Following on from previous railway book reviews I have now re-read probably the ultimate classic on British railways. My uncle was a "top link" engine driver with the legendary GWR and introduced me to Tom Holt's book 50 plus years ago. It is as exciting and interesting now as it was then.
The book basically details how Britain's railways introduced a wide variety of safety devices as a direct result of lessons learned from accidents over the years. All the major accidents on Britain's tracks from the earliest days until the 1970's are discussed using information drawn from the official Railway Inspectorate reports, with a detailed analysis of what went wrong and exactly how it could have been avoided by the use of some new equipment or working practice changes.
I suspect all railway enthusiast have this book but it is so well written and interesting it will probably appeal to anyone with even just a passing interest in railways. Very highly recommended indeed.
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