India, Oct. 17 -- The railway station in Alnwick, a market town in Northumberland, England, played the role it was meant to for decades - it was home to steam trains that ferried passengers to varied destinations. Today, the station, which was designed in 1887 and closed to passengers in the 1960s, is the home of Barter Books, one of the largest second-hand bookshops in Europe. The arched halls are packed with shelves carrying more than 350,000 books, a model railway running overhead, murals of writers, armchairs by open fires, and a cafe that serves tea (also coffee) and scones. For many, the "British Library of second-hand bookshops" has become a destination in itself.

"It's a remarkable building," says Stuart Manley, who co-founded th...