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In the hundreds which middle march belonged, railways were as exciting a topic as the reform

bill or the imminent horrors of cholera.

Those who held the most decided views on the subject were women and landholders.

Women both old and young regarded travelling by steam as presumptuous and dangerous and

argued against it by saying that nothing should induce them to get into a railway carriage.

While proprietors were unanimous in the opinion that in selling land whether to the enemy

of mankind or to accompany obliged to purchase, these panicious agencies must be made to pay

a very high price to landowners for permission to injure mankind.

Now that is George Elliott in middle march, first published in 1870 but looking back 30

or 40 years earlier to the arrival of the railways in Mid-Lingland.

Tom Holland the railways, what an amazing subject.

I mean transformative moments in Victorian history and indeed in, well in all modern history

you might say.

I mean there are times where you find that there's been some accident or a train's been cancelled

or there's a strike and a replacement bus has been laid on and all the toilet's are

...