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Specialist Railway Libraries

There are a number of specialist libraries which hold historical railway documents, including Board of Trade and Ministry of Transport accident reports and returns. The list below represents our best understanding of the location of these libraries, and access arrangements. Please note that these details may not be up to date - please check with the library before visiting.


Birmingham Central Library

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Address

Birmingham Central Library
Chamberlain Square
Birmingham
B3 3HQ

Web / Email / Telephone

www.birmingham.gov.uk/centrallibrary.bcc

Online Catalogue

libcat.bham.org.uk

Access Arrangements

You don't have to be a member to come into the Library and browse through its stock. Membership is only required if you want to borrow the items which are for loan. To find you way around, ask at the Customer Services desk in the foyer. More detailed information is available at enquiry desks in each service area.

Accident Reports Held

Birmingham Central library holds the Railway & Canal Historical Society's Baxter collection, which comprises a significant collection of early railway information. The library also has some railway items donated by the Industrial Railway society.


Bristol University Library

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The Library provides a wide range of services, including many thousands of electronic books, journals and databases, about 1.4 million volumes of printed books and journals - the largest academic collection in the south west of England.

Address

Bristol University Library
Senate House
Tyndall Avenue
Bristol
BS8 1TH

Web / Email / Telephone

www.bristol.ac.uk/is/library
library-enquiries@bristol.ac.uk
+44 (0)117 928 8000

Online Catalogue

www.lib.bris.ac.uk/ALEPH

Access Arrangements

The library offers a limited range of library facilities by application for the following categories of user, at the discretion of the Director of Library Services:

  • individuals
  • firms and organisations
  • recognised local users (dentists, doctors, NHS personnel, school teachers, veterinary surgeons and members of the Bristol Society of Architects, the Bristol Law Society and the Bristol Medico-Chirurgical Society)

Accident Reports Held

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Dublin Central Library

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Address

Dublin Central Library
Ilac Centre
Henry Street
Dublin

Web / Email / Telephone

http://www.dublincity.ie/RecreationandCulture/libraries/find_your_library/Pages/central_library.aspx
centrallibrary@dublincity.ie
+ 353 1 8734333

Online Catalogue

libcat.dublincity.ie

Access Arrangements

Free access to members of the public.

Accident Reports Held

No information currently available. I can help with this information


Guildhall Library

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The original Library at Guildhall was founded in the 1420s under the terms of the will of Richard Whittington. Today, it is a major public reference library which specialises in the history of London, especially the City, as well as having other significant collections. The collections held at Guildhall Library are designated as a collection of national and international importance.

Address

Guildhall Library
Aldermanbury
London
EC2V 7HH

Web / Email / Telephone

www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/LGNL_Services/Leisure_and_culture/Libraries/City_of_London_libraries/guildhall_lib.htm
guildhall@cityoflondon.gov.uk
+44 (0)20 7332 1868

Online Catalogue

onlinecatalogue.cityoflondon.gov.uk

Access Arrangements

Free access to members of the public. You are welcome to use the collections in person or you can contact them by post, fax, email or telephone. There are no formalities or registration requirements although they suggest you bring some form of identification (eg driving licence, passport, library or record office card) in case you wish to view some of our rarer items.

Accident Reports Held

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Manchester Central Library

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The Central Library is one of Manchester's most famous and best loved landmarks. Most departments contain a wide range of lending material as well as reference books. Most also provide access to electronic sources of information. The Network Centre on first floor provides forty public access computers with internet access and a range of software applications. Within each department you will find more detailed guides to particular services and collections and, most importantly, staff who will be pleased to help you.

Address

Manchester Central Library
St Peter's Square
Manchester
M2 5PD

Web / Email / Telephone

www.manchester.gov.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?categoryID=1014&documentID=1316

+44 (0)161 234 1900

Online Catalogue

catalogue.manchester.gov.uk

Access Arrangements

Free access to the public.

Accident Reports Held

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National Archives

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The National Archives, based at Kew, is responsible for looking after the records of central government and the courts of law for England, and making sure everyone can look at them. The collection is one of the largest in the world and spans an unbroken period from the 11th century to the present day.

Address

National Archives
Kew
Richmond
Surrey
TW9 4DU

Web / Email / Telephone

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

+44 (0) 20 8876 3444

Online Catalogue

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/searchthearchives

Access Arrangements

Free access to members of the public. A reader's ticket is required - this can be issued on site with proof of identity and address.

Accident Reports Held

No information currently available. I can help with this information


National Archives of Scotland

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The NAS is the main archive for sources on the history of Scotland. The NAS holds records spanning the 12th to the 21st centuries, touching on virtually every aspect of Scottish life. The NAS is the repository for the public and legal records of Scotland but also holds many local and private archives.

