Across five continents, Julian Holland travelled on some of the world’s most remote and rugged railways, such as the Ferrocarril del Sur, climbing from Peru’s Pacific coast into the high Andes, but he also sought out less well-known railways kept alive by enthusiasts, tourists and heritage-minded governments. Here, he describes 50 journeys – under steam, diesel or electric power – along lines as varied as Le Petit Train Jaune in the French Pyrenees and ‘The Ghan’, crossing Australia from Adelaide to Darwin.