3. Brake

"The great sweep of social and economic change which the railways initiated meant that not only could we now move faster, but things were different when we stopped too."

A magnificent account of Britain's railways and how track and carriage united a nation.

Series of readings including an exploration of many aspects of the railway revolution:

* The challenges of 'railway time'
* The nuances of first, second and third class
* The difficulties of lighting and heating and passenger comfort
* What to eat when travelling and the history of refreshment stops
* The commercial opportunities they brought - The establishment of WH Smith and Son, who became the nation’s first high street bookstore.

Architecture and engineering are also covered, alongside the impact on social classes and gender.

Passengers may have a love-hate relationship with our railways, but few of us know much about the journey taken to get to where we are now.

Written by: Simon Bradley.

Abridged by Jill Waters.

Read by Stephen Tompkinson.

Producer: Jill Waters

A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in November 2015.