Different ways to research

Browse railway books and magazines and access original materials at Search Engine, our library and archive centre.

Whatever your level of railway interest, our research facilities are here to help.

At Search Engine – our library and archive centre – you can find the answers to your railway questions, discover more about the NRM’s collections or just relax with the latest copy of your favourite railway magazine.

You can browse lists of objects held in our vast Archives of library books and journals and other collections.

Some research can be done online using our online research tools, or by exploring links outside the Museum in Other sources of information.

Attend free research workshops or sign-up to one of the academic courses run by the Institute of Railway Studies and Transport History – a joint initiative between us and the University of York.

Archives opened up by Business Archives Council project

Thanks to a generous grant from the Business Archives Council, we've been able to create complete catalogues of a whole range of its key archive documents. These range from the iconic (John Rastrick’s notebook from the Rainhill Trails) to the unusual (The Coal Viewer's Companion). Browse the full list - all items can be viewed in our reading areas (Search Engine opening times).