The RAILFANatic

About the Book

When Scott Brooks saw the sign directing him to the Prairie Valley Railway Museum, he had no idea what was in store for him. Discovering a haven for preserved antique trains, he is enraptured by what he finds, and before he quite realizes it, he has signed up to join the ranks of the volunteers.

Taking part in the staffing, maintenance, and restoration of historic trains is certainly an adventure for him as he learns new skills and new things about railroad history. Along the way, he meets the most eclectic and interesting group of people ever in his fellow volunteers. But his new hobby doesn’t sit well with everyone. His girlfriend feels neglected, his parents think he is being irresponsible, and he seems to rub some of the volunteers the wrong way – namely, museum president Larry Chadwicke, who has gone beyond the point of a railfan to being a railfanatic.

It’s non-stop adventure in railway preservation, as Scott tries to balance volunteering with school, his romantic life and his friends, all the while trying to prove his suspicions that Chadwicke is causing the museum a lot of trouble. Get ready to be gripped into the struggle as Scott Brooks goes head-to-head with – the railfanatic!

About the Author

Michael R. S. Ledingham was born on September 18, 1981 in Seattle, WA. Although a lifelong Seattleite, he spent most weekends of his childhood at the Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie. This gave him a deep understanding and appreciation of trains, as well as the people who volunteer to preserve them. After graduating from Roosevelt High School in 2000, he studied Fine Art at North Seattle Community College. He also began taking guitar lessons around this time, and developed a new hobby of indulging himself in his love of folk music. However, his first love has always been historic trains, and to this day he has been volunteering his spare time (when he has some) at the Northwest Railway Museum. His volunteer activities have been all-encompassing, including train crew, track maintenance, and rolling stock restoration. He has also contributed articles to The Sounder, the museum’s monthly newsletter, as well as text to the museum’s official website. These experiences were part of what inspired him to write this, his first novel.