Storybook Steam: Six Railway Reads to Pack for a Pugneys Day Out

A story first, then the steam

Some family days begin in the car park. The best ones begin on the sofa, the night before, with a small person tucked under one arm and a railway book open on your knee.

At Pugneys Light Railway, we are firm believers in the slow build-up. A bedtime story about a train can turn an ordinary visit into something bigger: a chance to spot the real details you read about, to hear the sounds you imagined, and to keep the day going long after the last carriage has pulled away from the platform.

The trick is not to overplan it. Choose one book, read it once or twice before you come, then pop it in the bag. You do not need to read it on the platform. Just having it there is enough to turn the day into a little story of its own.

And if you would rather borrow than buy, your local library is the obvious first stop. Most libraries will reserve titles online, and many are happy to put together a themed bundle if you ask. Charity shops and school fairs are good for second-hand copies, too. A railway book does not need to be shiny to work its magic.

For the smallest passengers

Freight Train by Donald Crews

This one is short, sturdy and strangely hypnotic. The colours roll past, the trucks clatter along, and very small children often ask for it again before you have finished the first reading. It is a board-book classic for a reason.

Try this: before you visit, count the different colours on the cover. At Pugneys, see how many of those colours you can find on the platform, in the carriages or on the little ones' coats.

The Train Ride by June Crebbin

A gentle rhyming picture book about a journey and the things you see from the window. It is full of the sort of small observations that children love: fields, animals, a tunnel, a station. It also has a lovely rhythm for reading aloud, which helps if you are three verses into a very tired bedtime.

Try this: ask your child to choose one thing from the book to look out for on the way. It might be a tunnel, a bridge, a bench or simply a big puddle. The point is the looking, not the finding.

For picture-book spotters

The Little Red Train: The Runaway Train by Benedict Blathwayt

The Little Red Train books are a gift for children who like to pore over pictures. There is always something happening in the background: a lorry stuck in a lane, a sheep on the loose, a tiny detail you missed the first time. The stories are simple, but the illustrations reward a slow read.

Try this: read it once for the story, then again for the pictures. At Pugneys, see if you can spot the real-life versions of things from the book: a signal, a buffer, a carriage door, a guard with a flag.

Thomas the Tank Engine: The Railway Series by Rev W. Awdry

The original Railway Series stories first appeared in the 1940s, and they still have a particular charm. They are short, sturdy tales with engines who are proud, cheeky, helpful or grumpy — sometimes all in the same story. The language is a little old-fashioned now, which is part of the appeal if you are reading aloud.

Try this: pick one engine to follow for the day. Would your child rather be a steady engine, a speedy engine or a really useful engine? There is no wrong answer, though you may get a very firm one.

For growing readers

The Railway Children by E. Nesbit

This is the one for a first proper read-aloud chapter book. It has a family, a house by a railway, a mystery and plenty of small adventures. It is over a century old now, so some of the language needs a little gentle explaining, but the heart of it — children waving to trains, making friends on the platform, trying to put things right — still works beautifully.

Try this: read a chapter at bedtime and leave the next one for the car. Ask your child what they would wave at a passing train. A handkerchief? A glove? A very serious stare?

The Highland Falcon Thief by M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman

For slightly older readers who want a proper mystery, this is a lively chapter book set on a grand train journey. There is a detective, a famous locomotive, a cast of suspicious passengers and plenty of clues. It is a good step up for children who have moved beyond picture books but still like a story with momentum.

Try this: give them a small notebook and a pencil for the journey. They do not have to solve anything. They can just write down three things they noticed, three sounds they heard and one question they still have.

Turn the page into a platform game

You do not need to stage a full lesson at the station. A book can simply give you a few extra things to look for.

On the platform, try spotting the guard's whistle, the coupling between carriages, the signal, the station clock or the way the engine lets off steam. Look at the carriage windows and see if they are square, curved or split in two. Listen for the hiss before the clank. These are the real-life details that make a story feel true.

If your child is the sort who likes a job, give them one: official platform spotter, carriage window inspector, or keeper of the book. It is amazing what a small title can do for a short pair of legs.

Three gentle prompts for the car home

Keep it light. The day has probably been exciting enough already.

1. Which character would you invite to Pugneys? Ask what they would show them first.
2. What is the one sound you will remember? The whistle, the steam, the wheels or the crunch of gravel.
3. What would you add to the story? A new engine? A tunnel? A very important snack trolley?

These are not test questions. They are just a way of letting the day settle.

Borrow, swap, and keep the habit small

A reading ritual does not need a new book every week. Borrow from the library, swap with a friend, or keep one railway book on the shelf for the days when you need a little steam at home. The best family rituals are the ones that do not cost much and do not need much organising.

So, next time you are planning a Pugneys day, put a book in the bag. Read it the night before. Let the story do a little of the work. Then go and find the real thing, with all its noise and shine and slightly damp platform benches.

The whistle will sound better for it.