Along Different Lines: 70 Real Life Railway Stories

Running a railway is a complex business. However well-run it is there will always be surprises, often hilarious, frequently unexpected, sometimes serious. Here railway professionals recall notable incidents from across their careers on the railways, lovingly compiled by expert railwaymen and authors Geoff Body and Bill Parker. The incidents covered in this illustrated book include such bizarre ’everyday’ events as coping with hurricanes, rogue locomotives and runaway wagons, PR successes and otherwise, the Brighton Belle, Flying Scotsman and Mallard, training course capers, a wino invasion, trackside antics, the Eurostar backdrop, the birth of a prison, and royal and other special occasions. An enjoyable look back at life on the railways.

Geoff Body worked in the railway industry from 1945 to 1976 and wrote widely about railways and canals throughout his retirement. He wrote a wide number of articles and books, including Railway Oddities and Signal Box Coming up, Sir! Bill Parker’s 39-year railway career began at Doncaster in 1945 and progressed through to divisional manager at Kings Cross.