Q: How old is the archive?
A: The archive started in 1971.

Q: Do you sell items from the archive?
A: Yes, from time to time when there are surplus or unwanted items, these are sold to fund additional acquisitions for the archive.

Q: Do you buy railway books and magazines?
A: No we do not buy books and magazines unless issued by a railway company prior to 1850.

Q: Do you buy old railway items?
A: If they are relevant to the collection then yes we do buy items, mainly railway documents and paperwork providing they fit the requirements and objectives of the archive.

Q: What's the point of the archive?
A: To provide access to historical railway documents which are not kept in a public institution where access maybe limited or bureaucratic.

Q: Where is the archive kept?
A: The items in the archive are kept in multiple locations and often loaned out to museums and libraries so they are not all in one place. The main collection is located in East Anglia.

If you have any questions about the Rail Archive, please click here to contact the archivist.