Flying Scotsman is probably the most famous railway locomotive in the world. When it was new in 1923 it caused a sensation for its beauty and its speed, and the engine found itself at the center of media attention that continued throughout the decade and made it a household name - to see it was the ambition of every young trainspotter.

But The Flying Scotsman was also a train. Since 1862 the 10am departure from London Kings Cross and Edinburgh Waverley had been the fastest and most comfortable way of travelling the length of the nation, and in 1923 it was officially titled The...

Sixty years after a disparate group of railway enthusiasts came together in a remote corner of rural Wales to run a train service - a true story that inspired the Ealing comedy The Titfield Thunderbolt - 'heritage railways' are a serious matter, bringing visitors, employment and a sense of local identity to regions throughout Britain. Bob Gwynne tells the story of this phenomenon and looks at the range of challenges that have been overcome to create the vibrant world of the Heritage railway that we enjoy today. The book ranges from the origins of railway preservation through to 'new build'...