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The London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 as a result of the Railways Act 1921 which required the grouping of over 300 separate railway companies into just four.

The resulting company was an unweidly construction, with numerous interests other than railway operations. The LMS claimed to be the largest joint stock and largest transport organisation in the world, and the largest commercial undertaking in Europe, although they did not specify the basis of these claims.

In 1938, the LMS operated 6,870 route miles (11,056 km) of railway (excluding its lines in Northern Ireland), but its profitability was generally disappointing, with a rate of return of only 2.7%. Along with the other members of the "Big Four" British railway companies (GWR, LNER and SR), the LMS was nationalised on 1 January 1948, becoming part of the state-owned British Railways.

The LMS was the largest of the Big Four railways and the only one to operate in all parts of the British Isles: England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Geography

Overview

The Railways Act 1921 created four large railway companies which were in effect geographical monopolies, albeit with competition at their boundaries, and with some lines either reaching into competitor territory, or being jointly operated.

The LMS operated services in and around London, the Midlands, the North West of England, Mid/North Wales, and Scotland. The company also operated a seperate network of lines in Northern Ireland.

The principal routes were the West Coast Main Line and the Midland Main Line, which had been the main routes of the two largest consituent companies, the London and North Western Railway and the Midland Railway respectively.

Joint Lines

The LMS operated a number of lines jointly with the other main railway companies, a situation which arose when the former joint owners of a route were placed into different post-grouping companies. Most of these were situated at or near the boundaries between two or more of the companies, however there were some notable examples which extended beyond this hinterland zone.

Together with the London and North Eastern Railway, the LMS ran the former Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway network. Exceeding 180 track miles, this was the largest jointly operated network in Great Britain, and extended from Peterborough to the East Anglian coast. The M&GN was wholly incorporated into the LNER in 1936.

The LMS also operated a significant joint network with the Southern Railway, in the shape of the former Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway. This network connected the English cities of Bath and Bournemouth, and wound its way through territory nominally allocated to a third railway company, the Great Western.

Areas of competition

Being geographically the largest, and the most central of the four main post-grouping railway companies, the LMS shared numerous boundaries with both the LNER and GWR, although it's overlap with the Southern Railway was limited due to the general lack of direct routes through London.

Competition with the LNER was mainly in terms of the premium London to Scotland traffic, with the rival LMS (West Coast) and LNER (East Coast) routes competing to provide ever better standards of passenger comfort and faster journey times. The LNER also competed with the LMS for traffic between London, the East Midlands, South Yorkshire and Manchester, with the former Midland Main line from St Pancras (LMS) and Great Central Main Line from Marylebone (LNER) both providing express services between these destinations.

The London to Birmingham corridor was fiercely contested with the LMS running expresses over its West Coast Main Line via Rugby, and the Great Western Railway running services via Banbury.

Northern Ireland

The LMS was also the only one of the Big Four companies to operate rail services in Northern Ireland, serving locations such as Belfast, Londonderry, Ballymena, Portrush and Larne.

On 1 July 1903, the Midland Railway took over the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway and operated it under the name of Midland Railway (Northern Counties Committee). On grouping, the network became part of the LMS, again operating under the name of the Northern Counties Committee, and consisted of 201 miles of 5'3" gauge track with a further 63 miles of 3' gauge line.

Geographical oddities

In 1912, the Midland Railway purchased the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway which operated between London Fenchurch Street and Shoeburyness, with a loop serving Tilbury. This part of the country would later come under the control of the LNER, although this particular route, being part of the Midland Railway, was incorporated into the LMS. This arrangement did however provide a choice for residents of Southend, who could take services from either Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street or from Southend Central to Fenchurch Street.

History

Formation

The LMS was formed from the following major companies:

• Caledonian Railway 1114.4 miles (1793km) route length
• Furness Railway 158 miles (254 km)
• Glasgow and South Western Railway 498.5 miles (802km)
• Highland Railway 506 miles (814km)
• London and North Western Railway (including Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, amalgamated 1 January 1922) 2667.5 miles (4292.9 km)
• Midland Railway 2170.75 miles (3493km)
• North Staffordshire Railway 220.75 miles (355km)

There were also some 24 subsidiary railways, leased or worked by the above companies, and a large number of joint railways (including the UK's largest Joint Railway, the Midland & Great Northern, and one of the most famous, the Somerset & Dorset. The LMS was the minority partner (with the LNER) in the Cheshire Lines Committee.

