The first railway to reach Preston was the North Union (NU), with a line from Wigan in October 1838. By the turn of the nineteenth century there were some seventy stations within a 15-mile radius of Preston, with approximately half of these still in use in 2022. The variety of motive power to be seen at Preston over the years would rival any station in the entire UK railway network.

Mike Rhodes has recorded the railway scene in the locality for over sixty-five years and has been active with a camera since just before the curtain came down on BR steam in 1968, with nearby Lostock Hall MPD being the last functioning steam shed on BR. Here he explores the rails around Preston through fascinating images and informative captions.