Between the 1930s and 1960s, during the peak of Britain's railways, road hauliers were in stiff competition to transport goods. The commercial vehicles used during this period varied from articulated lorries to vans, trucks, recovery vehicles and wreckers. With photographs featuring a range of vehicle types and manufacturers both popular and obscure, Royston Morris offers an interesting insight into a range of surviving commercial vehicles dating from before 1960.

Preserved (or heritage) railways have, in the majority of cases, at least one working steam locomotive and either a diesel unit or a diesel locomotive. However, the main thing these railways need to keep them going is the general public coming along and riding the trains. It's all very well having a decent-sized fleet of working locomotives, but without any carriages to carry people in, you might as well call your railway a museum. The carriages on a heritage railway are just as important as the locomotives. With nearly 200 previously unpublished images, Royston Morris looks at some of these often-underappreciated stars of the preservation scene.

Featuring an array of previously unpublished images, Royston Morris documents the fascinating world of the vehicles and equipment that keep the nation's railways on track and on time. There are numerous machines that can carry out various different duties. These include tamping machines, ballast regulating machines, track relaying machines, ballast consolidating machines, stoneblowers, snowploughs and many more. During the 1980s road-rail vehicles were starting to appear, having been converted to such use. The two main companies who were doing these conversions were Rexquote Ltd in Somerset and Philmore Rail Ltd in Monmouthshire. These vehicles were usually excavators to begin with, though they also include lorries, land rovers and bulldozers. Perfect for enthusiasts and modellers alike, this is a fascinating look at the forgotten heroes of the rail network.