Southern Railway (SR)

The Southern Railway was the smallest of the “Big Four” railway companies created in 1923 under the Railways Act 1921. However it benefited from a sensible territory and a sound management style under the leadership of Sir Herbert Walker. Indeed Sir Herbert Walker epitomised the Southern and is undoubtedly the greatest British railwayman of his day. The Southern Railway was less well known than the other three “Big Four” railway companies with their glamorous trains and dramatic scenery. Indeed few of the great railway stations were on the Southern and it had few of Britain's famous industries.

The Southern Railway was one of the most sensible large transport organisations the world has ever seen. It had a touch of magic, and among those who really knew it, its achievements were wondered at. So its demise at nationalisation was much lamented.

Yet the Southern went about its business with understated resolve. Its policies were about common sense and were pursued consistently and were economically successful. Also it was not afraid to admit mistakes and change accordingly. It used its finances wisely and nothing ever went to waste. No piece of equipment was ever thrown away if it could be used or incorporated into something else.

Before the age of air travel, the Southern Railway was Britain's front door, via its South Coast ports, and the majority of visiting Royalty, political and other famous visitors first glimpsing Britain's countryside through its windows. In the days before Gatwick Airport and when London's airport was at Croydon, all the world of politics and fashion were to be seen at London Victoria before the departure of the Golden Arrow. With the Golden Arrow Pullman service and other boat train services and, above all, the through Night Ferry sleeper service between London and Paris, it had very special Continental associations.

One of the Southern Railway's main successes was the development of Southampton Docks, often described as the jewel in its crown, and to attract the larger generation of Cunard liners there. Its shipping fleet was also second to none and was responsible for the introduction of many innovations. The Southern Railway also had unrivalled experience in carry great crowds, going to the seaside, on day trips, and later on longer holidays, visiting the racecourse etc. This experience proved invaluable during the Second World War when the Southern Railway was called in the various wartime evacuations of London and in bringing the soldiers back from Dunkirk. Indeed these achievements in the Second World War are legendary. However in the main, it was an everyday railway carrying workers and crops.

Another great achievement was the development of Southern Electric, at the time, the world's largest electrified suburban system. Indeed it also made it work with great precision and its punctuality and reliability was the envy of the world. This electrification was also very well planned and executed very economically. There was none of the stop start pattern of such projects in BR and today's privatised railways with teams being assembled and disbanded. With the Southern Railway one scheme swiftly followed another. This also instigated the use of clockface timetables with regular interval sequences that repeated through the day. So the Southern Railway was clean, busy, precise and in many respects was the ultimate model railway.

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Great Western Railway (GWR)

The Great Western Railway was the only one of the Big Four railway companies created in 1923 under the Railways Act 1921 that actually was an enlargement of an existing pre-grouping company. In fact the Great Western Railway was founded in 1833 and kept its identity through the creation of the Big Four and was significantly enlarged by taking over several other companies in its territory. Thus this great tradition of continuity was combined with innovation and a well developed publicity machine to create perhaps the best loved railway company in the world. However while pursuing its individual brand of tradition and continuity it was perhaps seen by other railways as being irritating with its ever more individualistic, superior and very traditional ways.

The Great Western Railway originated from the desire of Bristol merchants to maintain the position of their port as the second port in the country and the chief one for American trade. The increase in the size of ships and the gradual silting of the River Avon made Liverpool an increasingly attractive port, and with its rail connection with London developing in the 1830s it threatened Bristol's status. The answer for Bristol was, with the co-operation of London interests, to build a line of their own, a railway built to unprecedented standards of excellence to outperform other railways.

The Great Western Railway was founded at a public meeting in Bristol in 1833, and was incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1835. Isambard Kingdom Brunel was appointed as engineer at the age of 27, and built the London to Bristol route. Controversially he used a broad gauge of seven feet (actually 7 ft 0.25 in or 2140 mm) for the track, to allow large wheels, providing smoother running at high speeds. Eventually in 1892 the broad gauge was replaced with the standard gauge used by other railways.

