Summary

From Euston, near the site of one of the earliest experiments with steam locomotion, through 400 miles of English and Scottish countryside to Glasgow, the journey has much to offer. Hills and mountains, estuaries, rivers, and valleys and even a glimpse of the west coast of England combine with manmade features such as viaducts and cuttings, tunnels and embankments, as well as churches, cathedrals, castles, Roman roads, canals, and motorways, to provide a microcosm of Britain that will engage the traveler's attention along the way. The West Coast Main Line is one of the major trunk routes in Britain, an amalgam of some of the country's oldest railways, including Stephenson's London & Birmingham Railway and the Grand Junction Railway. David Packer illustrates the full variety of motive power, as well as a wealth of other trains, both passenger and freight, which used the same spectacular line.