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The North Eastern Railway (NER) was an
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
company. It was incorporated in 1854 by the combination of several existing railway companies. Later, it was amalgamated with other railways to form the
London and North Eastern Railway The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) was the second largest (after LMS) of the " Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain. It operated from 1 January 1923 until nationalisation on 1 January 1948. At th ...
at the
Grouping Grouping may refer to: * Muenchian grouping * Principles of grouping * Railways Act 1921, also known as Grouping Act, a reorganisation of the British railway system * Grouping (firearms), the pattern of multiple shots from a sidearm See also ...
in 1923. Its main line survives to the present day as part of the
East Coast Main Line The East Coast Main Line (ECML) is a electrified railway between London and Edinburgh via Peterborough, Doncaster, York, Darlington, Durham and Newcastle. The line is a key transport artery on the eastern side of Great Britain running broa ...
between
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
and
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
. Unlike many other pre-Grouping companies the NER had a relatively compact territory, in which it had a near monopoly. That district extended through
Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
,
County Durham County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly â€About North East E ...
and
Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...
, with outposts in
Westmorland Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland'';R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref> is a historic county in North West England spanning the southern Lake District and the northern Dales. It had an ...
and
Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...
. The only company penetrating its territory was the Hull & Barnsley, which it absorbed shortly before the main grouping. The NER's main line formed the middle link on the Anglo-Scottish "East Coast Main Line" between
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
and
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
, joining the Great Northern Railway near
Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...
and the
North British Railway The North British Railway was a British railway company, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1844, with the intention of linking with English railways at Berwick. The line opened in 1846, and from the outset the company followe ...
at
Berwick-upon-Tweed Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census recor ...
. Although primarily a Northern English railway, the NER had a short length of line in Scotland, in
Roxburghshire Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh ( gd, Siorrachd Rosbroig) is a historic county and registration county in the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It borders Dumfriesshire to the west, Selkirkshire and Midlothian to the north-west, and Berw ...
, with stations at Carham and Sprouston on the Tweedmouth-Kelso route (making it the only English railway with sole ownership of any line in Scotland), and was a joint owner of the Forth railway bridge and its approach lines. The NER was the only English railway to run trains regularly into Scotland, over the Berwick-Edinburgh main line as well as on the Tweedmouth-Kelso branch. The total length of line owned was and the company's share capital was £82 million. The headquarters were at York and the works at Darlington, Gateshead, York and elsewhere.Harmsworth (1921) Befitting the successor to the Stockton & Darlington Railway, the NER had a reputation for innovation. It was a pioneer in architectural and design matters and in electrification. By 1906 the NER was further ahead than any other British railway in having a set of rules agreed with the trades unions, including arbitration, for resolving disputes. In its final days it also began the collection that became the Railway Museum at York, now the
National Railway Museum The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the Science Museum Group. The museum tells the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It is the home of the national collection of historically significant r ...
. In 1913 the company achieved a total revenue of £11,315,130 () with working expenses of £7,220,784 (). During the First World War, the NER lost a total of 2,236 men who are commemorated on the
North Eastern Railway War Memorial The North Eastern Railway War Memorial is a First World War memorial in York in northern England. It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens to commemorate employees of the North Eastern Railway (NER) who left to fight in the First World War and we ...
in York. An earlier printed Roll of Honour lists 1,908 men. They also raised two 'Pals Battalions', the 17th (N.E.R. Pioneer) Battalion and 32nd (N.E.R. Reserve) Battalion,
Northumberland Fusiliers The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Raised in 1674 as one of three 'English' units in the Dutch Anglo-Scots Brigade, it accompanied William III to England in the November 1688 Glorious Revolution an ...
. This was the first time that a battalion had been raised from one Company. The company also sent two tug boats, ''NER No.3''. and ''Stranton'' The latter became
HM Tug Char HM Tug ''Char'', formally the North Eastern Railway tug ''Stranton'', was a ship requisitioned by the Admiralty during the Great War. ''Char'' was lost at sea on 16 January 1915. History HM Tug ''Char'' was built by JP Rennoldson & Sons at Sou ...
and was lost at sea on 16 January 1915 with the loss of all hands. The NER Heraldic Device (seen above the tile map photo) was a combination of the devices of its three major constituents at formation in 1854: the
York and North Midland Railway The York and North Midland Railway (Y&NMR) was an English railway company that opened in 1839 connecting York with the Leeds and Selby Railway, and in 1840 extended this line to meet the North Midland Railway at Normanton near Leeds. Its first c ...
(top; arms of the City of York); the
Leeds Northern Railway The Leeds Northern Railway (LNR), originally the Leeds and Thirsk Railway, was an English railway company that built and opened a line from Leeds to Stockton via Harrogate and Thirsk. In 1845 the Leeds and Thirsk Railway received permission for ...
(lower left; arms of the City of Leeds along with representations of the expected traffic, wool and corn, and connection to the sea via the
West Hartlepool Harbour and Railway The Clarence Railway was an early railway company that operated in north-east England between 1833 and 1853. The railway was built to take coal from mines in County Durham to ports on the River Tees and was a competitor to the Stockton and Da ...
); and the
York, Newcastle & Berwick Railway The York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway (YN&BR) was an English railway company formed in 1847 by the amalgamation of the York and Newcastle Railway and the Newcastle and Berwick Railway. Both companies were part of the group of business interest ...
(lower right; parts of the arms of the three places in its title)


