The location of 197 Albert Rd is shown on this Victorian map. It was very handy for William’s work at the railway station. Retford railway station is on the East Coast Main Line in the United Kingdom, serving the town of Retford, Nottinghamshire. It is 138 miles down the line from London King's Cross and is situated between Newark North Gate and Doncaster on the main line. It has four platforms, two of which serve the main line and the other two, located at a lower level and at right angles to the first pair, serve the Sheffield to Lincoln Line.
Retford South Signal Box Refreshment Room staff at Retford GNR station, c.1910. Refreshment Room staff at Retford GNR station, c.1910. Porters were employed on the railways to carry luggage for passengers who could not carry it themselves. The porter also helped to load luggage onto the train. Large items of luggage were usually loaded into the guard's van. They were well labelled so that they were put off at the right station. Many porters would work for free, but often customers would provide a tip for their service.