Illustrated Book Of The Week : Let Me Drive

What do you want to be when you grow up? A fireman? A nurse? A fairy princess?

If, even now, the answer is "a railway driver", then we have the book for you.

Brian Fawcett's 'Let Me Drive' is the ultimate 1950's how-to manual for the junior steam engine fanatic. It's not really a story book, more a beginners guide to the technicalities of working on an 'iron horse'.




Opening a page at random you're informed that "Mid Gear keeps the valves covering the steam ports to the cylinder, and can be used to stop in the event of a Regulator Rod breaking when the valve is open..."

Fascinating.




Still, even if the text is a little dry, it's the unusual combination of 'Boys Own' type illustrations with technical drawings that makes us want to jump aboard and stoke the engines.




Time to go into the attic and dig out the old Hornby set, I think.