Constituent parts of the NER

''Constituent companies of the NER are listed in chronological order under the year of amalgamation.'' ''Their constituent companies are indented under the parent company with the year of amalgamation in parenthesis.'' ''If a company changed its name (usually after amalgamation or extension), the earlier names and dates are listed after the later name.'' The information for this section is largely drawn from Appendix E (pp 778–779) in Tomlinson. ''1854'' *
York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway The York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway (YN&BR) was an English railway company formed in 1847 by the amalgamation of the York and Newcastle Railway and the Newcastle and Berwick Railway. Both companies were part of the group of business interest ...
was
York and Newcastle Railway The York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway (YN&BR) was an English railway company formed in 1847 by the amalgamation of the York and Newcastle Railway and the Newcastle and Berwick Railway. Both companies were part of the group of business interest ...
(1846–1847) and
Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway The York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway (YN&BR) was an English railway company formed in 1847 by the amalgamation of the York and Newcastle Railway and the Newcastle and Berwick Railway. Both companies were part of the group of business interest ...
(1842–1846) **
Durham Junction Railway The York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway (YN&BR) was an English railway company formed in 1847 by the amalgamation of the York and Newcastle Railway and the Newcastle and Berwick Railway. Both companies were part of the group of business interest ...
(1844) **
Brandling Junction Railway The Brandling Junction Railway was an early railway in County Durham, England. It took over the Tanfield Waggonway of 1725 that was built to bring coal from Tanfield to staiths on the River Tyne at Dunston. The Brandling Junction Railway itself ...
(1845) **
Durham and Sunderland Railway The York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway (YN&BR) was an English railway company formed in 1847 by the amalgamation of the York and Newcastle Railway and the Newcastle and Berwick Railway. Both companies were part of the group of business interest ...
(1846) **
Pontop and South Shields Railway The Stanhope and Tyne Railway was an early British mineral railway, that ran from Stanhope in County Durham, to South Shields at the mouth of the River Tyne. The object was to convey limestone from Stanhope and coal from West Consett and elsew ...
(1846) ***
Stanhope and Tyne Railway The Stanhope and Tyne Railway was an early British mineral railway, that ran from Stanhope in County Durham, to South Shields at the mouth of the River Tyne. The object was to convey limestone from Stanhope and coal from West Consett and elsew ...
(1842) **
Newcastle and Berwick Railway The York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway (YN&BR) was an English railway company formed in 1847 by the amalgamation of the York and Newcastle Railway and the Newcastle and Berwick Railway. Both companies were part of the group of business interest ...
(1847) ***
Newcastle and North Shields Railway The Newcastle & North Shields Railway opened in June 1839 from a temporary terminus in Carliol Square in Newcastle upon Tyne to North Shields. The railway was absorbed by the Newcastle & Berwick Railway in November 1844. The Newcastle & Berwick ...
(1845) **
Great North of England Railway The Great North of England Railway (GNER) was an early British railway company. Its main line, opened in 1841 was between York and Darlington, and originally it was planned to extend to Newcastle. Mergers In 1846 it was absorbed by the Newcastle ...
(1850) *
York and North Midland Railway The York and North Midland Railway (Y&NMR) was an English railway company that opened in 1839 connecting York with the Leeds and Selby Railway, and in 1840 extended this line to meet the North Midland Railway at Normanton near Leeds. Its first c ...
**
Leeds and Selby Railway The Leeds and Selby Railway was an early British railway company and first mainline railway within Yorkshire. It was opened in 1834. As built, the line ran west/east between two termini, Marsh Lane station, Leeds and Selby railway station. The ...
(1844) **
