Over the years Ian Allan Publishing has enjoyed great success with reprinting the classic 'Combined Volume 'abc' titles from the golden days of Britain's railways, a time before the Beeching cuts saw vast swathes of the railway network sadly consigned to the history book. This new reprint of the combined volume for 1954 is certain to be extremely popular. It covers a time of great change, when Britain's railways had been nationalised for six years and many of the relatively small and aged classes inherited from the 'Big Four' companies were rapidly disappearing. The 'abc' reprints have always found a ready market amongst those who were avid enthusiasts in their youth and who look back on their adolescence with great nostalgia. For a broader audience this book represents an excellent source of reference material, providing a magnificent snapshot of all the locomotives operating on Britain's railways at this significant moment in time. As such they are particularly useful guides for modellers, offering vital information essential for the recreation of the railway network as it existed at the time.