The railway was the creation of the Victorian age. It transformed the whole social and intellectual fabric of Britain, affected Victorian thought and language, figured in the literature of the age, inspired artists, changed communications and expanded horizons. This book examines every aspect of the railway in Victorian times, from the origins and initial construction to the spreading impact on the nation, and from engineers and financiers to the affect on leisure and the environment. This text should contribute to an understanding of British history and the nature of Britain today.