-7 Oxford Publishing Company
Midland Engines: No.
The public source identifies “Bob Essery” as british railway modeller and historian (1930–2021). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Essery, British and railway.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Bob Essery”, the useful work is to connect “british railway modeller and historian (1930–2021)” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Biographical claims are most persuasive when dates, appointments and relationships can be traced to records created close to the events described. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 21, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q4932377. VIAF identifies the subject as 72634087. The Library of Congress control number is n50008997. 1 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1930, 2021, 1963 and 1999.
A concise life account rarely captures disputed attribution, private networks or the changing language used to describe a career. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
- Establishing names and roles
- Building a first chronology
- Locating cited institutions
Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Bob Essery”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Bob Essery primary sources, Bob Essery archive and Essery research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Bob Essery”?
- Which primary records establish identity, chronology and institutional ties?
- Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Bob Essery” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.