Confessions of A Steam-Age Ferroequinologist

ferroequinologist (noun) Someone who studies the 'Iron Horse' (i.e. trains and locomotives). From the Latin ferrus 'iron' and equine 'horse' + -logist As the British steam era drew to a close, a young Keith Widdowson set out to travel on as many steam-hauled trains as possible - documenting each journey in his notebooks. In Confessions of a Steam Age Ferroequinologist, he cracks these books open and blows off the dust. His self-imposed mission, that of riding behind as many Iron Horses as possible prior to their premature annihilation, led to hours of nocturnal travels, extended periods of inactivity in station waiting rooms, missed connections and fatigue. However, any downsides of his quest were compensated by the camaraderie found amongst a group of like-minded colleagues who congregated on such trains. This is a book that no self-respecting ferroequinologist should be without.

KEITH WIDDOWSON's 45-year career with British Railways began in June 1962, the majority of it spent diagramming locomotive and train crews. Now retired, he has written several books on his steam-chasing travels. He also writes articles for railway magazines and is a member of the Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway.