THE RAILWAY CHILDREN

CHARACTERS
ROBERTA (BOBBIE)
Roberta is 12 years old. She has a brother named Peter and a younger sister named Phyllis. She is
fondly known as Bobbie in this novel. She is the eldest of the three. One of her characters is, she
is a very persistent person. She doesn't easily throw in the towel when the odds seem to be
against her.
There are many incidences in the novel where we can see her persistence. For example,
in chapter 3 (page 17 - paragraph 5 - lines 1-3), we can see how determined she was in getting
the things necessary for her mother's recovery when her mother was ill. Her persistence paid off
when the old gentleman gave the things needed for her mother's recovery.
In chapter 6 (page 38 - read the whole page), Perks was not happy with people giving him
presents. He was worried that people would laugh and make fun of him. Bobbie persistently
reasoned with Perks about the good intentions of the village people giving him the presents until
he relented and accepted the gifts. Finally, Perks celebrated his birthday with a happy note.
In chapter 7 (pg 42 - the whole page), she did not give up in finding a way to help secure her
father's release from prison. She was persistent even when her mother had given up. She secretly
wrote a letter to her friend the old gentleman asking for his help to clear her father's name. In the
end her father was released from prison.
*Brave - Chapter 5, Chapter 7, Chapter 8
*Kindhearted - Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 8
*Responsible - Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5
*Moral - we must not easily give up when things seem impossible. We must keep trying by
finding means and ways to make the impossible possible like Roberta.
PETER
Peter is Roberta's brother. He is the second child in the family. Peter is a very brave and smart
young chap. He wants to be an engineer when he grows up. He has a knack for railway engines.
He was overjoyed when his father gave him a steam engine for his birthday.
One distinct character of Peter is sharp-witted (intelligent).In Chapter 5 (p29 - p4 - lines 13), It was he who gave the idea of using something red in colour to wave and stop the train from
meeting a certain disaster. He cut his sisters' red petticoats into six pieces and put them on to
sticks. Peter together with his sisters waved at the coming train until it stopped.

In Chapter 6 (pg 36 - p1 - lines 1-3), Peter was honest in giving the idea of asking the village
people to give gifts for Perk's birthday. He told his mother about their true intention of giving
Perks the presents. Many people gave gifts for Perks birthday party.
In Chapter 2 (pg 12 - p 3 - lines 1-3), we can see the daring side of Peter. He was daring enough
to steal coal from the railway station at night but he did it ignorantly. Peter innocently thought it
was alright to take some coal from the station.
In Chapter 8 (p46 - p1 - lines 1-4 / pg 47 - p2 - lines 1-4), we can see how brave Peter was in
searching for the boy in the red shirt in the dark tunnel. He was shaking in fear but still he
continued the search for the boy with his sisters.
PHYLLIS
Phyllis is the youngest child in the family. She is the cutest of the three. She is quite a
bubbly character. She is very naive and insecure. She is also very sensitive but easily forgiving.
In Chapter 5 (p29,30 & 31), we can see the brave side of Phyllis. She together with her elder
sister and brother managed to stop the train from meeting with a terrible accident.
In Chapter 1 (p7 - p1 - last line), Phyllis felt very insecure when they moved in to their new
house at the countryside.
While in Chapter 6 (pg 38 - p1&2), Phyllis became very sensitive when Perks refused to accept
the gifts the children had brought to him. She was so hurt by Perks words that she started to cry.
In Chapter 4,5,6 and 8 we can see how loving, caring and helpful Phyllis is.
MOTHER
Mother is a homely type. We can read this in Chapter 1 (page 1 - paragraph 2 - lines 1-3). She
spends most of her time at home, playing with the children or reading stories to them. Usually
she read the stories she wrote to them. She is a very protective woman. She protected her
children from worrying or feeling sad about their father. She did this by not telling them what
actually had happened to their father. She also told them that they need to play being poor for a
while in order not to cause more anxiety on them.
In chapter 2 (p12 - pg 1 - lines 2-3), we can see how resourceful she is. Mother wrote stories and
sold them to put some food on the table.
In chapter 4 (p21 - pg 3 - lines 1-3), we can see that Mother is a very proud person. Although
they were poor, she strongly discourages her children from telling people that they are poor and
asking strangers to help them.
She is also a very caring and loving Mother. In Chapter 1 (p1 - p2 - lines 1-3),Mother was
always ready to play with her children. She also read stories to them.

Whereas in Chapter 9 ( p53 - p1 - lines 2-4), she taught her children their lessons as they have
stopped going to school for some time now.
In Chapter 8 (p50 - p1 - lines 8-9) , she took in the injured boy into her house and nursed him to
health.
FATHER
The children's father worked in a government office. He was a civil servant. He was an honest
and hardworking man. He was wrongly accused of being a Russian spy and was sentenced to 5
years in prison.
In Chapter 1 (pg 1 - p 3 - lines 2-4),we can see how tolerant and wonderful he is. He never gets
angry at the children nor at his wife. The children love their father very much for he is always
happy and ready to play games with them.
In Chapter 1 (pg 3 - p1 - lines 1-3), when Peter showed him his broken steam engine, father
looked at it carefully and smilingly told Peter that there is hope(optimistic) that his steam engine
could be repaired. He is also a grateful man.
In Chapter 9 (pg 57 - "Yes', said Father. Its him I must thank.'). Father was grateful for his
release and wanted to thank the old gentleman for helping him to clear his name and secure his
release from prison.
THE OLD GENTLEMAN
This gentleman rides on the 9.15 train every morning. He has white hair and looks kind. He
knows the government people. He is Jims grandfather. He has the character of a friendly, kind,
polite, helpful and generous old man.
PERKS
Perks works as a porter at the railway station. He is a nice and friendly man. He is kind and
polite but he dislikes being pitied by others. He is good at doing his job.
THE STATION MASTER
He is a kind and friendly man too. He agrees to let Peter go after he arrested him for stealing the
coal.
JIM
He is the boy with the red t-shirt that broke his leg during the paper-chase. Jim is the old
gentlemans grandson. The children mother nurses him to health after the incident.

THE TRAIN DRIVER AND JIM, THE FIREMAN

They help Bobbie when she gets stuck on their train and help her mend Peters broken toy
engine.

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 towns 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 again.
THEMES
1.
The importance of family love and loyalty
2.
Taking challenges with courage
3.
Facing challenges in life
4.
Growing up to be a well-mannered child
5.
The importance of friends
6.
The importance of community

MORAL VALUES
1.
Family love and loyalty
2.
Kindness and compassion
3.
Bravery
4.
Selfless acts
POINT OF VIEW
The story is from the third person point of view
PHYSICAL SETTING
1.
2.
3.
4.

London, the capital city of England.

The house in the country
The railway station
The tunnel

SOCIAL SETTING
The story tells about a middle-class family living in England in the 20 th century. The period is
between 1900 and 1920 in England. They lead a happy life until their father is taken away
mysteriously one night. They move to the country side and live in a white house near the railway
line. The children wander around and meet kind and friendly workers at the railway station and
make new friends with the villagers. The children save a train and are given a gold watch
each. Their mother is not pleased at her children acts at first but realizes they are doing great
living and making friends in the country side.