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"The Railway Children"
1906 Novel by E. Nesbit
 | synopsis & history |  |
"Miracles do happen, and we live in the hope of them, don't we?"
from "The Railway Children"
"Stick to it. Everything has an end, and you get to it if you only keep all on."
Peter, in "The Railway Children"
Synopsis
fall on hard times and move to a country cottage beside a railway. The kids' faith and vigilance and
courage prevent an accident on the railway, leading to solution of the mystery of their missing father.
official Edith Nesbit and The Railway Children booksite
book entry at Wikipedia
The Book
magazine serial 1905; novel 1906 by Edith Nesbit [1858-1924]
official booksite
book entry at Wikipedia
จ จ
Puffin 7¾x5 pb [11/94] out of print/100+ used
Pearson 8x4¾ pb [2/2000] out of print/used
Dover Evergreen Classics 8¼x5¼ pb [5/2000] for $4.99
CreateSpace 9x6pb [7/2015] for $9.03
Everyman's Library 8¼x6½ hardcover [5/93] for $16.38
Macmillan illustrated 5¾x4½ hardcover [9/95] out of print/used
SeaStar illustrated 9¼x6½ hardcover [7/2005] out of print/used
Alma Classics illustrated 8¼x6 hardcover [8/2016] price unknown - pre-order? 
Kindle Editions
Nordell Bookstores Group Kindle Hardware & Content Page
with FREE Kindle Apps for PC, Mac, iPhone/iPod, iPad, Android & BlackBerry
 | "The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit" for Kindle [2012]
Kindle Edition from Amazon Digital Services [5/2012] for FREE {sic} "The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit" for Kindle [2015] with the original illustrations by C.E. Brock Kindle Edition from Amazon Digital Services [4/2015] for 99ข {sic} |
The Author/s
Edith Nesbit [1858-1924]
Edith Nesbit was born in Kennington, Greater London, U.K. on 15 August 1858; the family moved around England, France, Spain, and Germany, returning to London in 1875. In April 1880, Edith married bank clerk Hubert Bland [1855-1914]; she was seven months pregnant. Their marriage was both open and stormy; Hubert fathered several more children by other women, and brought them into the household; Edith is said to have had an affair with fellow Fabian Society member George Bernard Shaw. Nesbit's children were Paul Bland [1880-1940], Iris Bland [1881-1950s]; and Fabian Bland [1885-1900]; her adopted children (fathered by Hubert) were Rosamund Bland [1886-1950] and John Bland [1899-1971].
English author and poet Edith Nesbit published books for children under the name of E. Nesbit; she wrote or collaborated on more than 60 books of fiction for children.
She was also a political activist and co-founded socialist organisation The Fabian Society in 1884.
Edith Nesbit entry at Wikipedia
Edith Nesbit credits list [1913-2004] at Internet Movie Database
search books on author 'E. Nesbit' {returns 900+ titles} at Amazon
 | "The Essential E. Nesbit Collection, Illustrated (16 books)" for Kindle [6/2009]
Kindle Edition from Amazon Digital Services [6/2009] for $1.99 {sic} contains 16 books of fiction, with 10 unique illustrations: "In Homespun" [1896]; "Beautiful Stories From Shake-speare" [1897 & 1907]; "The Story of The Treasure Seekers" [1899]; "The Wouldbegoods" [1901]; "The Book of Dragons" [stories 1901]; "Five Children and It" [1902]; "New Treasure Seekers" [1904]; "The Phoenix and The Carpet" [1904]; "Oswald Bastable and Others" [stories 1905]; "The Railway Children" [1906]; "The Story of The Amulet" [1906]; "The Incomplete Amorist" [1906]; "The Enchanted Castle" [1907]; "Harding's Luck" [1909]; "The Magic City" [1910]; and "The Magic World" [stories 1912] |
 | "The Ultimate Collection of Classic Children's Books by E. Nesbit (23 Books)" for Kindle [2011]
