The station master is the person in charge of a railway station. Throughout many years it was considered a male occupation. It was rare for a women to hold a position as a station master. The station master is responsible for the management of other station employees and holds responsibility for safety and the efficient running of the station. The term was historically employed across stations of all sizes, leading to variation in the role. At a major city terminus, with potentially hundreds of employees, the station master’s duties would focus on personnel management. At smaller town and country stations, with a more limited staff, the station master would have far more customer interaction with traveling passengers, and would commonly deputise for other members of staff in their absence.
The number of employees at a railway station varied according to size. A historic station master would typically manage a number of booking clerks , porters, and often ancillary staff in catering, left luggage, and maintenance roles.
This imagine stood out to me because this job was very important in the 19th century. They were highly respected in their communities. Most came from backgrounds of farmers, sailors, and civil servants.
