Steve Davies spent 48 years working in the railway industry from 1969 to 2017. His insider’s view of the railways is presented in an easy to read style that will appeal to those in the industry as well as those for whom the jargon would be incomprehensible without Steve’s explanations. He started work as a messenger boy and in 1982 he took his first driving turn. He subsequently kept 148 notebooks recording the details of all the trains he had driven including details of trains, times, number of coaches or tonnage of freight hauled. This fascinating insight into the day-to-day workings of the railway industry will be of interest to railway workers, enthusiasts and all of us who have ever wondered What’s it really like to drive a train? .