Whitby and Pickering Railway The Whitby and Pickering Railway (W&P) was built to halt the gradual decline of the port of Whitby on the east coast of England. Its basic industries—whaling and shipbuilding—had been in decline and it was believed that opening transport l ...
(1845) **
East and West Yorkshire Junction Railway The East and West Yorkshire Junction Railway was a railway company established in 1846 between the Leeds and Thirsk Railway at Knaresborough and the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway near York, England. The company merged into the York and Nor ...
(1852) *
Leeds Northern Railway The Leeds Northern Railway (LNR), originally the Leeds and Thirsk Railway, was an English railway company that built and opened a line from Leeds to Stockton via Harrogate and Thirsk. In 1845 the Leeds and Thirsk Railway received permission for ...
was
Leeds and Thirsk Railway The Leeds Northern Railway (LNR), originally the Leeds and Thirsk Railway, was an English railway company that built and opened a line from Leeds to Stockton via Harrogate and Thirsk. In 1845 the Leeds and Thirsk Railway received permission for ...
(1845–1849) *
Malton and Driffield Railway The Malton and Driffield Junction Railway, later known as the ''Malton and Driffield branch'' was a railway line in Yorkshire that ran between the towns of Malton, North Yorkshire and Driffield in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The line opened ...
''1857'' *
Deerness Valley Railway The Deerness Valley Railway was an 8-mile long single track branch railway line that ran along the valley of the River Deerness in County Durham, England. Built by the North Eastern Railway, it ran from Deerness Valley Junction, on the Durham t ...
*
Hartlepool Dock and Railway The York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway (YN&BR) was an English railway company formed in 1847 by the amalgamation of the York and Newcastle Railway and the Newcastle and Berwick Railway. Both companies were part of the group of business interest ...
''1858'' * North Yorkshire and Cleveland Railway ''1859'' * Bedale and Leyburn Railway ''1862'' *
Hull and Holderness Railway The Hull and Holderness Railway was a branch line in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England that connected the city of Kingston upon Hull with the seaside resort of Withernsea via the town of Hedon and the villages of Keyingham and Patrington. H ...
*
Newcastle and Carlisle Railway The Newcastle & Carlisle Railway (N&CR) was an English railway company formed in 1825 that built a line from Newcastle upon Tyne on Britain's east coast, to Carlisle, on the west coast. The railway began operating mineral trains in 1834 between ...
** Blaydon, Gateshead and Hebburn Railway (1839) ''1863'' *
Stockton and Darlington Railway The Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) was a railway company that operated in north-east England from 1825 to 1863. The world's first public railway to use steam locomotives, its first line connected collieries near Shildon with Darl ...
** Darlington and Barnard Castle Railway (1858) **
Middlesbrough and Guisborough Railway The Middlesbrough & Guisborough Railway (M&G) was a railway line serving the towns of Middlesbrough and Guisborough as well as areas of the Eston Hills in North Yorkshire from 1853 to 1964 when the Guisborough terminus closed. More than half t ...
(1858) ** Middlesbrough and Redcar Railway (1858) **
Wear Valley Railway The Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) was a railway company that operated in north-east England from 1825 to 1863. The world's first public railway to use steam locomotives, its first line connected coal mining, collieries near Shildo ...
(1858) ***
Bishop Auckland and Weardale Railway Bishop Auckland is a railway station that serves the market town of Bishop Auckland in County Durham, North East England, north-west of Darlington. The station is the Western terminus of the Tees Valley Line, which links it to via . It is owne ...
(1847) **
Eden Valley Railway The Eden Valley Railway (EVR) was a railway in Cumbria, England. It ran between Clifton Junction near Penrith and Kirkby Stephen via Appleby-in-Westmorland. Passenger traffic ended in 1962 and the line was reduced to the track between the j ...
(1862) ** Frosterley and Stanhope Railway (1862) **
South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway The South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway (SD&LUR) built a railway line linking the Stockton & Darlington Railway near Bishop Auckland with the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway (the West Coast Main Line) at Tebay, via Barnard Castle, Stainmore ...
