London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) was created by the Railways Act 1921 from a number of Constituent Companies and came in to force on the 1st January 1923.
The LNER was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Grouping Act.
1948 The LNER became part of the nationalised British Railways; parts of the company became the new Eastern Region, North Eastern Region and part of the Scottish Region.
Constituent Companies
The following made up the London and North Eastern Railway as a result of the Railways Act 1921 and came into force on the 1st January 1923:
- Great Eastern Railway (GER) 1191.25 miles
- Great Central Railway (GCR) 852.5
- Great Northern Railway (GNR) 1051.25 miles
- Great North of Scotland Railway (GNSR) 334.5 miles
- Hull and Barnsley Railway (H&BR) 106.5 miles (amalgamated with the NER on 1 April 1922)
- North British Railway (NBR) 1,378 miles
- North Eastern Railway (NER) 1,757.75 miles
Total Mileage of the constituent companies was 6,671.75 miles
The LNER also owned:
- 7,700 locomotives; 20,000 coaching vehicles; 29,700 freight vehicles; 140 pieces of electric rolling stock and six electric locomotives; and 10 rail motor cars
- six turbine and 36 other steamers; a number of river boats and lake steamers, etc
- docks and harbours in 20 locations, including the North East coast ports, some eastern Scottish ports, Harwich and London
- wharves, staithes, piers in similar places
- 23 hotels
- In partnership with the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS), the LNER was co-owner of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway, the UK's biggest joint railway system, much of which competed with the LNER's own lines. The M&GNJR was wholly incorporated into the LNER system in 1936.
Chief Mechanical Engineers
- Nigel Gresley 1923-41
- Edward Thompson 1941-46
- Arthur Henry Peppercorn 1946-48
- Ralph Wedgwood was the Chief Officer of the LNER for 16 years from its inauguration in 1923.
General
1924 It was reported that the electrification proposal for the line from York to Newcastle had been abandoned[1]
1926 Started to build a second jetty at Hull to import oil[2]
1930 With the passing of the Railway Companies Road Transport Acts, it became clear that the bus companies could face stiff competition so the management of the National Omnibus and Transport Co led the way in negotiating with the main railway companies, forming 3 joint companies, the last of which was the Eastern National Omnibus Co formed with the London and North Eastern Railway and the London, Midland and Scottish Railway[3].
1938 LNER ordered electric trains for the Liverpool Street-Shenfield route. 92 sets were built with control equipment by the English Electric Co and Crompton Parkinson traction motors. Another 8 sets were built for the Manchester to Glossop line using GEC electrical equipment and traction motors. Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Co built the driving trailers, and Metropolitan-Cammell built all of the other carriages.[4].
WWII brought a further period of direct government control, and by its end a Labour government was in power and planning to nationalise the railways.
1948 The main companies became part of British Railways on January 1, 1948.
See Also
- Railways: An Outline
- London and North Eastern Railway Constituent Companies
- Railway Companies not Grouped in 1923
Sources of Information
- [2] Wikipedia