The
London and North Western Railway (LNWR, L&NWR) was a British railway company between
1846-January events:* January 13 - Opening of the Milan–Venice railway's bridge over the Venetian Lagoon between Mestre and Venice in Italy.-March events:* March 26 - John M...
and
1922- May events :* May 17 – The Arkansas Short Line Railroad, a predecessor of St. Louis Southwestern Railway, is incorporated.- July events :* July 1 – The Great Railroad Strike of 1922 begins in the United States, coinciding with a reduction in railroad shop wages by seven cents per day mandated by...
. It was created by the merger of three companies – the
Grand Junction RailwayThe Grand Junction Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed between 1833 and 1846 when it was merged into the London and North Western Railway...
, the
London and Birmingham RailwayThe London and Birmingham Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom from 1833 to 1846, when it became part of the London and North Western Railway ....
and the
Manchester and Birmingham RailwayThe Manchester and Birmingham Railway was built between Manchester and Crewe and opened in stages from 1840. Between Crewe and Birmingham, trains were worked by the Grand Junction Railway...
. In the late 19th century the L&NWR was the largest
joint stock companyA joint-stock company is a type of corporation or partnership involving two or more individuals that own shares of stock in the company...
in the world.
In 1923 it became a constituent of the
London, Midland and ScottishThe London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
(LMS) railway, and, in 1948, the
London Midland Region of British RailwaysThe London Midland Region was one of the six regions created on the formation of the nationalised British Railways and consisted of ex-London, Midland and Scottish Railway lines in England and Wales. The region was managed first from buildings adjacent to Euston Station and later from Stanier...
: the LNWR is effectively an ancestor of today's
West Coast Main LineThe West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
.
Overview
The LNWR described itself as the Premier Line.
As the largest
joint stock companyA joint-stock company is a type of corporation or partnership involving two or more individuals that own shares of stock in the company...
in the United Kingdom, it collected a greater revenue than any other company. It served most of Britain's largest cities:
BirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
,
LeedsLeeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
,
LiverpoolLiverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
,
LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
,
ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, and (through co-operation with the
Caledonian RailwayThe Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...
)
EdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and
GlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. It also handled the Irish Mail for the Government between
EustonEuston railway station, also known as London Euston, is a central London railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden. It is the sixth busiest rail terminal in London . It is one of 18 railway stations managed by Network Rail, and is the southern terminus of the West Coast Main Line...
and
HolyheadHolyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
.
Formation
The company was formed on 16 July 1846 by the amalgamation of the
Grand Junction RailwayThe Grand Junction Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed between 1833 and 1846 when it was merged into the London and North Western Railway...
,
London and Birmingham RailwayThe London and Birmingham Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom from 1833 to 1846, when it became part of the London and North Western Railway ....
and the
Manchester and Birmingham RailwayThe Manchester and Birmingham Railway was built between Manchester and Crewe and opened in stages from 1840. Between Crewe and Birmingham, trains were worked by the Grand Junction Railway...
. This move was prompted in part by the
Great Western RailwayThe Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
's plans for a railway north from
OxfordThe city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
to Birmingham. The company initially had a network of approximately 350 miles (563.3 km), connecting London with Birmingham, Crewe, Chester, Liverpool and Manchester.
Successors
The LNWR became a constituent of the
London, Midland and ScottishThe London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
(LMS) railway when the railways of Great Britain were merged in the
groupingThe Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
of 1923. Ex-LNWR lines formed the core of the LMS's Western Division.
Nationalisation followed in 1948, with the English and Welsh lines of the LMS becoming the
London Midland Region of British RailwaysThe London Midland Region was one of the six regions created on the formation of the nationalised British Railways and consisted of ex-London, Midland and Scottish Railway lines in England and Wales. The region was managed first from buildings adjacent to Euston Station and later from Stanier...
. Some former LNWR routes were subsequently closed, notably the lines running East to West across the Midlands (e.g.
