• The first detailed study of this huge mainline through its operational history • Features extended commentaries from the authors, rich in detail • Superbly illustrated with black and white photographs, many never seen before In this second and final volume, the whole of the East Coast Main Line between King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley stations is examined closely, with a particular emphasis on the ways and structures: the line, stations, connections, yards, and other physical features. Interposed are accounts of the traffic at the principal stations – including connecting and branch line services – with observations on changes over the period 1939 to 1959. Some emphasis is placed on freight traffic on account of its importance and, perhaps, its relative unfamiliarity to the reader. The lines, stations and many other elements are described as they were in August 1939, but as some plans on which they are based are dated before the late 1930s, there may be marginal differences from the precise layout in 1939.
Since the mid-nineteenth century the East Coast Main Line has been one of the major routes from London to northern England and to Scotland. It has seen some of the greatest achievements in the railways, most notably the 'Flying Scotsman' becoming, in 1934, the first locomotive in the world to exceed 100mph and the 'Mallard' in 1938 claiming the as-yet-unbroken world speed record for steam locomotives of 126mph. The East Coast Main Line not only made history by facilitating an ever-faster link between two capital cities, it also provided an international stage for Britain's engineering marvels, inspiring many generations of schoolboys and adults alike. That was to continue after the end of the steam era on British Railways, with diesel and then electric traction setting a series of new records over the route. This new book looks at how the London-Edinburgh line became the world's fastest steam railway and how its proud and unique heritage is appreciated and celebrated today more than ever before. Superbly illustrated with over 300 colour and black & white photographs.
Train Doctor is the story of Roger Senior's career in the railway industry, from 1968 when the author joined British Railways, until his retirement from Great North Eastern Railway.The book takes you from the 1970s period, with its first generation Diesels, through to privatisation in 1994 and the electrified East Coast main line.This will be of interest to enthusiasts and modern railway historians, with its inside look at the railway industry during a time of considerable change.The author began his career with first generation diesel classes, on the Eastern Region, of what was then British Railways and went on to work with the High Speed Train Fleet, when they were first introduced to main line service, in the 1970s.This is a story of troubleshooting, with many different types of modern traction over a period of twenty-five years, an insight in to the trials and tribulations of keeping the railway running, in all weathers and at all costs.Roger Senior later worked with electric traction, both before and after privatisation, on the East Coast main line, finishing his career with Great North Eastern Railway as the Resident Engineer for the refurbishment of the MK1V fleet known as the Mallard project.
The competition held by the Department for Transport to award a new InterCity West Coast franchise in 2012 was intended to be the first in the most extensive programme of franchising since privatisation. Significant errors were made by the Department during the competition, which not only caused the cancellation of that franchise award at considerable public expense but also called into question the remaining franchising programme. This report is the second of two independent reviews commissioned by the Government, by Richard Brown, the Chairman of Eurostar. It concludes that franchising is a fundamentally sound approach for securing the passenger railway services on which so many people rely. His recommendations include: that the franchising programme should be restarted as soon as possible, but at a pace that both the department and the industry can sustain; that franchise terms should be determined by the circumstances and size of each individual franchise; proposals to strengthen and simplify the bidding and evaluation process for each franchise; proposals for the financial and contractual structure of future franchises, including in relation to risk allocation and capital requirements; and that the government should plan to devolve responsibility for further English franchises to the relevant authorities. Mr Brown also makes recommendations on how to strengthen the department's capability to manage the future franchising programme, echoing the findings of Sam Laidlaw's independent inquiry into the lessons to be learnt from the InterCity West Coast competition. The review also recommends that the Government should determine, by February, plans for the three franchise competitions which were put on hold
This sequel to Speed on the East Coast Main Line is a history of British Rail's largest investment programme for 25 years - the electrification of the East Coast Main Line, which will be completed in May 1991. The book covers its engineering, locomotive rolling-stock and signalling.
In the days when coal was king, an ambitious plan was laid for an east-to-west cross country rail route, connecting the Manchester Ship Canal at Warrington to a new dock near the small east coast village of Sutton-on-Sea. Grandly titled The Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway, history was to show that this line would reach neither Warrington nor Sutton-on-Sea with only the Chesterfield to Pyewipe Junction section and a branch to Sheffield ever being completed. Taken over by the G.C.R. in 1907, the route was primarily a coal-carrying railway, although it did have a passenger service that lasted until 1955. Discover the former LD&ECR, the self-styled 'Dukeries Route' and its branches, through the lenses of photographers from over 100 years. From the main line between Chesterfield and Lincoln, the Beighton Branch, the Sheffield District Railway and the Mansfield Railway, to the motive power depots at Chesterfield, Tuxford and Langwith Junction. This is a photographic journey bringing you the story of the railway from the early days to its final days, including the last coal train to use the route.