The railwaysthat operated in Worcestershire were controlled by the Midland Railway and the Great Western railway, whose struggle for supremacy had considerable effect on the development of railways in the county. The most important route through the county linked the great industrial centers of the Midlands and the seaport of Bristol, while lesser routes included the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway; Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway; and the Severn Valley Railway. The photographs in this book illustrate not only the county's trains and locomotives but also many of the stations, locosheds, and locomotive building works, and are accompanied by timetables and shed allocations."