The Golden Age of Steam
The days of the 1950s and 1960s steam trains have been brought back to life in a new book featuring locomotives from the Croydon area.
Surrey Steam is a new book documenting the golden era of the steam train, celebrating its lifespan throughout the country - including Croydon.
The books author, 54 year old Michael Welch from West Sussex, is a die-hard steam train fanatic and has even gone as far being arrested chasing his hobby.
He said : "I travelled widely throughout Great Britain to see steam trains before the end of steam traction on British Rail in 1968". "I have also visited nearly every European country and was arrested several times for photographing steam locomotives in former Iron Curtain countries, where railways were regarded as a military installation."
Michael worked for British Rail but was made redundant in 1995 and he now devotes most of his time to writing books about steam railways.
He is a volunteer on the Bluebell Railway in Sussex, working on the restoration of coaches. His first book was published in 1980 and he is currently working on two more albums to be published in 2002.
Surrey Steam is published by Capital Transport and is available from WH Smiths in the Whitgift Centre, Croydon, prices at £8.95. ISBN number 1854142380.