Address

National Archives of Scotland
West Register House
2 Princes Street
Charlotte Square
Edinburgh

Web / Email / Telephone

www.nas.gov.uk
wsr@nas.gov.uk
+44(0)131 535 1413

Online Catalogue

www.nas.gov.uk/onlineCatalogue

Access Arrangements

The National Archives of Scotland (NAS) has two buildings in central Edinburgh, which are open to the public: General Register House and West Register House. Railway records are located at West Register House. Consulting records for historical research is free, provided that you hold a current reader's ticket. A reader's ticket is valid for up to 3 years, and will only be issued on personal application at an NAS search room, after you have produced photographic proof of your identity and current address. Once issued, your ticket is valid in both the Historical Search Room and the West Search Room but not the Legal Search Room, although you may consult catalogues and indexes there. When entering the NAS's buildings, you must present your ticket. On your first visit, you will receive a temporary pass to allow you access to the search rooms to obtain your ticket.

Accident Reports Held

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National Library of Scotland

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The national library of Scotland is an information treasure trove of Scotland's knowledge, history and culture, with millions of books, manuscripts and maps covering every subject. It is Scotland's legal deposit library, with around 14 million printed items in its collections.

Address

National Library of Scotland
George IV Bridge
Edinburgh
Scotland
EH1 1EW

Web / Email / Telephone

www.nls.uk
enquiries@nls.uk
+44 (0)131 623 3700

Online Catalogue

main-cat.nls.uk

Access Arrangements

Free access to members of the public. Two types of tickets, for which evidence of identity is required, are available to those who need to use the Library's collections and meet its admission requirements - a Short-Term ticket, valid for four weeks, or a General Reader's ticket, valid for up to three years.

Accident Reports Held

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National Library of Wales

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The National Library of Wales is one of Wales's leading cultural institutions, and its principal source of recorded knowledge. It is unusual, if not unique, among national libraries, in collecting and giving access to recorded knowledge in almost every medium - books, periodicals, newspapers, manuscripts and archives, maps, paintings, drawings and prints, photographs, sound and moving images, and electronic media.

Address

National Library of Wales
Aberystwyth
Ceredigion
Wales
SY23 3BU

Web / Email / Telephone

www.llgc.org.uk
cat@llgc.org.uk
+44 (0)1970 632 800

Online Catalogue

cat.llgc.org.uk/cgi-bin/gw/chameleon?lng=en

Access Arrangements

Free access to members of the public.

Accident Reports Held

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National Railway Museum

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The National Railway Museum in York, England is the largest railway museum in the world, responsible for the conservation and interpretation of the British national collection of historically significant railway vehicles and other artefacts. The Museum contains an unrivalled collection of locomotives, rolling stock and railway equipment. Its document archive, "Search Engine", contains a huge number of documents and records.

Address

National Railway Museum
Leeman Road
York
YO26 4XJ

Web / Email / Telephone

www.nrm.org.uk
search.engine@nrm.org.uk
+44 (0)8448 153139

Online Catalogue

libcat0.york.ac.uk

Access Arrangements

Free access to members of the public. Please note that the NRM archive has recently undergone a refurbishment, and not all of their archives are currently available.

Accident Reports Held

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Office of Rail Regulation

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The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) was established on 5 July 2004 under the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003. ORR is an independent statutory body led by a Board. Their key roles are:

  • to ensure that Network Rail, the owner and operator of the national railway infrastructure - the track and signalling - manages the network efficiently and in a way that meets the needs of its users;
  • to encourage continuous improvement in health and safety performance;
  • to secure compliance with relevant health and safety law, including taking enforcement action as necessary;
  • to develop policy and enhance relevant railway health and safety legislation; and
  • to be responsible for licensing operators of railway assets, setting the terms for access by operators to the network and other railway facilities, and enforcing competition law in the rail sector.

Address

Office of Rail Regulation
1 Kemble Street
London
WC2B 4AN

Web / Email / Telephone

www.rail-reg.gov.uk
rail.library@orr.gsi.gov.uk
+44 (0)20 7282 2001

Online Catalogue

Not available

Access Arrangements

Access is by prior appointment only, Monday to Friday between 10am and 4pm. Appointments can be made by contacting the library via email or telephone. All items are for reference only.

Accident Reports Held

  • A complete set of Railway Reports and Returns for 1841 to 1983, and most published reports from 1983 to the present day;
  • A complete set of Railway Accidents - Reports by Employment Officers for 1939 to 1986;
  • Monthly Railway Statistics for 1920 to 1938;
  • A complete set of Special Railway Acts volumes for 1857 to 1938;
  • A complete set of Reports on New Works for 1965 to 1993;
  • A few other miscellaneous volumes from the 19th and early 20th centuries.


Oxford University Library Services

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The Oxford University Library Services (OULS) is the integrated library service of the University of Oxford. Established in 2000, it comprises nearly 40 libraries. There are major research libraries - including the Bodleian Library, which has been a library of legal deposit for almost 400 years - as well as libraries attached to faculties, departments and other institutions of the University. The combined collections of the OULS number more than 11 million printed items, in addition to vast quantities of materials in many other formats.