Kindle Edition from Amazon Digital Services [12/2011] for $3.95 contains 23 books: "All Round The Year" {long poem}; "Beautiful Stories From Shakespeare"; "The Book of Dragons"; "The Enchanted Castle"; "Five Children and It"; "Harding's Luck"; "In Homespun"; "The Incomplete Amorist"; "Landscape and Song"; "The Magic City"; "The Magic World"; "Man and Maid"; "Many Voices" {poems}; "New Treasure Seekers"; "Oswald Bastable and Others"; "The Phoenix and The Carpet"; "Pussy and Doggy Tales"; "The Railway Children" [1906]; "The Rainbow and The Rose"; "Royal Children of English History"; "The Story of The Amulet"; "The Story of The Treasure Seekers"; and "The Wouldbegoods" |
 | "The Complete {Works} of E. Nesbit" for Kindle [2013] Kindle Edition from Delphi Classics [10/2013] for $2.51 contains 14 children's novels, 8 novels for adults, 10 short story collections (with 2 indexes), 6 poetry collections (with 2 indexes), plus non-fiction, Nesbit's autobiography, and critical essays by others |
 | "The E. Nesbit Megapack: 26 Classic Novels and Stories" for Kindle [2014]
Kindle Edition from Wildside Press [1/2014] for 99ข {sic} contains 7 novels: "The Story of The Treasure Seekers" [1899]; "Five Children and It" [1902]; "The Phoenix and The Carpet" [1904]; "The Story of The Amulet" [1906]; "The Railway Children" [1906]; "The Enchanted Castle" [1907]; and "The Magic City" [1910]; and 19 short stories |
 | "Edith Nesbit Ultimate Collection: 20 Novels & 200+ Short Stories, Tales For Children & Poems (Illustrated)" [2016]
7,268-page Kindle Edition from e-artnow [12/2016] for 99ข {sic} contains 23 novels, 31 story collections, 6 books of poetry - The Novels: "The Bastable Trilogy", "Daphne In Fitzroy Street", "Dormant aka Rose Royal", "The Enchanted Castle", "Five Children and It", "Harding's Luck", "The House of Arden", "The Incomplete Amorist", "The Incredible Honey-moon", "The Lark", "The Magic City", "The Mouldiwarp Chronicles", "The New Treasure Seekers", "The Phoenix and The Carpet", "The Psammead Trilogy", "The Railway Children", "The Red House", "Salome and The Head (The House With No Address)", "The Story of The Amulet", "The Story of The Treasure Seekers", "Wet Magic", "The Wonderful Garden", "The Wouldbegoods"; Short Story Collections: "Accidental Magic", "Belinda and Bellamant", "Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare", "The Book of Beasts", "The Book of Dragons", "The Cat-hood of Maurice", "Collected Short Stories", "The Deliverers of Their Country", "The Dragon Tamers", "The Fiery Dragon, or The Heart of Stone and The Heart of Gold", "Grim Tales", "The Ice Dragon, or Do As You Are Told", "In Homespun", "The Island of The Nine Whirlpools", "Justnowland", "Kind Little Edmund, or The Caves and The Cockatrice", "The Literary Sense", "The Magic World", "The Magician's Heart", "Man and Maid", "The Mixed Mine", "Nine Unlikely Tales", "Oswald Bastable and Others", "The Princess and The Hedge-pig", "Pussy and Doggy Tales", "The Related Muff", "Royal Children of English History", "Septimus Septimusson", "These Little Ones", "Uncle James, or The Purple Stranger", "The White Cat"; Poetry Collections: "All Round The Year", "Landscape and Song", "Lays and Legends", "Many Voices", "The Rainbow and The Rose", "Songs of Love and Empire" |
Ada J. Graves [1870-1918]
Ada Jane Graves was born in Benares, Bengal, British India in 1870; her family was living in Scotland in 1881; she married in Newfoundland, Canada in 1905,
and was killed by an earthquake in India in 1918. She is known for three children's books: "The House By The Railway" [1896], "Four Little People
At Silverhaven" [1898], and "The Little Brown House" [1902].
 | News stories in 2011 reported the many striking similarities between Nesbit's "The Rail-way Children" and Graves's "The House By The Railway", which was less successful but published ten years earlier. What is curious is that publication of Nesbit's bestselling novel in 1906 did not stir up a comparison of the books back then – even if Graves was already living in India with her new husband, somebody should have noticed. The book was pub-lished by The National Sunday School Union and is quite rare, as are photos of the cover.