PeterboroughPeterborough East was a railway station in Peterborough, England. It was opened on 2 June 1845 and closed to passenger traffic on 6 June 1966. Located on Station Road just off Town Bridge, only the engine sheds and one platform remain extant today...
to
NorthamptonNorthampton Bridge Street is a former railway station in Northampton the main town of Northamptonshire on the Northampton and Peterborough Railway which connected Peterborough and Northampton.-History:....
and to
OxfordOxford Rewley Road railway station was a railway station serving the city of Oxford, England, located immediately to the north of what is now Frideswide Square on the site of the Saïd Business School. It was the terminus of the Buckinghamshire Railway, which was worked, and later absorbed, by the...
), but others were developed as part of the
Inter City networkInterCity was introduced by British Rail in 1966 as a brand-name for its long-haul express passenger services ....
, notably the main lines from London to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Carlisle, collectively known in the modern era as the
West Coast Main LineThe West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
. These were electrified in the 1960s and 1970s, and further upgraded in the 1990s and 2000s, with trains now running at up to 125 mph. Other LNWR lines survive as part of commuter networks around major cities such as Birmingham and Manchester.
Minor lines
- Victoria Tunnel (Liverpool)
-History:The Victoria Tunnel in Liverpool, England is a 2,475 metre long rail tunnel. Opened in 1849, its eastern portal is adjacent to Edge Hill station. The western end opens into a short cutting, between Byrom Street and Fontenoy Street, the short Waterloo Tunnel exits the cutting terminating...
, opened 1849
- Canada Dock Branch
The Canada Dock Branch is a 4 mile 59 chain long railway line in Liverpool, England. The line runs from the large Edge Hill rail junction in the east of Liverpool to Seaforth Dock to the north. The line was originally built by the London and North Western Railway terminating at Canada Dock, with...
from Edge Hill railway stationEdge Hill railway station serves the district of Edge Hill in Liverpool, England.There have been two stations of that name. The first stood a short distance south-west of the present station and its remains are still visible, although the site is not open to the public.Edge Hill is the first...
on the Liverpool and Manchester RailwayThe Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the world's first inter-city passenger railway in which all the trains were timetabled and were hauled for most of the distance solely by steam locomotives. The line opened on 15 September 1830 and ran between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester in North...
through northern LiverpoolLiverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
to Canada Dock, opened in 1866
Acquisitions
- Anglesey Central Railway
The Anglesey Central Railway was a long standard-gauge railway in Anglesey, Wales, connecting the port of Amlwch and the county town of Llangefni with the North Wales Coast Line at Gaerwen. Built as an independent railway, the railway opened in portions from 1864 to 1867...
, 1876
- Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway
The Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway was a pre-grouping railway company in the English Midlands. It was jointly owned by the Midland Railway and the London and North Western Railway and linked Nuneaton and Coalville....
(partnership with the Midland RailwayThe Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
) 1873
- Aylesbury Railway, 1846
- Bedford and Cambridge Railway, 1865
- Birkenhead Railway
The Birkenhead Railway was formed on 1 August 1859 as a result of the Birkenhead, Lancashire and Cheshire Railway merging with the Chester and Birkenhead Railway. The new company was originally called the Birkenhead, Lancashire and Cheshire Junction Railway, but in 1859 shortened its name to The...
, 1861 (jointly with GWRThe Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
)
- Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Stour Valley Railway, 1847
- Brynmawr and Blaenavon Railway, 1869
- Brynmawr and Western Valleys Railway, 1902 (jointly with GWR
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
)
- Buckinghamshire Railway
The Buckinghamshire Railway was a railway company in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, England that constructed railway lines connecting Bletchley, Banbury and Oxford...
, 1847
- Cannock Chase Railway, 1863
- Cannock Mineral Railway
The Cannock Mineral Railway ran from a junction with the South Staffordshire Railway at Cannock though Cannock Chase to a junction with the London & North Western Company's Trent Valley Line at Rugeley. It was authorised by The Cannock Mineral Railway Act, 1855.The line was originally authorised...
, 1869
- Carnarvon and Llanberis Railway, 1870
- Carnarvonshire Railway
The Carnarvonshire Railway was a railway connecting Caernarvon railway station with Afon Wen.-History:...
, 1870
- Central Wales Railway, 1868
- Central Wales and Carmarthen Junction Railway, 1891
- Central Wales Extension Railway, 1868
- Chester and Holyhead Railway
The Chester and Holyhead Railway was incorporated out of a proposal to link Holyhead, the traditional port for the Irish Mail, with London by way of the existing Chester and Crewe Railway, and what is now the West Coast Main Line...
, 1858
- Cockermouth and Workington Railway
The Cockermouth & Workington Railway was a railway between the towns of Workington and Cockermouth established by Act of Parliament in 1845. A single-tracked line of eight and a half miles length, it was built primarily to carry coals from the pits of West Cumberland to the port at Workington for...
, 1866
- Conway and Llanrwst Railway
The Conway and Llanrwst Railway was a standard gauge railway built to connect the Welsh coastal town of Conway, nowadays addressed by its Welsh name of Conwy, with the inland towns of Llanrwst and Betws y Coed. It opened in 1863 and was eventually absorbed into the lines operated by the London and...
, 1867
- Cromford and High Peak Railway
The Cromford and High Peak Railway in Derbyshire, England, was completed in 1831, to carry minerals and goods between the Cromford Canal wharf at High Peak Junction and the Peak Forest Canal at Whaley Bridge -Origins:...
, 1862
- Denbigh, Ruthin and Corwen Railway, 1879
- Fleetwood, Preston and West Riding Junction Railway, 1867 (jointly with Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
)
- Hampstead Junction Railway, 1867
- Harrow and Stanmore Railway, 1899
- Huddersfield and Manchester Railway and Canal, 1847
- Knighton Railway, 1863
- Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
, 1921
- Lancashire Union Railway, 1883 (jointly with Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
)
- Lancaster and Carlisle Railway
The Lancaster and Carlisle Railway was a British railway company authorised on 6 June 1844 to build a line between Lancaster and Carlisle in North-West England...
, 1859
- Leeds, Dewsbury and Manchester Railway, 1847
- Ludlow and Clee Hill Railway
Clee Hill Junction was a railway junction in Shropshire, England, where the line from Titterstone Clee Hill joined the Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway, a LNWR/GWR joint line. It was situated just to the north of . The line to Clee Hill ran up from the village of Bitterley, where a marshalling yard...
, 1892 (jointly with GWRThe Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
)
- Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway, 1849 (jointly with Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway
The Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway was an early British railway company which opened in stages between 1841 and 1845 between Sheffield and Manchester via Ashton-under-Lyne...
)
- Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway
The Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway was a railway company operating between 1860 and 1958 between the towns of Merthyr Tydfil, Tredegar and Abergavenny through the counties of Glamorganshire, Brecknockshire and Monmouthshire in south east Wales....
, 1862
- Nerquis Railway, 1866
- Newport Pagnell Railway, 1875
- North and South Western Junction Railway
The North and South Western Junction Railway was a railway in west London, England. It was authorised in 1851 to connect the London and North Western Railway at Willesden Junction with the London and South Western Railway Hounslow Loop Line by a west-facing link at Old Kew Junction.-Main...
, 1871 (jointly with the Midland RailwayThe Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
and the North London RailwayThe North London Railway was a railway company that opened lines connecting the north of London to the East and West India Docks. The main east to west route is now part the North London Line. Other lines operated by the company fell into disuse, but were later revived as part of the Docklands...
)
- North London Railway
The North London Railway was a railway company that opened lines connecting the north of London to the East and West India Docks. The main east to west route is now part the North London Line. Other lines operated by the company fell into disuse, but were later revived as part of the Docklands...
