In Victorian England the expansion of railways changed history. Landscapes and cities were transformed and, for the first time, people travelled for miles at unimaginable speeds. It’s no wonder that the golden age of steam travel inspired a rich array of short stories.

Classic Railway Stories is part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, pocket-sized classics bound in real cloth with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. Train travel was disruptive, fast and sometimes perilous – all the ingredients too of a good short story.

Strangers and acquaintances are thrown together and missing their stop is also a great plot device. Then there are the perils of travelling alone to somewhere new, possibly in the dark when who knows what crimes and mysteries might unfold. All these narrative tricks play out in this diverting collection.

In Margaret Oliphant’s moving story, a young wife escapes her abusive husband when their train leaves without him. In ‘Holding Up a Train’ O. Henry gives an account of the pros and cons of being a train robber and Saki wittily describes a mother’s attempt to control her unruly children.

With crime and mystery from the likes of Arthur Conan Doyle and Maurice le Blanc there’s so much here to entertain.