Railway

Britain’s railway network has a proud and complex history, encompassing an array of disparate companies and lines operating across dramatically different terrains. Our railway books reflect this variety. The Big Four railway companies – LMS, LNER, Southern Railway and GWR with its iconic Swindon works – and the beginnings of British Rail are all explored.

From the early days of steam engines, to the development of steam and diesel locomotives and the heyday of rail travel, both the technical developments and the social impact of the railways are equally celebrated. We reveal the changes wrought by Beeching’s axe when it fell in the 1960s, and what remains of the lost lines for walkers, cyclists, enthusiasts and collectors of memorabilia and ‘railwayana’ to enjoy today.

Delve into histories of the London Underground, frighten yourself with ghostly tales and stories from the murky world of railway crime, or simply enjoy looking back over the memories of men on the footplate or workers in the engine sheds – voices from a bygone age of rail travel.

Learn more about railway history

The crime of the Century: The truth behind the Great Train Robbery
Graham Satchwell takes us through the truth behind the rumours surrounding the Great Train Robbery
The train event: The ‘Big Four’ railway companies
The story of the big four train companies and how they were drawn together
The Last Ten Years: The End of Steam - in pictures
Stunning colour photographs of the end of steam from the collections of three enthusiasts
The final journey of the Unknown Warrior
How did British railways play a part in the burial of the Unknown Warrior?
Mallard and the Railway World Speed Record
The Class A4 4-6-2 steam locomotive’s record has never officially been exceeded
The birth of British Railways
Seventy years ago the Labour government took the nation’s railways into state ownership
Britain’s final steam trains
Travelling by steam train
A short history of the British Transport Police
How the railway police became the British Transport Police
Speed on steel wheels: High speed rail
A brief history of high-speed trains
The history of London’s Underground railway
Heroes, villains and smoke-filled tunnels
The return of the Flying Scotsman
On 7 January 2016 the world’s most famous steam locomotive returned to the tracks
The railway language
The rich and informal language of Britain’s railways