One of its great achievements was its safety record and in fact introduced the world's first Automatic Train Control system (ATC). There was also a very strong pride in the railway among its staff and this was one of its greatest assets. It also had a strong sense of stability, continuity and tradition accompanied by gradual progress via steady evolution rather than radical revolution. This can be seen in the very clear family pedigree and evolution that is evident in the designs of its generations of locomotives. There was also a lot of standardisation in their locomotive designs, which was another notable success. This is totally unlike in the other Big Four railways which experienced a design upheaval in 1923. However one pioneering area was its ready adoption of steam railmotors and diesel railcars for use on its many branch lines. These were the pioneers of today's DMUs and so it could be said that the Great Western laid the foundations of the modern railway.

The Great Western was famous for its green, copper capped locomotives hauling chocolate & cream carriages. It was a legendary holiday line to the seaside resorts of the West Country, including Cornwall and the English Riviera around Torquay, Paignton and Brixham. It was also more than just a railway it had interests in telephones, police, docks & shipping, hotels, buses, air services, road transport, etc. It also operated several narrow gauge railways in Wales including the Vale of Rheidol Railway, the Corris Railway and the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway.

In its later years it was even considering setting up holiday camps. Indeed it was a nation within a nation. However it was dominated by a stable continuity and a conservative, traditional approach and this actually delivered very successfully. The Great Western was a very traditional railway but was much loved. So its demise at nationalisation was much lamented.

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London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS)

The LMS was the largest of the “Big Four” railway companies created in 1923 under the Railways Act 1921. Unfortunately unlike the LNER, which was a bringing together of railways had had cooperated in the past, the LMS was a bringing together of rivals. Unlike the LNER, the LMS had a strongly centralised management style brought about by Sir Josiah Stamp who became the company's President. Even this was a break with tradition as instead of the usual General Manager, the LMS had an American style President. 

The LMS was the world's largest transport organisation and the British Empire's largest commercial undertaking and also had the British Empire's largest hotel chain. It was a wide ranging company with interests in every kind of industrial activity from land development, docks and shipping, to bus and air services. However its early years was plagued by rivalry between the former LNWR and the Midland Railway parts of its organisation. Generally, the Midland prevailed, with the adoption of many Midland practices, such as the livery of crimson lake for passenger locomotives and rolling stock. Then in 1933 William Stanier arrived as the new Chief Mechanical Engineer for the LMS and a revolution occurred heralding a change in the LMS. Stanier introduced some of the finest steam locomotive designs ever built.

So centralisation and standardisation were the key things that dominated the LMS. Another great achievement was the vast improvement in passenger comfort. Its mass-produced standard corridor coaches with their then novel picture windows and small opening toplights and even more novel three-a-side seating with intermediate armrests even in third class made a huge impact on the passenger experience. Catering too improved with an emphasis on seasonal variation. There was also great improvement in productivity on freight, mineral, parcels and ordinary passenger trains. However its publicity naturally focussed on its impressive new express locomotive designs and flagship trains such as the Royal Scot and Coronation Scot express services. This was the LMS's real success: its express passenger services: the locomotives, the rolling stock, the timetable and the way it was marketed as a package. This laid the foundation for today's Intercity network as London and the larger industrial cities of Northern England and Scotland were brought closer together by improved transport links. They also pioneered the use of containers on freight services and laid the foundations for the later “Freightliner” network.

It also inherited a miscellaneous collection of electrified networks including the suburban network around Liverpool. In 1938 the LMS introduced the “Southport” and “Wirral” electric trains for these services. These in fact were the first modern electric multiple unit trains ever introduced in Britain. They were the pioneers of today's EMUs and so it could be said that the LMS laid the foundations of the modern railway. They also laid the foundation for today's successful Merseyrail Electrics network. The LMS also introduced, in their final years, the first diesel express locomotives for Britain. These were Derby built Co-Cos with 1,600 hp English Electric engines and were designed to work in multiple on the heaviest Anglo-Scottish expresses. The first one, No. 10000, was completed just in time to carry LMS on her sides, while her sister 10001 was completed in BR days. These two pioneering diesels proved to be reasonably successful prototypes and began a lineage that can be traced through to BR's later Class 40s, 50s, 56s and 58 diesel locomotives. Thus the LMS was a true pioneer of electric and diesel traction. The LMS was also home to some of the great railway stations of Britain such as Preston, Carlisle, Glasgow Central, London St Pancras etc which made rail travel a real experience. The LMS will be remembered as a true innovator and for its fine locomotives, and standardisation of passenger rolling stock.

