The monthly parcel, and framed route maps.

The Railway Dispatch
Join
Menu

Parcel one

The first parcel, piece by piece.

This is what is in the first parcel, photographed from the first printing, with the line the printer works from under each piece. Kinnaber, Part 1, is posted in the first week of November 2026.

  1. The journey print: a works photograph of a locomotive and tender side on, printed on cream paper with the title The Eight O'Clock for the North, Euston to Crewe, 22nd August 1895, beneath it.

    01

    The journey print

    A4. The Eight O'Clock for the North: a works photograph of the engine that took the record train out of Euston on 22nd August 1895, set as a plate with the lettering beneath.

  2. The ticket, on buff card: West Coast Route, London (Euston) to Aberdeen, third class single, fare 45/0, numbered 1187 and dated 22 AU 95 in the margin.

    02

    The ticket

    Third class single, London (Euston) to Aberdeen, 45/0, No. 1187. Buff card, Edmondson size.

  3. The route chart: a map of Britain from London to Aberdeen with the west coast road in red and the east coast road in green, joined at Kinnaber, with a key and a box headed The Race, August 1895.

    03

    The route chart

    The two roads to Aberdeen, west and east, every station with its mileage, joined at Kinnaber and marked ONE ROAD, 38 MILES.

  4. The story booklet, an A5 cover on cream paper: an engraving of a train under a station roof, and the title The Correspondent, Part One of Three.

    04

    The story

    Part One, The Correspondent. A5 booklet, illustrated, with a page at the back on what is real.

  5. The railway document: a printed Train Timing Record form, London to Aberdeen, filled in by hand with times and speeds from Euston to Crewe.

    05

    The railway document

    A page from the correspondent's timing log, Euston to Crewe: the first eleven entries in ink on a printed form, with the remark at Crewe where Hardwicke comes on.

  6. The post card, front: a photograph of the Euston Arch in the 1890s with cabs waiting beneath it, captioned London, Euston, beside ruled lines for a message.

    06

    The post card

    No. 1 of 3. Court card, 115 by 89 mm, the size of 1895, with a photograph of the Euston Arch and an undivided back. Left blank.

How it arrives

The six pieces are wrapped in kraft, tied both ways with string and wax sealed, then posted in a plain C4 envelope as a second class large letter, so nothing is folded in the post. It goes through a standard letterbox. The pieces name real routes, stations and times, but carry no company crest, initials or lettering, and every printed piece has a small line saying it is a replica made in 2026. What was checked, and where, is listed on the back page of every story booklet.

What comes after it

Kinnaber runs over three parcels, told by three people in the same week: the newspaper man on the train, the signalman at the junction and the fireman on the last engine. Part Two is posted in December 2026 and Part Three in January 2027, and a new journey begins after that.

JoinRead the opening chapter

£14.99 a month, or £44.97 for three months or £164.89 for twelve, paid once. Free UK delivery: every price includes postage. Payment is by card through Stripe. Cancel a monthly membership from your account at any time.