Ever since the appearance of the first steam locomotives at the beginning of the nineteenth century, artists have been fascinated by railways. As railways transformed the natural environment and altered notions of speed, power, time and distance, artists began to see the world in new and sometimes revolutionary ways. Huge construction projects and powerful machines proved irresistible subjects, first for artists and then photographers. Soon railway companies were using images to promote and record their operations, the forerunners of today’s huge advertising and publicity industries. However, as railways became commonplace interest waned until the emergence of a new wave of artists who saw beauty in the banal. Enthusiasts, too, began to represent railways, as photography became cheaper and more accessible. Today, the portrayal of railways is a curious mixture of the modern and the nostalgic, as the allure of powerful new technology combines with the lingering charm of the ‘golden age’ of steam, recreated on preserved railways in the UK and in countless images.