Reprints of handbooks from over a century ago are becoming quite fashionable. You may recall the blog post about the handbook for motoring from 1923.

The latest one I’ve come across is this gem, The Railway Travellers Handy Book, a reprint of a popular Lockwood and Co publication from 1862.

Railways boomed in the UK during the 1840s as industrialisation surged, becoming the most reliable, and fashionable way to travel.

This book addresses some of the requirements of rail travel, providing advice about the best travelling costume, how to engage with other passengers and how to ensure that you are punctual. The language is glorious, as demonstrated in this line from the text: Nay, more, there are those who pass the greater part of their lives in a railway carriage, flitting incessantly from one station to another, and only breaking off their travels at night to resume on the morrow.

An amusing read, if mainly for the attitudes and expectations at the height of the Victorian era.

Check our the catalogue to see the huge range of books and resources about trains and railway travel available!