March 2011 news story from U.K. Daily Mail newspaper |
Movies and Television
Edith Nesbit credits list [1913-2004] at Internet Movie Database
ท ท
 | "The Railway Children" TV series [BBC-TV Feb 1951]
12 half-hour b&w episodes produced, written & directed by Dorothea Brooking; starring Jean Anderson, Marian Chapman, Michael Croudson & Carole Lorimer kinescopes/VHS/DVD/Blu-ray not available full credits at IMDb |
 | "The Railway Children" TV mini-series [BBC-TV March 1957]
8 half-hour b&w episodes produced, written & directed by Dorothea Brooking; starring Jean Anderson, Anneke Wills, Cavan Kendall, Sandra Michaels, Richard Warner VHS/DVD/Blu-ray not available full credits at IMDb |
 | "The Railway Children" TV mini-series [BBC-TV May-June 1968] 7 half-hour b&w episodes directed by Julia Smith; written by Denis Constanduros; starring Ann Castle, Jenny Agutter, Neil McDermott, Gillian Bailey, Gordon Gostelow VHS/DVD/Blu-ray not available for Region 1 full credits at IMDb |
"The Railway Children" color feature film
[E.M.I. U.K. Dec 1970; M.G.M. USA Oct 1971]
 | Adapted & directed by Lionel Jeffries, from the E. Nesbit novel; starring Jenny Agutter, Dinah Sheridan, Bernard Cribbins, William Mervyn, Iain Cuthbertson, Sally Thomsett, Beatrix Mackey & Gary F. Warren
Anchor Bay widescreen color DVD [5/2003] for $17.99 full credits at IMDb movie entry at Wikipedia location filming for the 1970 film was on the |
 | "The Making of The Railway Children" [2010] by Jim Shipley 52-page Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Preservation Society 8x5¾ pb [3/2010] out of print/used |
"The Railway Children" [1981] episode of the "Jackanory" BBC-TV series [1965-96]
read by Jane Asher bare credits at IMDb
"The Railway Children" episode [Carlton TV U.K. April 2000, P.B.S. USA Nov 2000]
of "Masterpiece Classic" P.B.S. TV series [19712012]
 | 2-hour TV movie directed by Catherine Morshead; teleplay by Simon Nye; starring Jenny Agutter {as the mother}, Jack Blumenau, Clare Thomas, Jemima Rooper, Michael Kitchen, Georgie Glen, Clive Russell & Richard Attenborough 105-minute P.B.S./WGBH letterbox color DVD [10/2002] for $17.99 108-minute P.B.S./WGBH color VHS [3/2001] for $18.95 episode credits at IMDb official P.B.S./WGBH moviesite watch shortened 2000 TV movie [9/2014 upload; 1:35:51] online at YouTube location filming for the 2000 TV movie film was around Hampshire in England, and on the Bluebell Railway [L&EGR 1877-1958, preserved 1960] in West Sussex, England |
"The Railway Children: Learn English with Animated Stories" [Little Fox Jan 2005]
 | 26 animated episodes 'for Level 5'; each episode has options for Play, Quiz, MP-3, Print, and Text no credits at IMDb watch series free online at Little Fox |
"The Railway Children" Asian animated film [China? 2012?]
