"The story of the KB class is more than just that of the locomotives, but the struggle for appropriate motive power on the Midland Line once the Otira tunnel opened. Their evolution came as a result of immense pressure placed upon the Railways Department to find a suitable class of locomotive to succeed against the difficult terrain and ever increasing traffic"--Page 7.

Lively recollections of Twain's salad days as a novice steamboat pilot to views from the passenger deck in the twilight of the river culture's heyday. Engrossing and entertaining anecdotes by a peerless storyteller.