Most people, rail enthusiasts or not, have heard of steam locomotive names such as Flying Scotsman and Mallard.

A multitude of loco names were inspired by the Royal Family and other famous people; famous buildings such as castles, halls and manors; countries of the British Empire and so on. The list and variety of names applied seemed endless.

Today the railway is a very different place.

The variety of train operators, both past and present, means there is no universal code of practice as to whether names are carried. Nevertheless, a glance through a list of today’s locos and units reveals a considerable number and variety of names applied.

This book takes a look at around 100 of those names and digs a little deeper to come up with the stories behind them, accompanied by a close-up of the nameplate and a shot of the loco or unit in action.