In the 1930s several of the railway companies published books to fulfill the public's interest. The GWR led the field and Track Topics is a faithful facsimile of the 1935 original, updated with a new introduction and photo section.

John Christopher has written and edited a number of books on Engineering, Military History and Railway and Road Transport, specializing in the life and works of Isambard Kingdom Brunel and being the series editor for Amberley s Bradshaw s Guides series. He has also appeared in Michael Portillo's Great British Railway Journeys television series. In between writing books, he is a balloon pilot and Land Rover fan. He lives in Gloucestershire."