Steve Hackett, guitarist and songwriter with Genesis during their most creative period (1972-77), is not the modeler that his former bandmate Phil Collins has become, but he's very much into prototype railroading, most notably steam. Hackett's latest CD, which just became available in the U.S. this month, is titled "Out of the Tunnel's Mouth," and has a cover photo of him standing next to one of the many British steam locos on which he's had the pleasure of a cab ride. He's a well-traveled railfan, having shared with me some of his experiences in North America, Europe, and the Middle East, the latter giving birth to one of his new songs, "Last Train to Istanbul" (the only railroad-themed song on the entire CD). Really cries out to be accompanied by some sensitive and scenic photos of foreign railroading by guys like Scott Lothes or Jean Marc Fryburg. Hackett's ongoing world tour in support of the CD has been promoted with railroad tie-ins, and his frequent blog postings have included a few shots of him and his band in, on, and around various pieces of rail equipment.