(1862) ''1865'' * Cleveland Railway *
West Hartlepool Harbour and Railway The Clarence Railway was an early railway company that operated in north-east England between 1833 and 1853. The railway was built to take coal from mines in County Durham to ports on the River Tees and was a competitor to the Stockton and Da ...
**
Clarence Railway The Clarence Railway was an early railway company that operated in north-east England between 1833 and 1853. The railway was built to take coal from mines in County Durham to ports on the River Tees and was a competitor to the Stockton and Darli ...
(1853) **
Stockton and Hartlepool Railway The Clarence Railway was an early railway company that operated in north-east England between 1833 and 1853. The railway was built to take coal from mines in County Durham to ports on the River Tees and was a competitor to the Stockton and Darli ...
(1853) ''1866'' *
Hull and Hornsea Railway The Hull and Hornsea Railway was a branch line which connected the city of Kingston upon Hull with the seaside town of Hornsea in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. History Early proposals and construction A proposal for a railway line t ...
''1870'' *
West Durham Railway The Clarence Railway was an early railway company that operated in north-east England between 1833 and 1853. The railway was built to take coal from mines in County Durham to ports on the River Tees and was a competitor to the Stockton and Da ...
''1872'' *
Hull and Selby Railway The Hull and Selby Railway is a railway line between Kingston upon Hull and Selby in the United Kingdom which was authorised by an act of 1836 and opened in 1840. As built the line connected with the Leeds and Selby Railway (opened 1834) at Selby ...
''1874'' *
Blyth and Tyne Railway The Blyth and Tyne Railway was a railway company in Northumberland, England, incorporated by Act of Parliament on 30 June 1852. It was created to unify the various private railways and waggonways built to carry coal from the Northumberland coalf ...
''1876'' *
Hexham and Allendale Railway The Hexham and Allendale Railway was a railway company formed in 1865 to build a branch line from the lead mining district of Allendale in Northumberland to a junction near Hexham on the Carlisle to Newcastle line. It opened to goods and miner ...
* Leeds, Castleford and Pontefract Junction Railway ''1882'' *
Tees Valley Railway The Tees Valley Railway was an branch railway line that ran between Barnard Castle on the South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway line between Bishop Auckland and Kirkby Stephen East, and Middleton-in-Teesdale via three intermediate station ...
''1883'' * Hylton, Southwick and Monkwearmouth Railway *
Scotswood, Newburn and Wylam Railway The Scotswood, Newburn and Wylam Railway was a railway company that built the North Wylam branch or North Wylam loop on the former Newcastle & Carlisle Railway. The loop line opened between 1871 and 1876 and followed the former Wylam waggonway ...
''1889'' *
Whitby, Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway The Whitby, Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway (WRMU), the Whitby–Loftus Line, was a railway line in North Yorkshire, England, built between 1871 and 1886, running from Loftus on the Yorkshire coast to the Esk at Whitby, and connecting ...
''1893'' *
Wear Valley Extension Railway Wear is the damaging, gradual removal or deformation of material at Solid, solid surfaces. Causes of wear can be mechanical (e.g., erosion) or Chemistry, chemical (e.g., corrosion). The study of wear and related processes is referred to as trib ...
''1898'' *
Scarborough & Whitby Railway The Scarborough & Whitby Railway was a railway line from Scarborough to Whitby in North Yorkshire, England. The line followed a difficult but scenic route along the North Yorkshire coast. The line opened in 1885 and closed in 1965 as part of ...
''1900'' *
Cawood, Wistow and Selby Light Railway The Cawood, Wistow and Selby Light Railway (CW&SLR) was a short light railway in a rural part of Yorkshire, England. The company was sometimes referred to as the Cawood, Wistow and Selby Railway. Precursor line An Act of Parliament in 1879 ...
''1914'' * Scarborough, Bridlington and West Riding Junction Railway ''1922'' *
Hull and Barnsley Railway Hull may refer to: Structures * Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship * Submarine hull Mathematics * Affine hull, in a ...