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London & North Eastern Railway (LNER)

The LNER was the second largest of the “Big Four” railway companies created in 1923 under the Railways Act 1921. Unfortunately the LNER was always in financial difficulties for much of its life . It was hit hard by the changing economic circumstances in its territory, especially in its industrial heartlands. The coal industry in Scotland and the North East was declining at the expense of the East Midlands. Heavy industry was declining and the market for coal exports had collapsed after the 1926 strike. There was an agricultural depression in the Interwar Years and there was a rise of imports shipped into south and west coast ports. However despite these difficult circumstances the LNER did have some successes. It produced some of the best steam express locomotives Europe has ever seen under the leadership of Sir Nigel Gresley (Chief Mechanical Engineer), along with expresses that set new standards of speed and reliability.

Unlike other railways it was not dominated by a single manager, like Lord Stamp (LMS) or Sir Herbert Walker (Southern), nor did it have the continuity and traditions of the Great Western, therefore its management ethos was that of devolution and professionalism. It had a small headquarters in London and most of the work was carried out by its three regions: Southern (incorporating Great Eastern, Great Northern and Great Central), North Eastern (basically what was North Eastern Railway), and Scottish.

However although slightly smaller than the LMS, the LNER was still a massive organisation and in addition to the railway it had extensive bus, port, shipping, hotel and other activities. Indeed it was the world's largest railway dock owner in length of quay though its turnover was substantially less than the wealthy GWR docks. However despite this it worked as an organisation although with antiquated equipment in places. It could not afford the massive standardisation and replacement of rollling stock undertaken by the LMS. Despite its financial difficulties the LNER was never in danger of going bust, as it always generated an operating profit.

The LNER carried a large share of the nation's coal and heavy industry and an enormous range of agricultural produce from East Anglia, the Fens and Scotland along with the rich fishing landings of the Scottish ports and Lowestoft. As a result freight was a mainstay of the LNER's business. The Gresley Pacifics were legendary and Mallard achieved the world speed record for steam which has never been broken. The Jazz suburban services out of London Liverpool Street were the world's most intensive steam operated suburban services. It was well known for its queues of holiday expresses and excursion trains to the “bracing” side of England and Scotland. Its legendary streamliner trains (the Coronation, the Silver Jubilee and the West Riding Limited) were renowned and involved the use of fixed formation articulated trains that served limited stops en route to destinations specifically targeted for the business market, in this case: Leeds, Newcastle, and Edinburgh. They had slick services, limited accommodation, at-seat restaurant service, modern cooking and air conditioning and they were streamlined. These iconic streamliners were in many respects the forerunner of today's TGV and Eurostar high speed services which also are fixed formation, articulated, limited accommodation and streamlined. Thus in a way the LNER pioneered and laid the foundations for today's modern high speed services such as the Intercity 125 High Speed Train, TGV, ICE and Eurostar to name but a few.

The LNER was also interested in its history. After all its territory included the Stockton & Darlington Railway and the birthplace of railways. Indeed it opened the York Railway Museum which set the foundations for today's National Railway Museum.

Despite being run on tight finances the LNER projected an image via its publicity department that has led it to be remembered worldwide as a high speed railway, as an engineering innovator and transporter of royalty to Balmoral and Sandringham. This was the LNER's clear corporate image which was reinforced by its Gill Sans typeface and elliptical logo. Thus the LNER will best be remembered for its passenger business, its publicity and the legendary streamliner trains and expresses. It was these trains such as the Coronation, the Silver Jubilee and the Flying Scotsman pulled by Gresley's iconic express steam locomotives that forever conjures up the glamour and elegance of the LNER.