‘Vaporisings of a Locoman’ is a wonderfully entertaining, variedand beautifully observed memoir by ‘Buffer Beam’ (Frank Leonard Button) of hislife early in the twentieth century. Yes, much of Frank’s life was spentworking on the railways, but this memoir takes the reader into many of thenooks and byways of a life well lived by an observant and deeply and cheerfullywitty man. For example…‘Our boss was a chemist-cum-farmer, who had boughtthis half-derelict farm, situated on the lonely Essex marshes, out of theproceeds of a dubious remedy he had been selling through the agency of thecheap periodicals of the day. This was advertised and subtly worded as to cureall ‘female irregularities’ at 1/1 ½ per box, post free, and was sent out froma small chemist’s shop in the East End of London. The only irregularity it cured was the vendor’sbank balance.’ Welcome toBuffer Beam’s world!