Quotes of the Day

You don't need to know a bogie from a driving wheel to feel the romantic tug of the age of steam-train travel. A day spent aboard England's Cathedrals Express, chuffing from London to spired cities like Salisbury, Canterbury or Bath and back, is a mighty whiff of postwar nostalgia — and a glimpse into the obsessive otherworld of the trainspotters, who track locomotives the way some folks watch birds.

The service is run by the tiny Steam Dreams company with the aid of volunteers who maintain vintage locomotives like the 1945-built Bodmin. Its 1960s cars are wood-paneled, the seats broad. Whether you're riding Standard (from 357), First (3100) or Dining class (3145), there's no doubting the train's charm: heads turn, people wave, spotters jot numbers and take snaps. Diners get bubbly and a full English brunch on the way out, and a more nouvelle three courses coming home. Steam Dreams' 2003 timetable closes with a series of eight Christmas Carol Specials through December, which include concerts in the destination cathedrals. Book your seats at www.steamdreams.com.

• MICHAEL BRUNTON
• Let the train take the strain out of Christmas spirit