Address

Oxford University Library Services
Main Enquiry Desk, Bodleian Library
Broad Street
Oxford
OX1 3BG

Web / Email / Telephone

www.ouls.ox.ac.uk/
reader.services@ouls.ox.ac.uk
+44 (0)1865 277162

Online Catalogue

library.ox.ac.uk

Access Arrangements

Current members of Oxford University will be able to use most libraries in university institutions, including the Bodleian Library and all OULS libraries, for legitimate purposes of study.A University Card will normally establish your identity and status but registration on a first visit to a library will often be required. In general, access to college libraries is restricted to members of that college, and some other libraries impose restrictions on access to non-members of the department or faculty. Members are advised to consult the library guides for individual library policy.Others, including non-members of Oxford University, should complete an admissions form for OULS libraries and consult individual library guides for other libraries. If it is more than six years since you last obtained a reader's card we will not have retained the evidence of your previous admission and you should make a full application as a new reader.The OLIS catalogue lists items in all its contributing libraries, but it should be borne in mind that some of these, such as college and departmental libraries, will not be open to members of the University not belonging to that college or department. Some contributing libraries have not yet completed the process of putting their catalogues on to the OLIS database.

Accident Reports Held

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Parliamentary Archives

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The Parliamentary Archives hold several million historical records relating to Parliament, dating from 1497.

Address

Parliamentary Archives
Houses of Parliament
London
SW1A 0PW

Web / Email / Telephone

www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_publications_and_archives/parliamentary_archives.cfm
archives@parliament.uk
+44 (0)20 7219 3074

Online Catalogue

www.portcullis.parliament.uk

Access Arrangements

Free access to members of the public. No special letters of introduction are required and no readers tickets are issued, but they do require proof of identity. Please contact in advance of your visit to make an appointment.

Accident Reports Held

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Railway Studies Library, Newton Abbot

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The Collection is housed on the first floor of Newton Abbot Library. Newton Abbot was chosen for the site because of the town's historical significance as a railway centre. The Collection covers all aspects of railways and contains a wide range of material of interest to railway and social historians, writers, researchers, modellers and people concerned with the contemporary railway scene. Geographical coverage of the Collection is comprehensive for the West Country from the GWR and LSWR periods to the present day. There is substantial coverage of the remainder of the UK railway network. As well as providing information on standard gauge railways, the Collection caters for other key areas of interest such as broad gauge, narrow gauge, industrial lines, miniature, underground and preserved railways. The Collection contains books, leaflets, pamphlets, timetables, photographs, postcards, slides, drawings, illustrations, maps, railway society literature and periodicals.

Address

Railway Studies Library, Newton Abbot
Newton Abbot Library
Market Street
Newton Abbot
TQ12 2RJ

Web / Email / Telephone

www.devon.gov.uk/newton_abbot_library
railway.library@devon.gov.uk
+44 (0)1626-206422

Online Catalogue

www.devon.gov.uk/index/culturetourism/libraries/library_catalogue.htm

Access Arrangements

Free access to members of the public.

Accident Reports Held

Some accident reports held, mostly from the 1950 to 1970 period.


University of Cambridge Library

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Address

University of Cambridge Library
West Road
Cambridge
CB3 9DR

Web / Email / Telephone

www.lib.cam.ac.uk
library@lib.cam.ac.uk
+44 (0)1223 333000

Online Catalogue

www.lib.cam.ac.uk/newton

Access Arrangements

All members of the University of Cambridge are welcome to use the Library.Academic staff and research students from other universities can apply to use the Library for reference. Undergraduate and taught postgraduate students from other UK universities can apply to access the Library for reference during Cambridge vacations. Private and business researchers may apply to use the Library for reference if their research requires access to materials held at the University Library. An administration charge for 6 months applies to applicants from non-UK universities and the public.

Accident Reports Held

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University of Leicester Library

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The library has an unrivalled transport history collection, including accident reports as far back as 1865.

Address

University of Leicester Library
PO Box 248
University Road
Leicester
LE1 9QD

Web / Email / Telephone

www.le.ac.uk/library
library@le.ac.uk
+44 (0)116 252 2043

Online Catalogue

library.le.ac.uk

Access Arrangements

Free access to railway collection. Access to members of the public is by means of obtaining a reference card (free of charge). An external borrowing card (4 items for 4 weeks) is also available on payment of an annual or quarterly fee.

Accident Reports Held

Board of Trade Accident Returns Volumes: Earliest volume: 1865 Thereafter, most years are present. Collection finishes around 1930.


University of London Library

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The University of London Research Library Services (ULRLS) comprise, collectively, the libraries at the centre of London University - the Senate House Library, and those of the Institutes of the School of Advanced Study.These important resources - including almost 3 million volumes - are used by many communities across the University in furtherance of its academic mission, and also exist to support the research needs of a wider national and international audience.

Address

University of London Library
Senate House
Malet Street
London
WC1E 7HU

Web / Email / Telephone

www.london.ac.uk/582.html

Online Catalogue

catalogue.ulrls.lon.ac.uk

Access Arrangements

Use of the Library is open to all staff and eligible students of Colleges of the University that subscribe to the Library.

Accident Reports Held

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