The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was first proposed by William James and Joseph Sanders in 1821. In 1826 George Stephenson was appointed chief engineer. The company originally intended to use fixed locomotives to pull freight trains between Liverpool and Manchester, but following the Rainhill Trial competition of 6 October 1829, locomotives in the style of Stephenson's Rocket were commissioned. The company opened the line between Liverpool and Manchester on 15 September 1830. The first passengers travelled along the line two days later and goods on 1 December. The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was absorbed into the Grand Junction Railway on 8 August 1845.

R. Barrow is known to have been an artist active in London in 1838, when he produced drawings for lithographic prints of railway buildings and scenes.

W Crane was an engraver known to have been active in Chester between 1830 and 1842. The Science Museum Group owns a number of lithographic prints engraved by Crane during this period, many of which depict railway scenes and industrial landscapes.

Known to have been active as a publisher at 30 Castle Street, town not recorded, in 1838, when he published an engraving by W Crane of a drawing by R Barrow.