Trace the foot-steps of James (Jim) Lester in this account of his life time fascination with Southern steam locomotives. Born during the war in 1942, he later discovered as a schoolboy that his local station at Chertsey was originally a branch line terminus with a locomotive depot dating back to the LSWR days in 1848. Such memories and a continuing interest that then led to a railway career that spanned a total of 47 years that started back in 1957 at Nine Elms, Battersea.

Share his initial early observations as a 15 year-old Engine Cleaner, then follow the progress of his footplate life in those times and the eventual end of an era, the last decade of steam.

Meet also some of the senior Enginemen that influenced him as a young man, and join him on the footplate on several trips and experience the events as they really happened. Finally, witness the build up to, and the emerging events, that occurred on the last occasion a steam locomotive was used to haul a state funeral train, that of the late Sir Winston Churchill in 1965.

88 pages, 8 in colour, printed on art paper with copious illustrations.
21.5 x 22.4cm, ISBN 978-1-906419-27-1

Available @ £11.95 direct from the publisher online at Kevin Robertson Books, or by post to Kevin Robertson Books, PO Box 279, Corhampton, SOUTHAMPTON, Hants. SO32 3ZN (Tel. 01489-877880).

It is POST-FREE in the UK. For additional postage costs to Europe and Worldwide, please email Kevin Robertson Books.