A year in the making, Nick Anchen's seventh book takes readers on a journey along the Warburton and Healesville railways and the Powelltown, Britannia Creek and Warburton tramway systems.

More than 70 years ago, the Yarra Valley boasted Victoria's largest timber industry, with townships like Powelltown and Warburton at the centre of the boom.

"The Yarra Valley's timber industry is often forgotten,," Mr Anchen said. "Without books on these subjects, a lot of this history is lost to new generations."

A passionate historian and rail enthusiast, Mr Anchen said without railway and tramways the settlers, timber-getters and farmers would have had very limited access to the outside world.

Railways of the Yarra Valley includes an array of colour and black and white images, informative text and stories from those who saw and worked the lines.

Mr Anchen's historical books include two on Puffing Billy, two on the Dandenongs and one on the Kyeema airliner tragedy of 1938.

Railways of the Yarra Valley is available through Nick Anchen on 0405 530 323 or at sierraaustralia.c om/railways-of-yarra-valley.html