In Rails Around Preston, Mike Rhodes describes and illustrates the railway history and operations in and around the town since the 1960s.

Published in March 2025 by Amberley Publishing and written by Mike Rhodes, this soft-cover book measures around 23.4 cm x 16.5 cm, has 96 pages and 180 illustrations.

It has a published price of £15.99, but at the time of writing, it can be purchased for £14.39 from Amberley Publishing and for £12.39 from Amazon.

A five-page introduction provides a detailed history of the railways in Preston, starting in 1838 with a line from Wigan, and at one time, there were around 70 stations within a 15-mile radius of the city.

Mike Rhodes’ recollections are highlighted in extensive and very detailed captions that provide the background to this superb collection of photographs illustrating the area’s railways from just before the end of BR steam in 1968.

The Railway Clearing House map shown below dates from 1933, and clearly shows the extent of railways around Preston, and the large number of opportunities for railway enthusiasts to capture many different services.

The introduction also includes a very detailed map of the Preston station and the immediate surrounding area.

The photos below highlight how much more interesting railway operations were 40 years ago, whilst the caption at the top left describes what, today, would be a Health & Safety nightmare, when the station would have been closed for many months during reconstruction.

There can be no greater contrast in travelling by rail today than comparing the much-maligned Class 142 ‘Pacer’ at the bottom left and a recreation of a Midland Pullman at the top right.

Despite the apparently homogenous motive power on Britain’s railways, at some places, such as Preston, there is still variety to be seen.

A superb illustration of the extensive captions accompanying the book’s photographs is the pages below, which describe, in addition to the illustrated services, a brief history of the route on which they are running.

This book is a real eye-opener for anyone unaware of Preston as a railway city.

It will be familiar to many as a stop on the West Coast Main Line, but, as shown by the many different locations and train services among the extensive selection of photographs, it is a mecca for railway enthusiasts.

The Introduction is commendable, with two very clear and detailed maps.

Mike Rhodes does an admirable job in conveying this attraction through the superbly detailed captions accompanying the many photographs that together show the variety of services and lines around Preston.

The book would make an ideal addition to any railway bookshelf.

As such, it merits a rating of 5/5.

The book is available to purchase from Amazon and from Amberley Publishing.

We would like to thank Amberley Publishing for providing us with a copy of the book for review.