It is with justification that Steve Davies describes his schoolboy hobby of trainspotting as "much maligned and underrated". As a result of his enthusiasm he spent his entire working life on the railway. Initially he was based in Newport, South Wales, and then after a brief spell at Kings Cross he transferred to Ebbw Junction Diesel Depot in Newport before being made redundant and completing the remainder of his career at Westbury, Wiltshire. He was a messenger boy, clerk, assistant train driver, driver, instructor driver and trade union representative in a career that spanned 48 years from 1969 to his retirement in 2017.

• Introduction vii; 1 Early Days 1; 2 Working for a Living 4; 3Back to Ebbw -Temporarily 12; 4 Redundancy 33; 5 Westbury 41; 6 Driver Training 49; 7 Driver Davies 53; I Miss The Engine & Coaches 65; 8 Train Driving Techniques 71; Aslef Information Paper 96; 9 Bosses, Brothers and Others 100; 10 Passengers Not Customers 159; 11 Overcrowding 168; 12 Instructor Driver 175; Steve's Top Ten Tips 182; 13 Driver Error 184; 14 Alarming Experiences 194; 15 Faults and Failures 219; 16 Danger on the Line 233; Phonetic Family Fun 250; 17 Odd Jobs 251; 18 Winding Down and Retirement 264; Glossary 275

It is with justification that Steve Davies describes his schoolboy hobby of trainspotting as "much maligned and underrated". As a result of his enthusiasm he spent his entire working life on the railway. Initially he was based in Newport, South Wales, and then after a brief spell at Kings Cross he transferred to Ebbw Junction Diesel Depot in Newport before being made redundant and completing the remainder of his career at Westbury, Wiltshire. He was a messenger boy, clerk, assistant train driver, driver, instructor driver and trade union representative in a career that spanned 48 years from 1969 to his retirement in 2017.

• Introduction vii; 1 Early Days 1; 2 Working for a Living 4; 3Back to Ebbw -Temporarily 12; 4 Redundancy 33; 5 Westbury 41; 6 Driver Training 49; 7 Driver Davies 53; I Miss The Engine & Coaches 65; 8 Train Driving Techniques 71; Aslef Information Paper 96; 9 Bosses, Brothers and Others 100; 10 Passengers Not Customers 159; 11 Overcrowding 168; 12 Instructor Driver 175; Steve's Top Ten Tips 182; 13 Driver Error 184; 14 Alarming Experiences 194; 15 Faults and Failures 219; 16 Danger on the Line 233; Phonetic Family Fun 250; 17 Odd Jobs 251; 18 Winding Down and Retirement 264; Glossary 275