L&SWR Rule Book - 1912

On the 9th August 1912, the Board of the London and South Western Railway approved this new rule book. By the looks of it, this was simply an updated version of the company's 1904 rule book. Additionally this, in its turn, was a predecessor to the company's 1921 rule book. In fact, the three books are so alike that without the dates on the front it would be hard to determine which was which. Contrast this with rule books from 1864 and 1884, and it is clear to see that this similarity indicates that by the early 20th century the procedures within the industry had become very ingrained. As such, the rule book, the most fundamental element of the railwayman's life, is highly representative of the stage that the railways were at in their development.