Life in a Railway Factory

Transport & Engineering Biography & Memoir History

Life in a Railway Factory invites readers onto the shop floor of a Great Western Railway works through the eyes of poet-labourer Alfred Williams, blending biography, industrial history and transport nostalgia in one illustrated paperback.

First published in 1915 and re-issued here by The History Press in 1992, Williams’ candid memoir captures the clamour, camaraderie and grime of early 20th-century steam-age engineering, making it a must-read for railway buffs, social historians and fans of true stories alike.

This 320-page illustrated edition remains clean and unmarked inside; the cover carries honest shelf wear and the outer page edges show light foxing, but the book is solid, readable and ready for the next generation of enthusiasts.

An evocative window onto Britain’s industrial past, Life in a Railway Factory fits neatly on the shelf alongside transport, technology and working-class history titles.