When Helena Wojtczak left school to become a telephonist with British Rail, she had no idea she would become a pioneer in the women's liberation movement.

But Miss Wojtczak become Britain's first female train guard employed on equal terms with men.

Now the 47-year-old, from St Leonards, is using her own experiences and five years' research to produce the definitive guide to the place of women in the history of Britain's railways.

In the Forties, women were drafted in to staff trains while the men fought in the war but they were paid less and were dismissed when the conflict ended.

That all changed in 1977 when Miss Wojtczak, who was born in Shoreham and grew up in Brighton, became the first woman to take advantage of the new sex discrimination laws. She said: "It all started as a dare. We were all moaning about how unfair it was that men got the best jobs when one of the girls told us about the new sex discrimination employment laws.

"I was only 19 at the time and being the youngest, they dared me to apply for the job of train guard, to see what excuses the company could make not to employ me.

"A few weeks later I began training."

It took Mrs Wojtczak years of hard work and dedication to prove herself to her male co-workers but now she looks back at her career with pride.

She said: "The company were not happy about employing me but they had to. Women were really supportive of me but the men felt women were useless in emergencies and could not be relied upon.

"The men told me I was a waste of money and would not cope. I spent countless shifts crying in the carriage toilets but it did not stop me."

After 20 years working as a guard, Miss Wojtczak, had to leave her job after a serious accident at work.

She said: "I slipped on diesel oil and cracked my head on the window, knocking my spine out of joint and leaving me unable to work."

The hostility Miss Wojtczak encountered during her early years working with British Rail led her to research the women who had worked on the trains before her.

She was amazed at the stories she uncovered and became intrigued by the female pioneers in her profession.

After her accident, Miss Wojtczak bought a computer and began to write a book.

She said: "On and off it has taken me 16 years to write. It is a chronological account of women on the railways from 1830 up until the present day.

"It also contains many fantastic photographs as well as my personal memories and those of other female workers."

Miss Wojtczak is not only the author of the book but is also the publisher, marketer, promoter and distributor.

She said: "I had never touched a computer but I taught myself the skills I needed to create a book."

Railwaywomen is published on September 1. For further details call 0845 458547.