Did someone in your family work on Britain's railways? A newly released collection of British Railways staff magazines could help you discover more about their working life.
TheGenealogist has added more than 60 issues of regional railway magazines dating from the late 1940s through to the early 1960s.
The publications cover the Eastern, North Eastern, Scottish, Southern, Western and London Midland regions during a period of considerable change following railway nationalisation.
Unlike conventional railway histories, which often concentrate on locomotives and engineering, these magazines recorded the everyday lives of railway employees.
They include details of staff appointments, transfers, promotions, retirements, long-service awards and obituaries.
There are also reports of staff outings, social clubs, dances, sporting events and activities at stations, depots and railway offices.
For family historians, these smaller details can be particularly rewarding. An ancestor might appear in a photograph, a retirement presentation, a sports report or a brief mention of a promotion.
Such information can provide a more personal picture of a railway worker's life than conventional census or employment records.
The magazines are now available to search in TheGenealogist's newspaper and periodical collection.
