Early Railways Conferences – and their future
Since 1998 the conferences have been an occasional series of gatherings by persons interested in the beginnings of the railway industry throughout the world. New research topics have presented, ranging from the pre-main-line era of waggonways, through the commencement of main line railways, to the developing introduction and operation of the earliest railways in each country.
After 8 Early Railways Conferences, plus two Early Main Line Railway Conferences, it is perhaps time to consider the best way forward. The Conferences have been run by an ad hoc committee with no formal constitution or corporate structure – is this still an appropriate way of organising ourselves? Is the formal conference approach still relevant? Is the name right? Should we aim for smaller events annually rather than periodic conferences? etc., etc. The committee and other interested parties are currently considering these questions, and others (September 2026).
When there is more to report it will appear here. For enquiries on any aspect of the Early Railways Conference please email er8@rchs.org.uk Please also use this email address to request to be added to our email list to ensure you receive up to date information as issued.
8th International (Hybrid) Early Railways Conference – held September 2025
Publication of the papers presented at the conference
The invitation to subscribe to the papers of the 8th Conference, edited by John New, will appear here shortly.
Details of papers presented at the conference will be found here.
Background information on the conferences
The scope of the Early Railways Conferences and the Early Main Line Railway Conferences
Formerly separated into the Early Railways Conferences and the Early Main Line Railway Conferences, the two have now been drawn together. Their common purpose is to shed new light on aspects of railway history which are relatively little studied or published.The conferences cover such topics as organisation and finance, the transfer of technology, and the results of archaeological excavations, with fresh researches presented, discussed and peer-reviewed for publication. The early railway remains a field of considerable discovery and reassessment: the conferences have consistently challenged established views on technology, innovation and practice.
Even amongst those interested in railway and transport history, there is commonly a lack of knowledge of the railway before the main line era. There are very few books on the subject in print, in contrast to the thousands available on main line railways. The period covered by the Early Railway conferences reaches back over 2500 years to the first known railway, the remarkable Diolkos of Ancient Greece, carrying goods and even boats across the Isthmus of Corinth. Railways were used in the medieval metal mines of central Europe, and known in England from Tudor times. By 1800 there were many hundreds of miles of lines in Britain, with the early railway regarded as a key element of the Industrial Revolution.
The technology and invention of the period before the main line was wide-ranging. Railways encompassed channels cut in stone to wooden waggonways to the development of iron and plate rails, haulage by man and beast to balance and powered inclines, and onwards to the invention of the steam locomotive and the long battle to establish its practicality. The great majority of early railways were private lines used to transport industrial materials, but both public railways and passenger railways pre-date the era of the main line. As the only series dedicated to the subject of the early railway, the conferences showcases a broad range of international studies and the 6th Conference included papers on Trinidad, Egypt and Sierra Leone.
The Early Main Line Railways Conferences (2014 and 2018) arose as the result of a public meeting which took place at the National Railway Museum in York in 2011. The four papers, that formed the focus of discussion, can be downloaded here:
TECHNOLOGY ON THE MOVE: ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT ON EARLY MAIN LINE RAILWAYS by Dr Michael R. Bailey
EARLY MAIN LINE RAILWAYS – CULTURAL IMPACT & SOCIAL CHANGE 1829-1870 by Dr David Gwyn
RAILWAY FINANCE by Dr Winifred Stokes
Research agenda for the early british railway
At the Fourth Early Railways Conference some time was devoted to a discussion of the aspects of early British railway history that required further documentary and archaeological research and analysis. Click here to download a copy of the resulting Research Agenda.
Past Conferences
International Early Railways Conferences
The First conference was held at Durham University in September 1998 and proved highly successful. The Second took place at Manchester’s Museum of Science & Industry in 2001. The Third was held at York’s National Railway Museum in 2004, the Fourth at University College London in 2008, a date which coincided with the 200th anniversary of Trevithick’s London locomotive trials. The Fifth Conference was held at Caernarfon, in June 2012. This represented a long-awaited opportunity to host the conference in Wales, where so many important early railways were constructed and where the first demonstration of the steam locomotive took place. Over 100 delegates attended a highly stimulating and comfortable conference. The evening trip, a gravity-waggon run and a private train on the Ffestiniog Railway on one of the stormiest nights for several years, proved especially memorable. The Sixth Conference was held in Newcastle in June 2016, but the 7th in June 2021 was held virtually (having originally been planned for holding at the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.). The 8th conference was held in Darlington in September 2025.
International Early Main Line Railways Conferences
The First conference was held at the Galeri, Caernarfon, North Wales from 19th to 22nd June 2014; the Second at the National Railway Museum, York, between 21st and 24th June 2018.
Proceedings of previous Conferences
Papers from all seven early railways conferences, together with those of the First and Second Early Main Line Railways Conference, have been published in a series of attractive and authoritative volumes that have already become collectors’ items. Papers from the eighth conference are now being prepared for publication, edited by John New.
It is recognised that there is a demand for these papers and we are currently looking into the best way of making them available online. (October 2025) Further progress on this will be reported here.
Click here for a list of contents of the Early Railways volumes 1-4.
For an independent summary and reviews of the first five early railways conferences and their proceedings: //www.steamindex.com/library/earlyrly.htm
The only volume still available is that of the Second Early Railways Conference, which can be ordered through the Newcomen Society by contacting its Executive Secretary at: office@newcomen.com