The Railway Children · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for The Railway Children by E. Nesbit.
Chapter 1
Dedication
The author dedicates the book to her son Paul Bland, acknowledging his expertise in railways which she relies upon.
Chapter 2
The Railway Children
The three children, Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis, move with their mother to a small house called Three Chimneys after their father's sudden departure. They discover the railway nearby and become fascinated with the trains, waving to passengers and making friends with the station staff, including Perks the porter and the Station Master. Their adventures begin as they adapt to their new, simpler life.
Chapter 3
The Beginning of Things
The chapter introduces the three children—Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis—living a comfortable suburban life with their perfect father and loving mother. Their idyllic existence is shattered when mysterious visitors arrive, their father is called away on business, and the family is forced to move to a small white house in the country, beginning a new life centered around the railway.
Chapter 4
Peter's Coal-Mine
The children adapt to their new life without Father, but a period of cold, wet weather reveals their poverty when Mother forbids a fire due to the high cost of coal. Determined to help, Peter devises a plan to mine coal from the station's pile, believing it is not stealing. He is caught by the Station Master, who initially threatens him but relents after learning the children's motive. The chapter ends with the family's first night at Three Chimneys, where they light candles and a fire, striving to be cheerful despite their hardships.
Chapter 5
The Old Gentleman
The children befriend the railway and begin waving to the 9:15 train, which is ridden by an old gentleman who waves back. Mother falls ill with influenza, and the doctor prescribes expensive remedies she cannot afford. The children spend time at the station with the Porter, learning about trains, and Peter starts collecting engine numbers.
Chapter 6
IV: The Engine-Burglar
Roberta (Bobbie) accidentally climbs into a moving train's cab while trying to get her toy engine mended. She befriends the engine-driver Bill and fireman Jim, who fix the toy and teach her about the engine's workings. Meanwhile, the children reveal to their mother that they accepted gifts from the Old Gentleman during her illness, leading to a tearful but forgiving lesson about pride and self-reliance. The chapter ends with Bobbie's birthday and her triumphant return home with the mended engine.
Chapter 7
Prisoners and Captives
On a rainy day, the children wait at the station for their mother and encounter a mysterious, ill-looking foreigner without a ticket. They befriend him, discover he is Russian, and their mother takes him home. That night, she reveals his tragic story: he is a writer imprisoned and exiled to Siberia for his book, who escaped to find his family in England.
Chapter 8
Saviours of the Train
The children befriend the Russian gentleman recovering in their garden and seek to cheer him. They visit Perks at the station, who is hurt at being left out of the secret about the Russian. After reconciling, they learn of a dangerous landslide on the railway line. Using red flannel flags, they heroically stop the 11:29 train just in time, saving it from wreck. Bobbie faints from the strain but is praised as a heroine. Later, they gather wild cherries for the Russian.
Chapter 9
For Valour
The children receive a letter commending their bravery in saving the train and are invited to a presentation ceremony where they are awarded inscribed watches. Bobbie, however, uses the opportunity to ask the Old Gentleman for help in finding the Russian refugee's wife and children. The Old Gentleman, impressed by their mother's kindness, promises to assist. The chapter highlights Bobbie's empathy, her silent support for her mother, and the children's selflessness.
Chapter 10
The Amateur Firemen
The children encounter a bargeman who initially drives them off the bridge, but his wife later apologizes and invites them to fish. When the barge cabin catches fire, the children rescue the baby and dog, earning the bargeman's gratitude. He takes them on a full canal trip, and they return home safely, having made new friends.
Chapter 11
The Pride of Perks
The children decide to celebrate Perks's birthday by collecting gifts from the village, but their well-intentioned plan backfires when Perks, proud and independent, initially rejects the offerings as charity. After a heartfelt explanation and the revelation that the gifts come from many neighbors, Perks relents and accepts the celebration.
Chapter 12
The Terrible Secret
Bobbie discovers the truth about her father's imprisonment through a newspaper clipping, learning he has been sentenced to five years of penal servitude. She struggles with this secret while trying to comfort her mother and maintain normalcy with her siblings. The chapter also includes Peter's injury and the children's efforts to be good.
Chapter 13
The Hound in the Red Jersey
Bobbie discovers the terrible secret of her father's imprisonment through an old newspaper, and shares her grief with her mother, who reveals the truth about the false accusation. Later, the children venture into a tunnel to rescue a cyclist they believe has been injured, facing the danger of an oncoming train.
Chapter 14
What Bobbie Brought Home
Bobbie, Peter, and Phyllis discover an injured boy named Jim in the tunnel after a train passes. Bobbie stays with him while Peter and Phyllis seek help. Bobbie tends to Jim's broken leg, using her petticoat as a cushion and milk for comfort. Peter and Phyllis wake a sleeping signalman to get assistance.
Chapter 15
The Hound's Grandfather
The injured young man, Jim, is cared for by Mother with the Doctor's help. The children play a rough game of bone-setting, which ends with Bobbie and Phyllis tying Peter up to teach him a lesson. The Old Gentleman reveals that Mother will become matron of a small hospital at Three Chimneys to nurse Jim. He privately tells Bobbie he has hopes of proving Father's innocence. Peter expresses his longing for male companionship and discusses with Mother the idea of being in a book written by God.
Chapter 16
The End
Life at Three Chimneys changes after the old gentleman visits his grandson. The children resume waving to the 9:15 train, and the old gentleman arranges for all passengers to wave back, hinting at good news. Bobbie feels something momentous is about to happen and encounters unusually kind greetings from townspeople. The chapter concludes with the family adjusting to a new routine with servants and Mother having more time for lessons and play.
