Collections
Railway Voices
Between 1999 and 2006 the Friends of the National Railway Museum (FNRM) collected over 1500 hours of personal recollections of people who had worked on or been involved with Britain’s Railways. This National Archive of Railway Oral History (NAROH) is now part of the national collection and the contents will soon all be accessible to the general public.
The interviews cover a large spectrum of the railway industry. The oldest interviewee started on the London and North Western Railway in 1914 and some of the most recent recollections cover the 1990’s privatisation period.
You can listen to some of the most interesting anecdotes and experiences here.
Feedback is welcome nrm.friends@nrm.org.uk
Betty Spiller
Listen to the story of Betty Spiller who joined the male dominated world of railway operating as a young girl just before
Arthur William Gilbert
Listen to the life story of Arthur William Gilbert, a railwayman for over 50 years. Born in Walthamstow, London in 1921, Arthur's career took him from working with horses to guard duty on Britain’s first tilting train.
- Listen to an extract of Arthur William Gilbert's interview
- Read an extract of Arthur William Gilbert's interview
Dorothy Crawford
Listen to the story of Dorothy Crawford, whose working life was in hotels operated by the Railway Companies.
- Listen to an extract of Dorothy Crawford's interview
- Read an extract of Dorothy Crawford's interview
Harry Whitehead
Listen to the story of Harry Whitehead, who joined the army early on but then went to work for the LMS. An active member of ASLEF be later became Mayor of Warrington.
Dr Alan Wicken
Listen to the story of Dr Alan Wicker, who graduated with an honours degree in Aero Engineering and joined British Rail to research work on high speed passenger vehicles which subsequently became known as the Advanced Passenger Train (APT).
The project could not have been undertaken without the financial support of the Heritage Lottery Fund
