In an interview with vocalist Biff Byford and guitarist Paul Quinn, Byford explained the song is "about a steam train that ends up in the scrap yard." Later, he went into more detail: "Some time ago we used to park our van at Barry Island in Glamorgan... There's a huge compound there where they keep all the old steam trains that they don't use anymore. They're just left to rot and I suppose that upset us because they really were magnificent machines. Well you can't beat the days of steam can you?" He continued saying "Anyway, late at night if I couldn't sleep I would look at those ghostly engines and imagine them painted up and back in their glory. It's my romantic side coming out again."
In an interview with vocalist Biff Byford and guitarist Paul Quinn, Byford explained the song is "about a steam train that ends up in the scrap yard." Later, he went into more detail: "Some time ago we used to park our van at Barry Island in Glamorgan... There's a huge compound there where they keep all the old steam trains that they don't use anymore. They're just left to rot and I suppose that upset us because they really were magnificent machines. Well you can't beat the days of steam can you?" He continued saying "Anyway, late at night if I couldn't sleep I would look at those ghostly engines and imagine them painted up and back in their glory. It's my romantic side coming out again."