Dock companies

''1853'' *
Hartlepool West Harbour and Dock The Clarence Railway was an early railway company that operated in north-east England between 1833 and 1853. The railway was built to take coal from mines in County Durham to ports on the River Tees and was a competitor to the Stockton and Da ...
''1857'' *
Hartlepool Dock and Railway The York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway (YN&BR) was an English railway company formed in 1847 by the amalgamation of the York and Newcastle Railway and the Newcastle and Berwick Railway. Both companies were part of the group of business interest ...
''1893'' *
Hull Dock Company The Port of Hull is a port at the confluence of the River Hull and the Humber Estuary in Kingston upon Hull, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Seaborne trade at the port can be traced to at least the 13th century, originally cond ...


Principal stations

Having inherited the country's first ever great barrel-vault roofed station, Newcastle Central, from its constituent the York Newcastle & Berwick railway, the NER during the next half century built a finer set of grand principal stations than any other British railway company, with examples at Alnwick, Tynemouth, Gateshead East, Sunderland, Stockton, Middlesbrough, Darlington Bank Top, York and Hull Paragon; the rebuilding and enlargement of the last-named resulting in the last of the type in the country. The four largest, at Newcastle, Darlington, York and Hull survive in transport use, as does Tynemouth. Alnwick is still extant but in non-transport use since 1991 as a second-hand book warehouse, the others having been demolished during the 1950s/60s state-owned railway era, two (Sunderland and Middlesbrough) following Second World War bomb damage. *
York station York railway station is on the East Coast Main Line serving the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. It is north of and on the main line it is situated between to the south and to the north. , the station is operated by London North Ea ...
(
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
) was the hub of the system, and the headquarters of the line was located here. The basis for the present station was opened on 25 June 1877. From June 1909 to May 1951, when it was replaced by an electric system, the 295-lever Locomotive Yard signal cabin contained the largest mechanical lever frame in Britain. * Newcastle station (
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
), opened on 29 August 1850, became the largest on the NER. * Leeds New Station (later Leeds City, now Leeds) was a joint undertaking with the
London and North Western Railway The London and North Western Railway (LNWR, L&NWR) was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. In the late 19th century, the L&NWR was the largest joint stock company in the United Kingdom. In 1923, it became a constituent of the Lo ...
. It opened in 1869.


