Copies of lists of some of the photographic collections are available on request. The Poster, Notices and Handbills Collection contains many thousands of items from the early nineteenth century to the present day with particularly good coverage for the years between the First and Second World Wars. Reference prints of the collection can be consulted in the Library Reading Room. The Archive Collections consist largely of technical material concerning the development of locomotives and rolling stock and include specifications, reports, correspondence and drawings. Copies of technical drawings and track plans are available from the microfilmed collection which can be consulted in the Reading Room.
Lists are available on request.
The archive collections also contain records of locomotive and rolling stock builders, papers of former railway employees as well as research notes and other manuscript material from railway enthusiasts. The Pictorial Collection contains paintings, prints and engravings illustrating the growth of the railway industry from 1825 onwards. The pictorial collection is rich in works depicting the impact of the railways on the landscape and on people's lives and contains a fine series of original poster artwork. Photographic reference prints of the collection can be consulted in the Library Reading Room. The cassettes can be heard in the Library Reading Room using the tape deck and headphones provided.