Denis Dunstone

For the love of trains: the story of British tram and railway preservation. Hersham: Ian Allan, 2007. 192pp.
Covers the very early attempts, including some highly significant successes, at preservation especially of early locomotives, including the influence of Sir Henry Cole, a Civil Servant closely involved with the creation and running of the Great Exhibition and Bennet Woodhouse (1805-79) Superintendent of Specifications at the Patent Office from 1852 who created Brompton Boilers or Iron Museum. Clearly the hidden influence of Prince Albert was at work. F.P. Smith, (actually Sir Francis Petit Smith, inventor of the screw propeller, which seems to be unknown to Dunstone) Curator of the Patent Office Museum from 1860 was a major influence as he sought out early locomotives in the North East of England. In this way both Puffing Billy and Sans Pareil were secured for prservation.
The activities of the National Railway Museum Committee formed in 1896 are mentioned, although the bitter feud between Sekon and Stretton over its membership is not mentioned. This is a tactical error in the construction of the book as much effort has been wasted in wars over preservation, some of which is clearly evident in later chapters and see also Carter.
Excellent photographs, for once Norfolk is not ignored. Maps are infuriating, however. The scenic railway (i.e. fairground) nature of "preserved" railways has to be deduced rather than being spelt out. Many of the big names in railway preservation receive the recognition which their financial contributions deserve. Rolt (page 69) is described as an idiosyncratic individual.
Also Reviewed by Sandy Mullay in Backtrack, 2008, 22, 702: and by Peter Johnstone in J. Rly Canal Hist. Soc., 2008, 36, 118.