In Ireland there were three railways:

• Dundalk, Newry and Greenore Railway 26.5 miles (42km)
• Northern Counties Committee 265.25 miles (426km)
• Joint Midland and Great Northern of Ireland Railway 91 miles (146km), with interests in Ireland

Most of the above operated in what became Northern Ireland

The total route mileage of the LMS in 1923 was 7790 miles (12,537km).

For all railways see List of constituents of the LMS.

Early history

The early history of the LMS is dominated by infighting between its two largest constituents and previously rivals, the Midland and the North Western, each of which believed their company's way was the right – and only – way of doing business. Generally, the Midland prevailed, with the adoption of many Midland practices such as the livery of crimson lake for passenger locomotives and rolling stock. Perhaps most notable was the continuation of the Midland Railway's small-engine policy.

Breaking with British railway tradition, the LMS abandoned the usual management structure, headed by a Chairman, in favour of US corporate practice, with a President and Vice-Presidents. In January 1926 Josiah Stamp became the first President of the LMS.

Electrification

The LMS operated a number of suburban lines using electric traction, in and around London, Liverpool, Manchester and Lancashire.

Schemes in the London area generally used the four-rail system in use by tube and sub-surface railways (such as the Metropolitan Railway). Lines from Bow to Barking, Euston to Watford Junction, Broad Street to Richmond and a number of related branches and connecting lines were already electrified when the LMS came into existence, although the LMS did extend electrification from Barking to Upminster in 1932.

In the Liverpool area, lines were electrified using a third rail, energised at 630v dc. Routes from Liverpool Exchange to Southport and Aintree and from Aintree to Ormskirk were already completed prior to the formation of the LMS. Lines from Birkenhead Park to West Kirby and New Brighton were added to this network in 1938.

In Manchester, the line from Bury to Manchester Victoria had already been electrified by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway using a side-contact, third rail system. In conjunction with the LNER, the lines of the former Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway were electrified using the 1500v dc overhead line system, opening on 11 May 1931.

Finally the route between Lancaster and Heysham via Morecambe had been electrified by the Midland Railway using a 6600v ac overhead system, as early as 1908.

The Stanier revolution

The arrival of the new chief mechanical engineer, William Stanier, who was head-hunted from the Great Western Railway by Josiah Stamp in 1933, heralded a change. Stanier introduced new ideas rather than continuing the company's internal conflict.

Nationalisation

The war-damaged LMS was nationalised in 1948 by the Transport Act 1947, becoming part of British Railways. It formed the London Midland Region and part of the Scottish Region. British Railways transferred the lines in Northern Ireland to the Ulster Transport Authority in 1949. The lines in Great Britain were rationalised through closure in the 1950s to 70s but the main routes survive and some have been developed for 125mph inter-city services.

Operations

Railway Operations

Although the LMS operated a number of famous express trains, and also provided commuter services throughout it's area of operations, a significant portion of the company's business was the transportation of freight between the major industrial centres of London, the Midlands, the North West and the Clyde.

• Named trains of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway

Particularly notable were the Toton–Brent coal trains, which took coal from the Nottinghamshire coalfield to London.

Canals

The LMS owned many canals, including the Montgomeryshire Canal, Ellesmere Canal and Chester Canal. Many were abandoned by Act of Parliament, instigated by LMS. Those not abandoned passed to the British Transport Commission, at nationalisation; and ownership subsequently transferred to the British Waterways Board.

Shipping

The LMS inherited docks at Goole and in Scotland and packet ports at Heysham, Holyhead and Stranraer.

Road transport

In 1933, along with the other three main line railways, the LMS purchased the Hay's Wharf Cartage Company Ltd., the owners of Carter Paterson and Pickfords. Subsequently, the LMS acquired Joseph Nall & Co. of Manchester and a 51% stake in Wordie & Co. of Glasgow.

Hotels

The LMS hotels included some that the company rebuilt as Art Deco landmarks, such as the Queens Hotel at Leeds and the Midland Hotel at Morecambe.

