The railway children -synopsis
Roberta (Bobbie), Peter and Phyllis lived in a comfortable home in London. Their father was a civil servant while their mother was a housewife. Their parents were wonderful and kind people. They also had a maid to do the house work.
One day, two gentlemen came to the house to see their father. Soon after, he followed them out. He was taken to prison. He was accused of being a Russian spy. The children did not know why their father left with the two men but their mother knew. She kept it to herself and did not tell the children.
Soon, they had to move to a modest cottage in the Yorkshire countryside. The cottage was situated near a railway station. The children's life revolved around the passing trains, workers at the station and the town’s people.
Their mother wrote some stories to earn some money to buy food and for other necessities. It was hard at first to be poor but they soon learned to live with the little they had.
They learned not to steal coal from the railway station even if they have so little coal to keep warm. Their life was full of adventures. For instance, they managed to stop a train when a landslide covered the tracks. They found the injured boy (hound) in the train tunnel and managed to get help for him.
They liked to wave at passing trains. In time they made many new friends and forged a special friendship with one old gentleman in particular. The old gentleman gets to know them and helps them in various ways.
He becomes instrumental in the release of their father from prison. Finally, one day their father returns home and everybody is happy that now they are together