Few events had a greater influence on Europe's railways in the 20th
century than the Second World War. As described in this book, thousands
of steam engines were produced for the conflict by all sides. Although
many were damaged during the war, most survived. Indeed, many of the
British and American engines arrived in Europe too late and were
immediately put into store. They and their German contemporaries were to
form a mainstay of the peacetime railways of Europe and Great Britain,
in many cases until the end of steam. Many other ex-war engines found
employment on the Continent's heritage railways.
The author first encountered these engines while trainspotting in the
late 1950s. At the end of GB steam he extended his interest to the
Continent. With the help of like-minded enthusiasts this book records
his pursuit of these engines, when they were still at work and in
preservation.