Railton was born in Pleasington, near Blackburn, Lancashire, and educated at Mechlin in Belgium and Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire (England). He trained as an architect at the firm of W.S. Varley in Blackburn. He joined the local literary club where he met artist Charles Haworth, who became his mentor, and gave him further instruction in working in black and white. After his drawings of a railway accident at Blackburn station (1881) were published in the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, Railton went on to become one of the leading illustrators of his day. He moved to London and married Frances, another illustrator – they had one child, Ione, who also became an illustrator. Railton provided many black and white illustrations for magazines and books – including editions of books by famous authors such Thomas Hood (The Haunted House), Oliver Goldsmith, Henry Fielding, Samuel Johnson etc. and travel guides. Railton died of pneumonia in 1910, aged 53.