Vintage May 1945 ABC Alphabetical Railway and Air Guide Part II: Airway Servic

This rare vintage railway and air travel guide is a May 1945 edition of the ABC Alphabetical Railway and Air Guide – Part II: Airway Services. Published at the close of World War II, this edition includes details on existing air services, with a note from the publishers stating their intention to separate the railway and air travel guides into two volumes once regular air travel resumed. They anticipated that the growth of air travel would soon make it impractical to include both transport systems in a single publication.

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The ABC Rail Guide was first introduced in 1853 as The ABC or Alphabetical Railway Guide, offering a more user-friendly alternative to the complex Bradshaw’s Guide. Organised alphabetically, it quickly became an essential reference for railway passengers and remained a key publication throughout the Victorian and early 20th-century railway expansion.

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By 1936, the guide had even become a key plot element in Agatha Christie's famous detective novel The A.B.C. Murders. Over the years, it saw several changes in ownership and was later renamed the OAG Rail Guide, before finally ceasing publication in 2007.

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This May 1945 edition is a fascinating historical document, offering insight into post-war travel expectations and the evolution of transport. A must-have for collectors of railway memorabilia, vintage travel ephemera, and those with an interest in the golden age of British rail and aviation.