Architects

The NER was the first railway company in the world to appoint a full-time salaried
architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
to work with its
chief engineer A chief engineer, commonly referred to as "ChEng" or "Chief", is the most senior engine officer of an engine department on a ship, typically a merchant ship, and holds overall leadership and the responsibility of that department..Chief engineer's ...
in constructing railway facilities. Some of the men appointed were based in, or active in,
Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...
. *
George Townsend Andrews George Townsend Andrews (19 December 1804 – 29 December 1855) was an English architect born in Exeter. He is noted for his buildings designed for George Hudson's railways, especially the York and North Midland Railway. Andrews' architect's p ...
was the first architect associated with the North Eastern Railway. He designed the first permanent station at York, along with others on the NER route. He also designed the Assembly Rooms in York. * Thomas Prosser held the position from 1854 to 1874. He worked in Newcastle. *
Benjamin Burleigh Benjamin Burleigh (1820 1876) was an English civil engineer. He was born in Oxford on 24 May 1820. Career He started work at age 15 and had carried out many large parish surveys by age 19. He then made drawings and designs for bridges on the ...
, served for two years, dying in office. *
William Peachey William Peachey (1826 – 2 March 1912) was a British architect known for his work for the North Eastern Railway. History He was born in 1826, baptised at St Mary's Church, Cheltenham on 13 September. His parents were William Peachey, carp ...
, was based in Darlington, and served for two years. Peachey had been architect to the
Stockton and Darlington Railway The Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) was a railway company that operated in north-east England from 1825 to 1863. The world's first public railway to use steam locomotives, its first line connected collieries near Shildon with Darl ...
, and when this merged into the NER in 1863, he was made Darlington section architect. Most of his work was to extend and improve railway buildings. Elsewhere he built the
Zetland Hotel The Zetland Hotel is located on the north east coast of England at Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire. It was designed by William Peachey, architect to the Stockton and Darlington Railway. The seaside resort of Saltburn was developed by ...
at
Saltburn Saltburn-by-the-Sea, commonly referred to as Saltburn, is a seaside town in Redcar and Cleveland, North Yorkshire, England, around south-east of Hartlepool and southeast of Redcar. It lies within the historic boundaries of the North Rid ...
(1861–63), and the
Royal Station Hotel Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...
at
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
(1877–82). He also practised privately, designing a few nonconformist chapels, including Grange Road Baptist Chapel in Darlington, 1870–1. * William Bell worked for the NER for 50 years; he was chief architect for 37 years, between 1877 and 1914. His major contributions were as NER architect. Bank Top (1884–87) is one of the best examples of his station designs, for which he developed a standard system of roof building. He added various elements to the North Road Engineering works between 1884 and 1910. He also designed the offices of the Mechanical Engineer's Department in Brinkburn Road in 1912, showing that he could adapt his style to the new influences of the
Queen Anne revival The Queen Anne style of British architecture refers to either the English Baroque architecture of the time of Queen Anne (who reigned from 1702 to 1714) or the British Queen Anne Revival form that became popular during the last quarter of the ...
. *
Horace Field Horace Field was a London-born architect. His work was often in a Wrenaissance style, as well as other post-gothic English historical revival styles, with influences from the Arts and Crafts movement and Richard Norman Shaw. His commissions incl ...
, with William Bell, designed the splendid
Headquarters Offices Headquarters (commonly referred to as HQ) denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top ...
in York completed in 1906, now The Grand Hotel and Spa. Field also designed the company's elegant London office at 4 Cowley Street,
Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...
, completed the same year as the York offices, which was later used by the Liberal Democratic Party as its headquarters and is now a private house. * Arthur Pollard and Stephen Wilkinson each briefly filled the position of chief architect. The department remained in York after the merger of the company into the
LNER LNER may refer to: *London and North Eastern Railway, a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1923 until 1947 *London North Eastern Railway, a train operating company in the United Kingdom since 2018 * Liquid neutral earthing resistor, a type ...
. Professional design was carried through to small fixtures and fittings, such as platform seating, for which the NER adopted distinctive 'coiled snake' bench-ends. Cast-iron footbridges were also produced to a distinctive design. The NER's legacy continued to influence the systematic approach to design adopted by the grouped LNER.


Chairmen and Directors


Chairmen

*
James Pulleine James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...
(1854–55) * Harry Stephen Thompson (1855–74) *
George Leeman George Leeman (August 1809 – 25 February 1882) was a lawyer, railwayman and a Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for the City of York in the nineteenth century. Work Legal practice Leeman was articled to Robert Henry Anderson's legal practi ...
(1874–80) *
John Dent Dent John Dent Dent (11 June 1826 – 22 December 1894) was a Liberal Party politician in England. He was born John Dent Trickett, the eldest son of Leeds merchant Joseph Trickett, who had changed his surname to Dent (his mother's maiden name) i ...
(1880–94) * Sir Joseph Whitwell Pease, Bart (1895–1902) *
Viscount Ridley Viscount Ridley is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1900 for the Conservative politician Sir Matthew White Ridley, 5th Baronet, Home Secretary from 1895 to 1900. He was made Baron Wensleydale, of Blagdon and Bl ...
(1902–04) * Sir Edward Grey, Bart (1904–05) *
John Lloyd Wharton John Lloyd Wharton (18 April 1837 – 11 July 1912) was a Barrister and a Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Durham then MP for Ripon. Early life Wharton was born at Aberford in the West Riding of Yorkshire ...
(1906–12) *
Baron Knaresborough Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...
(1912–22)


