Ok, it may not be in the best condition and the photos, apart from the cover, are in black and white, but I love this little book.

I’ve had it since childhood and I still love to read the information and study the pictures. I’m not a railway buff, but I think I could have been if I had allowed myself to get drawn into that world.

As a boy, I used to dream of visiting these places, experiencing the different European and other cultures, which all had their own distinction.

I fear much of that uniqueness is disappearing, along with the trains. Of all the countries, Switzerland does appear to be retaining its sense of place, aided no doubt by its particular geographic location.

copyright Francis Barker 2020