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Winston Churchill's funeral locomotive: Battle of Britain class locomotive number 34051 "Winston Churchill" at the National Railway Museum, York. The engine hauled his funeral train to Oxfordshire where his body was buried at Bladon church Picture by Green Lane/Wikimedia
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Winston Churchill was a lifetime rail enthusiast who even made sure he had a train arranged for his funeral.
Britain's Second World War leader travelled by train throughout the world and it was the steam locomotive named after him that hauled his funeral train in 1965.
“Winston Churchill possibly rode more trains than any other prime minister in the world," said Tim Fischer who was launching his new book Trains Unlimited in the 21st Century.
“I am sure he would rejoice that London to Paris by train today is a little over two hours."
Mr Fischer, himself a former deputy prime minister of Australia, was at Leeming Bar on the Wensleydale Railway in Yorkshire today, 29 September 2012, to launch his book.
He said: “It is ironic that many meetings involving diplomats and diplomacy today now take place on the high speed rail networks of Europe, after years when diplomats and for that matter business people, would rarely travel by train."
He called on heads of state to use rail more.
Trains Unlimited in the 21st Century is published by ABC Books.
You can download an order form for the book from WR or send an sae marked "Trains Unlimited" to Wensleydale Railway, Leeming Bar station, Leases Road, Leeming Bar, Northallerton DL7 9AR.
Background: TU
More information: Tim Fischer phone: +61 427 271456