Traction and Rolling stock

Construction

The LMS owned and operated a number of railway works, all of which were inherited from constituent companies. Between them these sites constructed locomotives, coaching stock, multiple units and freight wagons, as well as a number of non-rolling stock items required for the everyday running of the railway.

Two facilities in were located in Derby, one known as Derby Loco and one as Carriage and Wagon. The former was opened in the 1840s by the North Midland, Midland Counties and Birmingham & Derby railway companies to meet their joint requirements for locomotive, carriage and wagon construction and maintenance. The latter site was opened in the 1860s by the Midland Railway as part of a reorganisation of facilities in Derby and left the original site to concentrate on locomotive manufacture and repair. The Midland Railway also had works at Bromsgrove in Worcestershire, which had been inherited from the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway.

The LNWR also contributed three works sites to the LMS. Crewe Works was opened in 1840 by the Grand Junction Railway and by the time of grouping was the locomotive works for the LNWR. Wolverton works in Buckinghamshire had been established by the London and Birmingham Railway in the 1830s, and since 1862 (when all locomotive works had transferred to Crewe) has been the LNWR's carriage works. In 1922, one year prior to the formation of the LMS, the LNWR had absorbed the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, including their works at Horwich in Lancashire, which had opened in 1886.

St. Rollox works, north east of Glasgow, had been built in 1856 by the Caledonian Railway, while Stoke works in Staffordshire were established in 1864 by the North Staffordshire Railway. Both were absorbed into the LMS with their parent companies, and while the former became the main workshops for the Northern Division of the LMS, the latter works were wound down, closing in 1927, all work being transferred to nearby Crewe.

Smaller workshop facilities were also transferred to the LMS by other constituent companies, including at Barrow-in-Furness (Furness Railway), Kilmarnock (Glasgow and South Western Railway) and Inverness (Highland Railway).

Locomotives

• Locomotives of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway

Coaching Stock

• Coaches of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway

Freight Wagons

• Wagons of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway

Preservation

• see: Locomotives of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway

Notable People

Presidents

• Lord Stamp

Chief Mechanical Engineers of the LMS

• 1923–1925: George Hughes
• 1925–1931: Henry Fowler
• 1931–1932: Ernest Lemon
• 1932–1944: Sir William Stanier
• 1944–1945: Charles Fairburn
• 1945–1947: Henry George Ivatt
  • Chief Mechanical Engineers of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway

Other Notable People

• William Kelly Wallace

References

Notes

1. It has been argued that the initials LMSR should be used to be consistent with LNER, GWR and SR. However the London, Midland and Scottish Railway's corporate image used LMS, and this is what is generally used in historical circles. The LMS occasionally also used the initials LM&SR. For consistency, Misplaced Pages uses the initials LMS.
2. The Times newspaper: Notice of a Special General Meeting of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. February 11 1937. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Retrieved on 2008-06-29 (Requires login/subscription)
3. ^ Bonavia (1980)

Sources

• Bonavia, Michael R. (1980). The Four Great Railways. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Gammell, C.J., (1980), LMS Branch Lines, 1945 - 1965, Oxford Publishing Company, ISBN 0-86093-062-9
• Hendry, R.P. and Hendry, R.P., (1982), An Historical Survey of selected LMS Stations, Layouts and Illustrations, Volume 1, Oxford Publishing Company, ISBN 0-86093-168-4
• Nock, O.S., (1982), A History of the LMS. Vol. 1: The First Years, 1923-1930, George Allen & Unwin, ISBN 0-04-385087-1
• Nock, O.S., (1982), A History of the LMS. Vol. 2: The Record Breaking 'Thirties, 1931-1939, George Allen & Unwin, ISBN 0-04-385093-6
• Welbourn, N., (1994), Lost Lines: LMR, Ian Allan, ISBN 0-7110-2277-1
• Whitehouse, P. and Thomas, D.St J., (1995), LMS 150: the London, Midland & Scottish Railway: a century and a half of progress, Greenwich Editions, ISBN 0-86288-071-8

External links

• The LMS Society
• The LMS Forum
• LMS discussion group on Yahoo!
• LMS images of tourist attractions along their routes Use Advanced Search/Collections/LMS to view these images held by the National Monuments Record, the public archive of English Heritage

• Companies established in 1923
• Big four British railway companies
• London, Midland and Scottish Railway