Vintage 1920s Children’s Book – The Book of Trains by Archibald Williams (Thomas Nelson) – Railway Illustrations & Colour Plates – Gift Inscription 1926
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There’s something utterly magical about vintage children’s books — especially those that capture the romance of the railways at their golden age. 
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This charming hardback is “The Book of Trains” by Archibald Williams, published by Thomas Nelson & Sons Ltd, and it is a beautifully nostalgic piece of 1920s railway and childhood ephemera.
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With its striking illustrated cover featuring a bold blue locomotive, and a series of illustrations and colour plates inside, this book was created to educate and inspire young readers — introducing them to steam locomotives, railway building, signalling, electric trains and railway travel around the world.
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Even more wonderfully, this copy carries a handwritten gift inscription dated Christmas 1926, making it a genuine little time capsule from the interwar period — a perfect collectable for railway lovers, transport history enthusiasts, or anyone who cherishes antique childhood treasures.
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✨ Key Features
Title: The Book of Trains
Author: Archibald Williams
Publisher: Thomas Nelson & Sons Ltd
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Era: Early 20th century, with gift inscription dated Christmas 1926
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Format: Vintage hardback / cloth bound with printed boards
Illustrations: Includes black & white illustrations and colour plates
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Subject: Steam trains, electric trains, railways, engineering & transport history
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📖 Inside the Book
This is not just a storybook — it’s a wonderfully readable, educational vintage title, written at a time when rail travel represented modernity, progress and adventure.
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Chapters include themes such as:
why railways are used
making a railway
steam locomotives
signalling and train control
how trains are stopped
electric railways
trains and railways in other lands
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A brilliant gift for collectors of:
railway memorabilia
vintage children’s books
transport ephemera
steam locomotive history
Thomas Nelson publications
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🧡 Condition
This is an authentic vintage book and shows age-related wear consistent with a children’s hardback that is now around a century old.
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Condition includes:
noticeable foxing / age spotting throughout (visible on several pages including the early leaves)
edge wear and rubbing to the cover boards, corners and spine
general signs of handling/reading
gift inscription inside dated Christmas 1926
pages are present and the book remains a lovely display and reading copy
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📌 Please study the photographs carefully as they form part of the description.
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🎁 Why we love it
This book captures everything we adore about the 1920s — optimism, craftsmanship, and that irresistible sense that trains could take you absolutely anywhere. Whether styled on a bookshelf, displayed in a nursery/library, or collected as part of railway history, it’s a truly special vintage piece.
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A wonderfully fair price for a genuine 1920s illustrated railway book with colour plates and dated gift inscription.
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♻️ Packaging
As always, this vintage treasure will be packaged with great care using sustainable and protective materials to ensure it arrives safely.