, 1909 (NLR retained own Board)
- Oldham, Ashton-under-Lyne and Guide Bridge Railway, 1862 (jointly with the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
The Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway was formed by amalgamation in 1847. The MS&LR changed its name to the Great Central Railway in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension.-Origin:...
)
- Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Railway, 1885 (jointly with Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
, Caledonian RailwayThe Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...
and Glasgow and South Western RailwayThe Glasgow and South Western Railway , one of the pre-grouping railway companies, served a triangular area of south-west Scotland, between Glasgow, Stranraer and Carlisle...
)
- Preston and Wyre Railway, 1847 (jointly with Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
)
- Rugby and Leamington Railway, 1848
- St George's Harbour, 1861
- St Helens Canal and Railway, 1864
- Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway
The Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway was an independently developed English railway, the first to run train services in Herefordshire.Built between 1850 and 1853, it crossed a number of services by both the Great Western Railway and London and North Western Railway companies, became a joint...
, 1862 (jointly with GWRThe Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
and West Midland Railway)
- Shrewsbury and Welshpool Railway
The Shrewsbury and Welshpool Railway was a standard gauge railway which connected the towns of Shrewsbury and Welshpool. It opened in 1861 and the majority of the railway continues in use.- History :...
, 1864 (jointly with GWRThe Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
from 1865)
- Shropshire Union Railways and Canal, 1847
- Sirhowy Railway, 1876
- South Leicestershire Railway
The South Leicestershire Railway was founded in 1850 as the Nuneaton and Hinckley Railway, with Parliamentary powers to build a railway from on the London and North Western Railway to in Leicestershire. In 1860 Parliament authorised the company to extend its line to Wigston Junction on the...
, 1867
- South Staffordshire Railway
The South Staffordshire Railway was the railway company responsible for building several lines in and around the area of Staffordshire, England.The Chief Engineer was John Robinson McClean...
, 1861
- Stockport, Disley and Whaley Bridge Railway
The Stockport, Disley and Whaley Bridge Railway was an early railway company in England which was opened in 1857 between Stockport Edgeley and Whaley Bridge.- Origins :...
, 1866
- Trent Valley Railway, 1847
- Tenbury Railway, 1866 (jointly with GWR
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
from 1869)
- Vale of Clwyd Railway
The Vale of Clwyd Railway was a line which connected the towns of Rhyl and Denbigh via St. Asaph.At Rhyl the line connected with the North Wales Coast Line....
, 1867
- Vale of Towy Railway
The Vale of Towy Railway was a Welsh railway that provided an 11.25 mile-long extension of the Llanelly Railway from Llandeilo to Llandovery...
, 1884 (jointly with GWRThe Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
from 1889)
- Warrington and Stockport Railway, 1859
- Watford and Rickmansworth Railway
The Watford and Rickmansworth Railway Company was a short-lived company that ran services between Watford and Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire, England...
, 1881
- West London Extension Railway, 1859 (jointly with GWR
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
, LSWR and LBSCR)
- Whitehaven, Cleator and Egremont Railway
The Whitehaven, Cleator and Egremont Railway was a standard gauge railway in Cumberland, England. It opened for goods traffic in 1855 and for passenger traffic in 1857.- Route :...
, 1877 (jointly with Furness RailwayThe Furness Railway was a railway company operating in the Furness area of Lancashire in North West England.-History:The company was established on May 23, 1844 when the Furness Railway Act was passed by Parliament...
from 1878)
- Whitehaven Junction Railway, 1866
Locomotives
The LNWR's main engineering works were at Crewe (locomotives),
WolvertonWolverton railway works was established in Wolverton, Buckinghamshire, by the London and Birmingham Railway Company in 1838 at the midpoint of the 112 mile-long route from London to Birmingham...
