Anthony Burton has travelled from the Highlands of Scotl&, to the south west of England in pursuit of his passion for the steam engine in all its different forms. He has travelled on narrow gauge railways in Wales & enjoyed the splendour of main line journeys behind some of the grandest locomotives ever built. He has shovelled coal into the boiler of an old Clyde Puffer, while steaming down Scotland`s west coast, & luxuriated in the elegance of a Windermere steam launch. He has marvelled at the magnificence of the great Victorian pumping engines & their elaborately decorated engine houses
- & spends time every year helping to oil & polish an old mill engine to get it ready to receive visitors. He has revelled in the fun of the steam fair & shared a ride in a replica of Richard Trevithick`s extraordinary steam carriage with a direct descendant of the great engineer. All these experiences & more are brought together in this lively narrative, in which the author shares his own sense of excitement & places each visit within its historical context. Above all, this book is a tribute to all those anonymous volunteers whose hard work & dedication have kept this great tradition alive.