Published by my valued late friend and colleague Tim Dannels of Colorado, this was the definitive periodical for model engine aficionados world-wide for almost 60 years. Published up to six times a year, the Engine Collectors' Journal (ECJ) was a gold-mine of information for anyone having more than a passing interest in these little mechanical marvels which provide us with so much enjoyment. Sadly, the march of time finally forced Tim to end publication, the last-ever issue (no. 270) appearing in December 2022. At 87 years of age, I reckon that Tim had earned some time off! Sadly, Tim subsequently passed away in May 2024.  I miss him ..................

As you might expect with a publication which goes all the way back to 1963, much of the presented information, particularly that in the early issues, was collected and recorded "back then" when there were far more individuals among us with first-hand knowledge and experience of the engines concerned. Since many of these individuals have since left us, you couldn't collect this information today. This makes ECJ the only authoritative source for a great deal of model engine history - I use it all the time when writing my articles.

Because it's a hard-copy resource, finding a particular engine, company or individual among the 270 published issues can be a bit daunting, to say the least. Thankfully, Bill Bickel has painstakingly compiled a complete index for ECJ going right back to the original issue. This takes all the pain out of finding a given topic - you just look up the engine, company or individual of interest, and the Index tells you in which issues of ECJ you should look. I don't know how I managed without a copy - it's the ultimate key to unlocking the information so painstakingly assembled collected over so many years in the pages of Tim's wonderful Journal. Anyone interested in obtaining a copy of the Index should contact Bill Bickel directly. At US$25 for both parts, this is a bargain!