(carriages) and Earlestown (wagons). Locomotives were usually painted green at first, but in 1873 black was adopted as the standard livery. This finish has been described as "blackberry black".
Accidents
Major accidents on the LNWR include:-
- 1861 – Wootton bridge collapse; 2 killed
- 1867 – Warrington rail crash
The Warrington rail crash occurred on 29 June 1867 at Walton Junction, south of Warrington Bank Quay station. The 10:23 from Liverpool to London collided with a coal train, killing 8 people and injuring 33 more....
; 8 killed, 33 injured
- 1868 – Abergele rail crash; 32 killed
- 1873 – Wigan rail crash
In Victorian times annual holidays to Scotland were popular amongst the affluent; inspired by Queen Victoria's visits to Balmoral. The 'Tourist Special' which left London Euston at 20:00 on 2 August 1873 drawn by two locomotives consisted of 25 vehicles by the time it left Crewe including many...
; 13 killed, 30 injured
- 1894 – Chelford rail accident
The Chelford rail accident occurred on 22 December 1894 at Chelford railway station. The stationmaster was supervising shunting operations, during which a high-sided wagon was fly-shunted into a siding in strong winds and rapidly fading light...
; 14 killed, 48 injured
- 1912 – Ditton Junction rail crash
Ditton Junction is on the London and North Western Railway near Widnes. A complex junction it had no less than eight running lines with associated signal gantries...
; 15 killed
- 1915 – Weedon rail crash; 10 killed, 21 injured
Electrification
From 1909–1922, the LNWR undertook a large-scale project to
electrifyA railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
the whole of its London inner-suburban network.
Ships
The LNWR operated a number of ships on
Irish SeaThe Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
crossings between
HolyheadHolyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
and
Dublin,
HowthHowth is an area in Fingal County near Dublin city in Ireland. Originally just a small fishing village, Howth with its surrounding rural district is now a busy suburb of Dublin, with a mix of dense residential development and wild hillside, all on the peninsula of Howth Head. The only...
or
KingstownDún Laoghaire or Dún Laoire , sometimes anglicised as "Dunleary" , is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin, Ireland, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County and a major port of entry from Great Britain...
. The LNWR also operated a joint service with the
Lancashire & Yorkshire RailwayThe Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
from
FleetwoodFleetwood is a town within the Wyre district of Lancashire, England, lying at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 26,840 people at the 2001 Census. It forms part of the Greater Blackpool conurbation. The town was the first planned community of the Victorian era...
to
BelfastBelfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
and
DerryDerry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
.
Chairmen of the Board of Directors
- 1846–1852 — George Carr Glyn, later 1st Baron Wolverton
- 1852–1853 — Major-General George Anson
- 1853–1861 — Richard Temple-Grenville, Marquis of Chandos, later 3rd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos
- 1861 — Admiral Constantine Richard Moorsom
Constantine Richard Moorsom was a Vice-Admiral in the Royal Navy. He commanded HMS Fury a Hecla-class bomb vessel which saw wartime service in the Bombardment of Algiers, an attack on Barbary pirates at Algiers in HMS Fury in August, 1816. Moorsom was the son of Admiral Sir Robert Moorsom, a...
- 1861–1891 — Richard Moon, Sir Richard from 1887
- 1891–1911 — Richard de Aquila Grosvenor, 1st Baron Stalbridge
Richard de Aquila Grosvenor, 1st Baron Stalbridge PC , styled Lord Richard Grosvenor between 1845 and 1886, was a British politician and businessman. Initially a Liberal, he served under William Ewart Gladstone as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household between 1872 and 1874 and as Parliamentary...
- 1911–1921 — Gilbert Henry Claughton, Sir Gilbert from 1912
- 1921–1923 — The Hon. Charles N. Lawrence
Charles Napier Lawrence, 1st Baron Lawrence of Kingsgate , styled The Honourable Charles Lawrence between 1869 and 1923, was a British businessman and railway executive.-Background and education:...
