I have always regarded Greece as the cradle of civilisation, but I had never considered it as a mecca for the railway buff until I visited Volos, home of thePelion Reilway, and read George Nathenas and Militsa Karathanou s book "Pelion Reilway". Both my visit and the have opened my eyes to the wealth of reilway heritage awaits the cognoscenti. For those who need to be persuaded to seek out the gems that are to be found on the Greek mainland. I think that it is fair to say that Greece was never a major manufacturer of locomotives, or railway equipment, with the result that it railways imported a diverse variety of these items, mostly from other European countries. Indeed, French influence was particularly strong in the development of the Hellenic system. This is particularly true of the railways emanating from Volos and the Pelion peninsular whose dramatic scenery inspired the construction of a highly scenic line, incorporating some major feats of engineering. [...] (David T Morgan)