A great deal is being said about out of date equipment of British Railways, the need for increased efficiency, and so on. This book shows some of the problems that British Railways have to face, such as traffic congestion, gradients, and sheer weight of business. The overall picture is sketched in by a series of individual examples. The problem of peak holiday traffic  are shown as they affect the terminal working at Waterloo, the Western Region in South Devon, and a heavily graded cross country route like the Somerset and Dorset. The development and use of motive power is exemplified by the modern practice of engine testing, the utilisation of Britannia class engines in East Anglia, and the comparison of the steam locomotive with other forms of motive power.

The many excellent photographs taken specially for this book illustrate serious facets of operation in unusually detailed and animated form.