, later Baron Lawrence of Kingsgate
Members of the Board of Directors
- John Pares Bickersteth
- Frederick Baynes
- John Albert Bright
John Albert Bright was an English Liberal Unionist Member of Parliament in England. He was the son of the Liberal reformer John Bright....
- Ralph Brocklebank
- Sir Thomas Brooke, 1st Baronet
- Philip Henry Chambres
- William E. Dorrington
William E Dorrington was Chairman and Treasurer of the Manchester Royal Exchange Limited, a director of the London and North Western Railway Company , a Merchant and Shipper and formerly a major of the 3rd battalion Cheshire Regiment of Volunteers....
- Edmund Faber, 1st Baron Faber
Edmund Beckett Faber, 1st Baron Faber was a British Conservative politician.-Political career:Faber was Member of Parliament for Andover between a by-election in 1901 and the dissolution in 1905...
- Alfred Fletcher
- Rupert Guinness, 2nd Earl of Iveagh
Rupert Edward Cecil Lee Guinness, 2nd Earl of Iveagh KG CB CMG VD ADC FRS, , was an Anglo-Irish businessman, politician, oarsman and philanthropist. Born in London, he was the eldest son of Edward Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh...
- Theodore Julius Hare
- The Hon. A. H. Holland-Hibbert
- Sir William Houldsworth, 1st Baronet
- J. Bruce Ismay
Joseph Bruce Ismay was an English businessman who served as chairman and managing director of the White Star Line of steamships. He came to international attention as the highest-ranking White Star official among the 706 survivors Joseph Bruce Ismay (12 December 1862 – 17 October 1937) was...
- Lieut-Col. Amelius Lockwood, 1st Baron Lambourne
Lieutenant-Colonel Amelius Richard Mark Lockwood, 1st Baron Lambourne PC, GCVO, JP, DL was a British soldier and politician.-Background and education:...
- The Hon. William Lowther
William Lowther was a British diplomat and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1868 to 1892....
- Brigadier-General Lewis Vivian Loyd
Colonel Lewis Vivian Loyd DL was a British Conservative Party politician.He was elected at the 1892 general election as the Member of Parliament for Chatham in Kent, but did not seek re-election in 1895, and did not stand for Parliament again.He was married on 14 August 1879 to Lady Mary Sophia...
- Miles MacInnes
Miles MacInnes was a British landowner, railway director and Liberal Party politician.MacInnes was the son of General John Maclnnes and his wife Ann Sophia Reynolds...
- Edward Nettlefold
- David Plunket, 1st Baron Rathmore
David Robert Plunket, 1st Baron Rathmore PC, QC was an Irish lawyer and Conservative politician.-Background and education:...
- Cromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 4th Duke of Sutherland
Cromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 4th Duke of Sutherland , styled Lord Cromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower until 1858, Earl Gower between 1858 and 1861 and Marquess of Stafford between 1861 and 1892, was a British peer and politician.-Background:Sutherland was the son of George...
- Henry Ward
General Managers
- 1846–1858 — Captain Mark Huish
Captain Mark Huish was an English railway manager. He is best known for his term as General Manager of the London & North Western Railway, which he held for 12 years, beginning from the Company's formation in 1846....
- 1858–1874 — William Cawkwell
- 1874–1893 — George Findlay
- 1893–1908 — Sir Frederick Harrison (knighted in 1902
- 1909–1914 — Frank Ree
- 1914 — Robert Turnbull
- 1914–1919 — Guy Calthrop
Sir Calthrop Guy Spencer Calthrop, 1st Baronet was a British railway manager.Born in Uppingham, Rutland, his brother was Everard Calthrop, railway engineer. He entered the London and North Western Railway as a Cadet at the age of 16 in 1886. In 1892 he was appointed outdoor assistant to the...
