THE RAILWAY CHILDREN A must-read book for people of all ages. (The Guardian) The Railway Children is a weepie that will never run out of steam. (Daily Telegraph) Set in Edwardian England, this book has been a bestseller story for 90 years. It tells the heartwarming adventures of a resourceful family - mother and her three children: sensible Roberta, the eldest, scientific Peter and dreamy Phyllis.