Routes, machines and the stories they leave behind.
Explore railway history through maps, museum objects and the places that connect them, from Montana to rail networks around the world.
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A railway derail is a protective device rather than an ordinary junction. Learn how to recognise its purpose in a museum record without disturbing railway equipment.
A railway wye can reverse a locomotive’s direction through connected tracks. Trace the movement on an old plan before mistaking it for an ordinary junction.
Learn how a cable-linked funicular differs from a rack railway, and which details to look for when interpreting a photograph of a steep route.
A locomotive superheater gives steam another passage through hot gases before the cylinders. Follow the route to understand its role beside the boiler.
A whistle board is a railway instruction tied to a place and rule system. Record its location and date before interpreting a preserved sign or photograph.
Understand how a pantograph collects electricity from an overhead contact wire and what to notice in railway photographs.