 | This animated version of "The Railway Children" was uploaded to YouTube in 2012, not much information is available; origin may be China or Japan, or maybe Singapore; these 9 chapters 'for form three' have an English soundtrack, spoken with a distinct accent; animation may be by Liza Faharol no credits at IMDb
playlist on YouTube of Chapters 1-9 [total run time 18:55] |
Stageplays, Other Media
ฎ ฎ
"The Railway Children" musical stageplay [2005]
book & lyrics by Julian Woolford, music by Richard John; premiere performance at Sevenoaks Playhouse (Kent, U.K.) in December 2005,
with dozens of local productions in Britain since then
official stageplay website
official Julian Woolford website
Julian Woolford entry at Wikipedia
 | "The Railway Children" musical cast recording [2008]
TER/Jay Records cast recording CD [11/2008] 15 tracks for $19.41 original cast recording of the Sevenoaks Playhouse (Kent, U.K.) production featuring West End luminary Susannah Fellows and British TV stars Paul Henry & Nicholas Smith; recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London |
 | the poster at left is from the Wantage Stage Musical Company (Berkshire, U.K.) May 2011 amateur production of 'The Railway Children' by Julian Woolford & Richard John, listed as 'by agreement with Samuel French'
Samuel French, Ltd. 8½x5½ playscript pb [11/2010] for $14.95 |
"The Railway Children" stageplay [2008]
 | Originally staged in York (2008-2009), then London's Waterloo Station (2010-2011), then in Toronto, Canada; currently performed at a 1,000-seat purpose-built theater at King's Cross Station in London; adapted by Mike Kenny, directed by Damian Cruden
official stageplay website 96-page Kindle Edition playscript from Nick Hern Books [9/2014] for $10.99 96-page Nick Hern Books 8x5 pb playscript [10/2011] for $8.61 |
 | "The Railway Children Film" [Genesius Pictures March 2016] Mike Kenny's stageplay broadcast live from the National Railroad Museum in York, U.K. directed 'for the big screen' by Ross MacGibbon; starring Andrina Carroll, Rozzi Nicholson-Lailey, Izaak Cainer, Beth Lilly, Martin Barrass, Robert Angell Region 1 DVD not yet available Spirit Ent. Ltd. color DVD [DUE Sept 2016] for ฃ12.99 {Region 2 only from U.K.}
full credits at IMDb official movie website watch 1/2016 official trailer/ad [0:50] online at YouTube |
 | "Five Plays for Young Actors" [2014] by Ron Blicq of Canada playscripts for three one-act plays (each runs 40 to 45 minutes): "The Popsicle-Stick Wand", sequel "Battle of The Wands", and "Puss In Boots"; and two full-length plays based on well-known novels written by E. Nesbit (each runs 75 to 80 minutes): "The Railway Children" and "Five Children and A Psammead" Friesen Press 8½x5½ pb [10/2014] for $18.99 Friesen Press 8½x5½ hardcover [10/2014] for $30.99 |
 | "The Railway Children" abridged dramatization [1996] Read by Eve Karpf, Delia Paton, Robert Benfield, and other cast Naxos Audiobooks audio CD [1996] 2 disks - out of prodn/used Audible/Naxos audio CD [7/2003] 2 disks for $11.02 |
 | "The Railway Children" radio drama [2006]
B.B.C. Audiobooks, Ltd. audio CD [8/2006] out of prodn/used "The Railway Children Sequel (circa 1919)" radio drama |
 | "The Railway Children Walks" leaflet
Folded leaflet available for 'a small charge' at 1970s movie location Bradford and nearby towns. The short walk is 2½ miles, the longer walk is 7 miles; neither route is suitable for handicapped adults or baby strollers. download full-color leaflet [7.6 MB .PDF file] Railway Children Walks details page at K&WV Railway website |
Toys & Games
 |
"The Railway Children Train Pack by Bachmann Branchline" [2014]
Bachmann Dublo Scale model train set in 19x13x4½-inch box [12/2014] for $722.50 {sic} contains OO scale GN&S Railway 0-6-0T Pannier tank locomotive, two coaches, and a model of the Oakworth Station 'as seen in the film'; UK list price is ฃ134.95 |
 |
"The Railway Children 1000-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle" as at left [13 years & up]
Bits and Pieces 20"x27" studio puzzle in 9x9x2" box [undated] for $41.48 "The Railway Children 500-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle" [3 years & up]
|
Image Gallery
L i n k s
official Edith Nesbit and The Railway Children booksite
book entry at Wikipedia
The Railway Children School at Menston Railway Station, Ilkley, West Yorkshire, U.K.
The Railway Children Charity [est. 1995] is based in Sandbach, Cheshire, U.K.
The Railway Children British alt-rock band [est. 1984]
official band website
band entry at Wikipedia
here on the "The Railway Children" Novel & Movies Page at Spirit of America Bookstore
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movies & TV stageplays, other media image gallery links
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