VETERAN steam railway workers from Didcot queued up to tell their life stories so they would not be forgotten.

Author Patrick Kelly's first book was Didcot Steam Apprentice, about his career on the Great Western Railway from 1960 to 1966.

After publishing this, the former pupil of St Birinus School was contacted by about 20 former rail workers who asked him to record their stories.

The 71-year-old father-of-two carefully recorded their memories and the result is his latest book, Didcot Railwaymen: Tales from the Steam Age.

Mr Kelly, who is now living in Norfolk, said: "In 2009 I was asked by the retired railwaymen to meet them in the club on Station Road.

"They were very keen to tell me their stories - they were crawling over each other - and wanted me to get everything down so it would not be forgotten.

"One of the men, Cyril Tolley was 92 and had worked as a signalman, guard and shunter.

"He wanted me to write about his time during the Second World War and his life on the railway and what he saw.

"These men were elderly with a fascinating history and were keen to tell me their stories before it was too late.

"I stayed with some friends while I was meeting the railwaymen - it took quite a few days to get everything down."

Mr Kelly also spoke to Reg Warr, a former driver, and Shed Foreman, who recalled the S160 USATC locomotives and how they had to take fly ash from Birmingham to Newbury racecourse.

The author added: "All these railwaymen had something to say, and they knew that the story I told in my other book, Didcot Steam Apprentice, was truthful."

Mr Kelly said his latest book featured 134 photos and covered the period from 1942 to 1964.

He added: "The new book ends with my memories of the crash at Didcot on August 14, 1964 when a crude oil train on the mainline hit a steam engine.

"Eleven tankers erupted and there was an orange glow in the sky but luckily they didn't explode or it could have taken out half of Didcot.

"I was about 19 at the time, working on the railway, and living with my mum and dad in Sinodun Road."

When Mr Kelly left Didcot he went to work at Oxford station and then moved to Abingdon to work as a construction fitter.

He moved to Brackley in Berkshire in 1986 then moved to Norfolk 15 years ago.

He added: "These men loved sharing their stories - it was their lives, their history.

"We were dedicated railwaymen working underneath these engines - there was no health and safety in those days."

Copies of Mr Kelly's book are on sale at Didcot Railway Centre, next to Didcot Parkway, where a large number of Great Western Railway locomotives are preserved.

Didcot Railwaymen: Tales from the Steam Age by Patrick Kelly is published by Silver Link Publishing price £20.