Preserved (or heritage) railways have, in the majority of cases, at least one working steam locomotive and either a diesel unit or a diesel locomotive. However, the main thing these railways need to keep them going is the general public coming along and riding the trains. It’s all very well having a decent-sized fleet of working locomotives, but without any carriages to carry people in, you might as well call your railway a museum. The carriages on a heritage railway are just as important as the locomotives.

With nearly 200 previously unpublished images, Royston Morris looks at some of these often-underappreciated stars of the preservation scene.

•  Previously unpublished images
• Reviews in specialist press
•  Latest Amberley railway book