Hardwood police truncheon, Manchester & Leeds Railway

Police truncheon, Manchester & Leeds Railway, hardwood truncheon painted black, with VR and crown and letters M & L R in gold. Overall: 315 mm x 43 mm.

The Stockton and Darlington Railway first introduced police officers on the railway in 1825. The first police force on the railway was introduced to the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in 1830. In 1831, the Special Constables Act meant that railway police were given jurisdiction of the areas surrounding the railways. These officers would have carried truncheons painted with their railway company’s crest. These early railway police officers also acted as signalmen and were responsible for the safety of the railways.