- 1919–1920 — Isaac Thomas Williams
- 1920–1923 — Arthur Watson
Locomotive Superintendents and Chief Mechanical Engineers
Southern Division:
- 1846–1847 — Edward Bury
Edward Bury was an English locomotive manufacturer.Edward Bury was born in Salford, Lancashire, the son of a timber merchant, and was educated at Chester. By 1823 he was a partner in Gregson & Bury's steam sawmill at Toxteth Park, Liverpool, but in 1826 he set himself up as an iron-founder and...
- 1847–1862 — James McConnell
James Edward McConnell was one of the first locomotive engineers of the London and North Western Railway . He was Locomotive Superintendent of the LNWR's Southern Division at Wolverton railway works from 1847 to 1862 and oversaw the design of the "Bloomer" and "Patent" locomotives...
North Eastern Division:
- 1846–1857 — John Ramsbottom
John Ramsbottom was an English mechanical engineer who created many inventions for railways, including the piston ring, the Ramsbottom safety valve, the displacement lubricator, and the water trough.- Biography :...
NE Division became part of N Division in 1857.
Northern Division:
- 1846–1857 — Francis Trevithick
Francis Trevithick , from Camborne, Cornwall, was one of the first locomotive engineers of the London and North Western Railway .- Life :...
- 1857–1862 — John Ramsbottom
John Ramsbottom was an English mechanical engineer who created many inventions for railways, including the piston ring, the Ramsbottom safety valve, the displacement lubricator, and the water trough.- Biography :...
Northern and Southern Divisions amalgamated from April 1862:
- 1862–1871 — John Ramsbottom
John Ramsbottom was an English mechanical engineer who created many inventions for railways, including the piston ring, the Ramsbottom safety valve, the displacement lubricator, and the water trough.- Biography :...
- 1871–1903 — Francis William Webb
- 1903–1909 — George Whale
George Whale was a British locomotive engineer who worked for the London and North Western Railway .Whale was born in Bocking, Essex. In 1858 he entered Wolverton Works under James Edward McConnell, and from 1862 under John Ramsbottom. In 1865 he entered the drawing office at Crewe Works, and in...
- 1909–1920 — Charles Bowen Cooke
- 1920–1921 — Hewitt Pearson Montague Beames
- 1922 — George Hughes
George Hughes was a locomotive engineer, and Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.-L&YR:...
(ex-Lancashire and Yorkshire RailwayThe Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
)
Preservation
- Sections of the former L&NWR are preserved as the Battlefield Line Railway
The Battlefield Line Railway is a heritage railway in Leicestershire, England. It runs from Shackerstone to Shenton , via Market Bosworth, a total of...
, Nene Valley RailwayThe Nene Valley Railway is a preserved railway in Cambridgeshire, England, running between Peterborough Nene Valley and Yarwell Junction. The line is currently seven and a half miles in length...
and Northampton & Lamport RailwayThe Northampton & Lamport Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway in Northamptonshire, England. It is based at Pitsford and Brampton station, near the villages of Pitsford and Chapel Brampton, roughly north of Northampton.-Overview:...
, the latter giving the name Premier Line to its quarterly journal.
See also
- Rail transport in Great Britain
The railway system in Great Britain is the oldest in the world, with the world's first locomotive-hauled public railway opening in 1825. As of 2010, it consists of of standard gauge lines , of which are electrified. These lines range from single to double, triple, quadruple track and up to twelve...
- The Nicky Line
- Croxley Rail Link
The Croxley Rail Link is a railway engineering proposal to re-route part of a London Underground line in Hertfordshire, outside London, UK. The project would divert Metropolitan line Watford branch services after station away from station to via intermediate stations using a reopened section of...
- Loughborough Top Shed
Loughborough Top Shed is a project associated with the Great Central Heritage Railway, which is a heritage railway in Leicestershire. It was set up in 2004 to recover and restore an ex-LMS steam shed from Workington, Cumbria to provide undercover accommodation for the growing fleet of locomotives...
External links