The pre-Grouping Companies were fiercely competitive and would defend any incursion by another company penetrating what they considered to be their ‘territories’. Nevertheless, at times they would cooperate. This cooperation resulted in a large number of joint lines. These joint lines ranged from fully independent operations, complete with their own staffs, locomotives and rolling stock, to short lengths of railway used by the joint companies, the cost of maintenance of which was shared.

During the railway mania of the nineteenth century many places gained more than one station, and not just in the big cities. Many small settlements ended up with two or even three stations. This was almost always as the result of competition between the railway companies, anxious to secure more business for themselves, though there were exceptions. As the railway network continued to grow and develop, many of these locations ended up with no stations at all.This is the lavishly ill...

During the railway mania of the nineteenth century many places gained more than one station, and not just in the big cities. Many small settlements ended up with two or even three stations. This was almost always as the result of competition between the railway companies, anxious to secure more business for themselves, though there were exceptions. As the railway network continued to grow and develop, many of these locations ended up with no stations at all.This is the lavishly ill...

The pre-Grouping companies were fiercely competitive and would defend any incursion by another company penetrating what they considered to be their ‘territories’. Nevertheless, at times they would cooperate. This cooperation resulted in a large number of joint lines. These joint lines ranged from fully independent operations, complete with their own staffs, locomotives and rolling stock, to short lengths of railway used by the joint companies, with the cost of maintenance shared.Th...

Selby was an important location from the earliest days of the railways, with the arrival of the Leeds & Selby Railway in 1934. Over the succeeding years it became an important nodal point, with the opening of railways to Market Weighton and Driffield, to Hull, to Goole, to Leeds, northwards on the East Coast Main Line to York and south to London. Not to be forgotten, there is also the charmingly rural Cawood, Wistow & Selby Railway. Close by were the Hull & Barnsley Railway and the Derwent...

The pre-Grouping companies were fiercely competitive and would defend any incursion by another company penetrating what they considered to be their ‘territories’. Nevertheless, at times they would co-operate. This co-operation resulted in a large number of joint lines. These joint lines ranged from fully independent operations, complete with their own staffs, locomotives and rolling stock, to short lengths of railway used by the joint companies, with the cost of maintenance shared....

The first railway to penetrate Sussex was the Brighton Line of the LBSCR. From this beginning, lines spread out along the coast. Over the succeeding years further lines stretched across out the rest of the county, all built by the ‘Brighton’, which was by far the dominant railway company in the area and established a major works at Brighton. The company, however, didn’t have it all its own way. In the south-west corner the LSWR penetrated as far as Midhurst, and in the east the SECR had th...

First on the scene was the London & Southampton, soon to change its name to the London & South Western. The branch on to Salisbury was the start of the LSW’s drive to reach Exeter. Other routes followed including the Portsmouth Direct, intended to outdo the London & Brighton’s attempt to capture the Portsmouth traffic. The need to reach Bournemouth resulted in two separate lines built by the LSW. Gradually the LSW developed its network; some routes such as the Meon Valley or the Sprat & Wi...

Derbyshire is a county of contrasts, and the development of the railways reflect this. In Limestone Country in the west the LNW held sway with its railways from Ashbourne and Cromford to Buxton involved in the extraction of limestone. Meanwhile, in the east of the county, no fewer than four different companies fought over the lucrative business of coal carrying in the huge North Midlands Coalfield. From the historic railway town of Derby, the Midland Railway had routes south to London, wes...

No fewer than sixteen pre-grouping companies were represented within Cumbria’s borders, seven of these in Carlisle alone. To the east of the mountains are the great Anglo-Scottish lines of the London and North Western and the Midland. Venturing across the Pennines were the transversal routes of the North Eastern Railway, from Newcastle to Carlisle, and Darlington to Tebay and Penrith. The Cumbrian coast presents a completely different picture. Here the multiple competing companies were con...

England’s second largest county contains a wealth of railway history. The county was dominated by two companies – the Great Central in the north and the Great Northern in the centre and south. The county was also penetrated by the Midland Railway and there were no fewer than three joint lines. In the south the Midland & Great Northern Joint passed through from west to east, while the Great Northern & Great Eastern Joint ran north to south. In the far north-west of the county was the Isle o...

1980 to 1995 was an extraordinary time for the railways of Britain, especially the freight sector. In 1980 there was a unified, monochrome railway. Freight traffic was still abundant, with marshalling yards active and many branch lines still operating. There were hundreds of collieries. In the early 1980s, Sectorisation arrived. The freight division was separated from the passenger side and further sub-divided into different freight sectors. New locomotives were introduced, and the older t...