England’s railways were once a rainbow of liveries, but by 1923 some 120 companies became the Big Four. Each tried to attract riders with posters advertising pastoral scenes, charming villages, or flashing views of the capital. As rail travel declined and the pre-war glamour eventually faded, profits became few and only the Southern Railway could invest, electrifying some of its commuter lines. By 1948 the railways were nationalized. This calendar’s posters compose a snapshot of England’s interwar rail travel, a romantic vision of sophisticated country escapes and city grandeur.