Directors

The initial NER
Board of Directors A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...
was drawn from the directors of its four constituent companies. A director of the NER from 1864, and deputy chairman from 1895 until his death in 1904, was ironmaster and industrial chemist Sir Lowthian Bell. His son
Sir Hugh Bell Sir Thomas Hugh Bell, 2nd Baronet, (10 February 1844 – 29 June 1931) was an English industrialist, landowner, Justice of the Peace, and administrator. A Deputy Lieutenant of County Durham, he was High Sheriff of Durham in 1895 and Lord ...
was also a director; he had a private platform on the line between Middlesbrough and Redcar at the bottom of the garden of his house Red Barns.
Gertrude Bell Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell, CBE (14 July 1868 â€“ 12 July 1926) was an English writer, traveller, political officer, administrator, and archaeologist. She spent much of her life exploring and mapping the Middle East, and became highly ...
's biographer, Georgina Howell, recounts a story about the Bells and the NER: Among the other famous directors of the NER were
George Leeman George Leeman (August 1809 – 25 February 1882) was a lawyer, railwayman and a Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for the City of York in the nineteenth century. Work Legal practice Leeman was articled to Robert Henry Anderson's legal practi ...
(director 1854–82, Chairman 1874–80); Henry Pease (director 1861–1881); Sir Joseph Whitwell Pease, Bart. (director 1863–1902, Chairman 1895–1902);
John Dent Dent John Dent Dent (11 June 1826 – 22 December 1894) was a Liberal Party politician in England. He was born John Dent Trickett, the eldest son of Leeds merchant Joseph Trickett, who had changed his surname to Dent (his mother's maiden name) i ...
(director 1879–94, Chairman 1880–94);
Matthew White Ridley, 1st Viscount Ridley Matthew White Ridley, 1st Viscount Ridley, (25 July 1842 – 28 November 1904), known as Sir Matthew White Ridley, 5th Baronet, from 1877 to 1900, was a British Conservative statesman. He notably served as Home Secretary from 1895 to 1900. Bac ...
(director 1881–1904, Chairman 1902–04); Sir Edward Grey, Bart (see below); George Gibb (solicitor 1882–1891, general manager 1891–1906, director 1906–1910); and Henry Tennant (director 1891–1910). In 1898
Sir Edward Grey Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon, (25 April 1862 – 7 September 1933), better known as Sir Edward Grey, was a British Liberal statesman and the main force behind British foreign policy in the era of the First World War. An adhe ...
became a director, later becoming Chairman (1904-5; curtailed by his appointment as Foreign Secretary). In his autobiographical work ''Twenty-Five Years'' Grey later wrote that ‘…the year 1905 was one of the happiest of my life; the work of Chairman of the Railway was agreeable and interesting…’. After leaving the Foreign Office Grey resumed his directorship of the NER in 1917, and when the North Eastern Railway became part of the
London and North Eastern Railway The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) was the second largest (after LMS) of the " Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain. It operated from 1 January 1923 until nationalisation on 1 January 1948. At th ...
he became a director of that company, remaining in this position until 1933. At the Railway Centenary celebrations in July 1925, Grey accompanied the Duke and Duchess of York and presented them with silver models of the Stockton and Darlington Railway engine ''
Locomotion Locomotion means the act or ability of something to transport or move itself from place to place. Locomotion may refer to: Motion * Motion (physics) * Robot locomotion, of man-made devices By environment * Aquatic locomotion * Flight * Locomoti ...
'' and the passenger carriage ''Experiment''.


