Lots of countries have issued trains on stamps  so for the collector of this theme there is a wealth of material available. Among the countries that have honoured railways on their stamps are Argentina, Australia, the United States and Thailand.

Brief History of Pre-steam Railway

Before the advent of steam, carriages were pulled along tracks by horses and ponies. These railways were constructed either by carving ruts into the road surface or by the use of flanged wooden wheels on wooden rails, which rapidly degraded.

The Birth of Steam Railways

The age of steam trains was born in 1803 in the Industrial Revolution town of Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. Cornish engineer Richard Trevithick was engaged by the Penydarren iron works when he was persuaded to build a steam railway to haul trucks to the Glamorganshire Canal.

February 1804 the Age of Steam

On the 13th of February 1804 Trevithick’s steam locomotive made its inaugural journey hauling a load of 10 tons and seventy men a distance of ten miles at a speed of five miles per hour. In London in 1808 Trevithick demonstrated a steam loco and carriages on a circular track. It travelled at 12 miles per hour and carried fee paying passengers. Even though the journey was short and its destination was its origin the age of passenger railways was born.
 
British Heritage Railways

Being the birthplace of steam locomotion many Briton’s seem to be born with steam coursing through their veins. So much so that Britain has the world’s largest number of ‘heritage railways’. They range from the full size Bluebell and Severn Valley Railways to the unique ‘Little Trains of Wales’.

These heritage railways are not preserved in aspic; a museum of inanimate objects to be gawped at, they are a living, breathing reminder of how railways used to be; an evocation of the past glories of the Age of Steam.
 
Britain’s Trains on Stamps

A recent sheet of six se-tenant stamps depicted Britain’s railway heritage. These stamps are an unusual issue for Britain’s Royal Mail because they are in a long landscape format that fits the subject very well. Besides the beautifully illustrated stamps the sheet selvage depicts the locomotive livery and lining out designs too.

Talyllyn Railway

The Talyllyn Railway was the world's first heritage railway a 20 pence stamp has a very striking picture of Talyllyn Railway loco ‘Dolgoch’ leaving a tunnel the image of speed is dramatically conveyed by steam and smoke billowing from the train and eddying around the tunnel’s roof.
 
Bo’ness and Kineil Railway

A 28 pence stamp shows a loco of the Bo’ness and Kineil Railway smoke gushing from its chimney as it pulls a fully loaded passenger train along a rural setting. The livery and lining out is a very striking Royal Blue with white-black-white lining.
Great Central Railway

The non-value indicator E stamp has an early morning scene of a Great Central Railway loco GCR 8K in 2-8-0 configuration. The loco seems to be pulling a train of goods wagons. A weak sun is glinting on the boiler door. This loco is an ex-British Railways and the livery is simply all over black.
 
Severn Valley Railway

A 42 pence stamp shows an ex-GWR locomotive of the Severn Valley Railway. The Manor class loco is seen pulling a train of GWR carriages in the ‘chocolate and cream’ livery, the loco itself is painted in GWR green with broad black stripe flanked by thin narrow gold lining out.
 
Bluebell Railway

The 47 pence shows the Blue Bell Railway West Country class of Southern Railways standing at a station roaring to make its way out and onto the open road. The train loco is shielded by a large cowl that makes it look sleek indeed. Steam is ejected from exhausts and swirls in rising clouds in front of the loco. The livery is Sothern Railways green with a lining out of a broad yellow stripe.