After World War II, there was a shortage of textbooks for training locomotive drivers. The Reichsbahndirektion Schwerin solved this problem in an original way: they had so-called instructional letters printed for the students of the locomotive driving school in Güstrow. These letters were also very successful in other Reichsbahn directorates, leading to them quickly selling out. Therefore, in 1949, all the essays were published again in a single volume, which is now available again as a reprint. The book provides all the technical fundamentals necessary for the examination to become a steam locomotive driver. It starts with technical details and continues with combustion, fire treatment, and steam knowledge, covering the function of the steam engine all the way to the chassis of the locomotive. Numerous illustrations complement the work.