16 January 2026
- 14:00 to 15:00
Talk
Britain's love affair with the railways
Come along for a celebration of the modern railway.
- Date
- 16 January 2026
- Location
- Online
About this image
Illustration of locomotive 'Locomotion' 1875, Catalogue reference: COPY1-31 (60)
From Stephenson’s Rocket to Thomas the Tank Engine and the Flying Scotsman to Michael Portillo, as a nation we have had a unique fascination with trains over the centuries.
The latest manifestation has been through many celebrating Railway 200, the bicentenary of the pioneering Stockton & Darlington Railway – the world’s first passenger train.
Join author Michael Williams as he discusses our enduring love affair with the railways with reference to history, culture and his own travels by train around the world.
Event details
Dates for this event
How to join online
What you need to join
This event will be live streamed on the website of our streaming service, Vimeo.
When you book, you will receive an email that includes the link you need to join the event. This link will also be shared with you in a reminder email in advance of the event.
- Vimeo provide guidance on How to watch a live event.
- You do not need a Vimeo account to join. If you do sign up for a Vimeo account, please be aware you may be asked to verify your age. You can find out more here: About age verification in the UK and EU
- You can join from your browser from a laptop or mobile device.
- For the best experience we recommend using either a laptop or desktop computer.
Help during the event
To access the live event, click on the link in the Eventbrite confirmation email you received when you booked the event. Vimeo will open in your web browser.
- If the live event hasn’t started at the advertised start time, please refresh your browser window and click the play button on the event again. If that doesn’t work, try closing the browser window and clicking the link in your confirmation email again.
- You can enable live subtitles by clicking on the ‘CC’ button at the bottom of the video player. ‘CC’ stands for ‘Closed Captions’.
- When you join the event, you may have to click on the sound icon at the bottom of the video to unmute the sound. If there is still no sound, please make sure that you have got your speakers turned up to full volume.
- If you have a query that has not been answered above, please email us at whatson@nationalarchives.gov.uk
Watch after the event
This talk will be available to watch after the event, using the same link you will receive to join it live. It will remain available for a limited period of 48 hours after the event has finished, unless otherwise stated.
