Well, well, well – was ever a more curious picture book offered to any wondering purchaser? No A1/A3/A4 No Princess Royal/Royal Scot/Patriot No MN/Schools No Grange/Manor No Britannia/Clan/5MT/9F and yet it shows the real life of the 1950s, the odd corners which would have no future. Has any railway book ever shared the wise words of a major author/a Poet Laureate/Eric Morecambe and that wise old owl Anon who so often, in a crisis, found the telling phrase (and if he couldn’t, I generally could).

Thinking back over a long life associated with railways but never an official part of them it’s amazing what I got away with; not many insurance men have had hold of an A4 on an Aberdeen – Glasgow (although I did have a pass for that) or regularly fired and drove the 17.00 Marylebone – Woodford as far as Amersham (the crews loved watching my starched white collar wilt and go grey with worry, my wife was less amused when I got home late and filthy). Now rising 90 I’ve had a new lease of life – thanks to a young man who took a punt at a venture, more, please!