Blowing Off Steam

This is one of those biographies that hooks you in the first few pages and doesn't let you go until you reach the terminus!

Jack Backen is representative of just what a vision of a steam-age railwayman conjures up in the mind of all those who remember the era of steam. When every boy wanted to be a train driver, Jack Backen was! Here he relates the story of growing up in the job, the hard work, the long hours, the dirt and the grime.

The 'blood, sweat and tears' of life on the footplate. The straining of muscle and sinew, the throwing of the coal through the relatively small firebox doors, the climb up onto the tender to move coal forward, the taking on of water, the thrill of racing along on the level contrasted with the choking gases encountered in the tunnels. It's all here, related with probably the most important requirements of all - enthusiasm and a wry sense of humour!

Illustrated throughout, this is a treat for enthusiasts young and old, while those with an interest in the biographies of 'every day people' will delight in the pace and detail within these pages.