Perhaps for the first time a very readable book which takes you back to the very beginning of railways in Melbourne.

It's a fascinating story! Why the timing was right, how slowly at first, small operators started out, quite separately, eventually to join forces, or sell up to the all powerful Victorian Railways, which reigned supreme over the suburban rail network for close to 127 years.

Avoiding the temptation to get too bogged down in detail, it is a fascinating, often light-hearted account of how and why, the what ifs and some of the consequences. It includes rare photographs, hand-drawn maps and reproductions of original paintings by the author.

This entertaining book provides a rare look at Melbourne's own very special suburban transport system, written by someone who has experienced its inner workings first hand.