During the nineteenth century, as the railways developed at an extraordinary pace, people began to build models of locomotives to either show how the finished engine would look when constructed or, more usually, so that they could see the locomotive in a much smaller scale than the original. One such modeller, Sir Arthur Percival Heywood, believed that railways with a gauge as small as 15 inches could prove useful for businesses and private estates alike. Thus began the miniature railway scene, with the Cagney brothers of the United States soon transforming miniature railways into tourist attractions. Before long, they were popular in the UK and have seen a surge of popularity over the last decade.
With a collection of photographs documenting locomotives and rolling stock of all gauges between 31/2 and 15 inches, Royston Morris offers a charming look at the current British scene.
