North Eastern Album

Ian Allan Ltd, 1st edition 1974\

The North Eastern Railway, without a London terminus, has not always received its full share of attention. It was formed in 1854 by amalgamation, and by subsequently taking over the remaining railway companies in north eastern England it achieved a near monopoly. However, although the North Eastern fought to keep out other companies it did not behave in a monopolistic manner. It welcomed all companies to run into York from the south, but there was only one way by which passengers and goods could go forward, by the North Eastern, of course. The North Eastern had some magnificent passenmger engines, in their green paint and polished brasswork. There was also a large fleet of 0-6-0 and 0-8-0- engines for working the heavy goods and mineral traffic. The company operated the electrified system around Newcastle and the Shildon-Newport line carried a heavy mineral traffic world by electric locomotives. Petrol engines were used in a small fleet of railcars from 1904, but although diesel traction was considered it was not actually used before the London & North Eastern Railway was formed in 1923. Under LNER control former North Eastern lines formed the North Eastern Area, becoming the North Eastern Region under British Railways until amalgamation with the Eastern Region in 1967. Illustrated with black and white photographs throughout...