"From their origins in eighteenth-century England, railroads spread across the globe, changing everything in their path, from where and how people grew and made things to where and how they lived and moved. Railroads rewrote not only the geography of the world but also the history of maps and mapping. The needs of train companies and their users--both passengers and freight companies--have continued to shape the maps we consult and consume down to the present day. This is the first book to trace the international history of railroads and railroad infrastructure through maps. Featuring full-color maps primarily from the British Library's distinguished collection--many of them never before published--the book includes coverage from six continents, with prominent treatment of North and South America. Some of the maps were produced for railroad planning and operations, others for passengers, shippers, and tourists. Arranged chronologically, the maps are accompanied by explanatory text and also shed light on political history, military history, and urban development associated with the spread of railroads. A final chapter considers railroad maps from games, books, and other cultural artifacts. For anyone interested in the history of railroads or maps, this book will offer new and unexpected insights into their intertwined global history"--