A Halesowen railways enthusiast who penned a book charting the history of Virgin Trains was delighted when a train was named to mark the launch of the publication.

Retired railwayman John Balmforth spent the last two years writing Virgin Trains A Decade of Progress which boasts a forward written by company founder Richard Branson himself.

A new train was named A Decade of Progress at Wolverhampton Station last week with John's two-year-old granddaughter Penelope Balmforth drawing back a set of red curtains to unveil it.

John said he asked Virgin tongue in cheek if a train could be named in the book's honour and was "absolutely flabbergasted" when they agreed.

He said: "Virgin have been fantastic.

"They let me into places where the public can't go and no-one has held back from answering my comments honestly.

"The book tells the story of Virgin Trains for the first ten years.

"It's a warts and all account of everything that happened.

"Generally they have done pretty well.

"They took over a rundown railway with worn out old trains.

"They had to get rid of all the old trains and do it and run the railway over a building site."

John, aged 57, has been a railway enthusiast since childhood.

He remembers fondly the exact moment he caught the railway bug - when his dad took him to Marsden Green station and he was standing on a footbridge when a steam train went through.

He said: "I disappeared into a cloud of steam and all I could see was the red of the coal.

"I was petrified. Afterwards I was given an ice cream!"

John, of Mendip Road, went on to work as an intercity main coast line supervisor for British Rail before privatisation until his retirement.

He then became deputy chairman of the rail passenger committee for the Midlands, until giving that up two years ago. He now chairs TravelWatch Midlands West.

John's children have caught the trains bug from him.

His daughter Jenny, aged 23, a former Windsor High pupil, is Virgin's youngest train driver in the country while son Andrew, aged 31, who is Penelope's dad is a retail service manager for Virgin.

Royalties from the sale of the book, published by Ian Allan, and available in Waterstones, will be donated to the Railway Children Charity.

The book costs £19.95 and boats around 160 colour pictures donated by photographers.