Seeing Colin again at the E&TV railway reconstruction is a pleasure in itself – his quirky humour, passion for railway and inexhaustible knowledge are certainly entertaining – but learning from the site he built and staying in the railway carriage is a very special experience.

The map below shows, in black, the railway lines that were decommissioned a few decades ago. Those of us that have grown up with a rubbish railway connection service may think that it has always been that way. It has not. Many of the lines are still 80 or even 90% intact and were decommissioned not because they were unprofitable, but as part of a policy move towards car use.

For forty years Colin has been campaigning for the reinstatement of the railways. He lives what he preaches, having reconstructed a section personally, and travelling around by bike, train, and occasionally this highly efficient mini truck called Bee.