The setting is southern Britain at the dawn of the 'Railway Age'. Cities and towns, mountains and rivers, are all portrayed in their correct positions. As yet their are no railways, apart from a few local lines, but the way is clear for schemes to be financed, directors to be appointed, routes to be engineered, services to be scheduled and, if the venture is successful, profits to be won!
1829 has two editions. One covers England and Wales in a red box. The other depicts Britain from Birmingham to Inverness and is in a light green box. Both use the same rules with only minor changes.