Bob Gwynne – författare

The Flying Scotsman is probably the most famous railway locomotive in the world. It first caused a sensation for its beauty and its speed in 1923, and it soon became a national icon. The fastest and most comfortable way of travelling between London and Scotland, The Flying Scotsman only got faster and more luxurious as competition from other routes, airlines, and the motor car threatened. From 1928 it began running non-stop, an achievement that earned it yet more attention. This superbly illustrated book celebrates the much-loved locomotive, the train that shared its name, the route it took, and how it captured the imagination of the nation.

The Flying Scotsman is probably the most famous railway locomotive in the world. It first caused a sensation for its beauty and its speed in 1923, and it soon became a national icon. The fastest and most comfortable way of travelling between London and Scotland, The Flying Scotsman only got faster and more luxurious as competition from other routes, airlines, and the motor car threatened. From 1928 it began running non-stop, an achievement that earned it yet more attention. This superbly illustrated book celebrates the much-loved locomotive, the train that shared its name, the route it took, and how it captured the imagination of the nation.

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' locomotives like 'Tornado' and shows how once-discarded backwaters of the national network have become flourishing enterprises, some of which are even now slowly being re-integrated into Britain's transport mix.