The complete steam news magazine

Off the shelf: 4 August 2011

This month's book reviews by Heritage Railway.

From models to the real thing, you’ll find much to inspire you in our selection of good reads & DVDs.

If you have a title you'd like us to review, please drop the HR team a line from our contact page.

Little Peter’s Railway Surprise Goods

by Christopher Vine (softback, 32 pages, £2.99, ISBN 978 0 9553359 6 9)

The author’s hardback series of children’s railway stories is now familiar, this is one of a series of smaller softback books.

This one, only stretching credibility very slightly, tells of an electric train stranded by a power failure being rescued by a diesel which in turn also fails. Being not too far from York, salvation eventually arrives in the shape of record-breaking A4 Pacific Mallard no less, specially steamed by the museum authorities.

With several original watercolour illustrations, these are attractive productions and combine children’s entertainment with a degree of educational value as well.