Jordan's Guide to British Steam Locomotives by Owen Jordan (The King's England Press, £14.95)

BUY a first class ticket, grab a seat with its back to the engine and if you must put your head out of the window, mind you don't get grit in your eyes.

In the country that invented the steam engine travelling by train in the 21st Century comes as a bit of a joke.

For those of who can remember, the pre and post-war years before the advent of Dr Beeching and nationalisation are times filled with the fondest of recollections ... clean stations, courteous staff and above all, timetables that ran like clockwork.

But Jordan begs to differ. His re-telling of the tale that put the United Kingdom on the track to a transport of delight punches a hole straight through the memory banks.

He maintains that what is wrong with the railways today, is the result of seeds sown as long ago as 1914.

Decisions made then, have brought us to the signal failures of the system today and maybe, just maybe, the end of the line is in sight.

Here is a book for anyone who spent a childhood on the end of a platform with a thermos and an Ian Allen - and for anyone who daily struggles with traffic snarl-ups both on the motorway and through towns clogged with lorries wondering just what did happen to the age of the train?

David Chapman