Senior Officers


General Managers

*
Thomas Elliot Harrison Thomas Elliot Harrison (4 April 1808 – 20 March 1888) was a British engineer. Born in Fulham, London, he was raised in the north east of England, where his father was a promoter of early railway companies; after an apprenticeship under William ...
1854 *Capt. William O’Brien 1854 – 1871 * Henry Tennant 1871 – 1891 * George Gibb 1891 – 1905 (Resigned) *
Alexander Kaye Butterworth Sir Alexander Kaye Butterworth (1854–1946) was the General Manager of the North Eastern Railway and also chairman of the Railway Executive during the First World War. He was the father of the composer George Butterworth (1885–1916) Person ...
1906 – 1921 (Retired) * Ralph Lewis Wedgewood 1922 whole year (then appointed Chief General Manager LNER)


Deputy General Managers

*Philip Burtt 1905 – 1911 *
Eric Campbell Geddes Sir Eric Campbell Geddes (26 September 1875 – 22 June 1937) was a British businessman and Conservative politician. With a background in railways, he served as head of Military Transportation on the Western Front, with the rank of major-ge ...
1912 – 1915 (To Director General of Munitions Supply) *Ralph Lewis Wedgwood – to 31/12/1921


Secretaries

*Capt. William O’Brien 1854 – 1856 (Also General Manager, see above) *John Cleghorn 1856 – 1870 (Retired) *Christopher Newman Wilkinson 1871 – 1903 *Ralph Lewis Wedgewood 1904 – 1905 * Robert Francis Dunnell 1905 – 1922


General Passenger Superintendents / Superintendents of the Line

*Alexander William Crow Christison 1856 – 1890 *William Blackadder Johnson 1890 – 1891 (died in office) *John Welburn 1891 – 1892 (Post renamed Superintendent of the Line): *John Welburn 1892 – 1897 *Philip Burtt 1897 – 1900 *Henry Angus Watson 1900 – 1902 (Post then divided between General Superintendent - Henry Angus Watson - & Chief Passenger Agent) The above list only covers the most senior officers of the company and its passenger department. Further lists covering the officers in the Engineering, Locomotive and Docks departments will be summarised here as they appear.


Operating Divisions

The Northern and Southern Divisions were established for operating and engineering purposes on the creation of the NER in 1854. When the merger with the
Stockton and Darlington Railway The Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) was a railway company that operated in north-east England from 1825 to 1863. The world's first public railway to use steam locomotives, its first line connected collieries near Shildon with Darl ...
took place in 1863 their lines became the ‘Darlington Section’ until 1873, and then the Central Division. In 1888 the boundaries were altered to remove anomalies; for example, the former
Clarence Railway The Clarence Railway was an early railway company that operated in north-east England between 1833 and 1853. The railway was built to take coal from mines in County Durham to ports on the River Tees and was a competitor to the Stockton and Darli ...
routes became part of the Central Division. The engineering and purchasing autonomy of the three divisions brought about diverging styles of infrastructure. In 1899 it was decided to abolish the Central Division and its area was divided between the Northern and Southern Divisions.


Electrified lines

The NER was one of the first main line rail companies in Britain to adopt
electric traction A railway electrification system supplies electric power to railway trains and trams without an on-board prime mover or local fuel supply. Electric railways use either electric locomotives (hauling passengers or freight in separate cars), ele ...
, the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway having opened its first electrified line between Liverpool and Southport one week earlier.


Tyneside

The Tyneside scheme commenced public operation on 29 March 1904. The scheme was known as Tyneside Electrics and totalled about 30 miles:Harmsworth (1921) *Newcastle Central via Wallsend, Whitley Bay, Gosforth and New Bridge Street (the Newcastle terminus of the former Blyth & Tyne Railway) *Heaton to Benton, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Benton or Backworth via the East Coast Main Line *Riverside Branch from Byker to Percy Main *Newcastle Quayside Branch The last-named was electrically operated from June 1905 and was a 3/4 mile freight-only line from Trafalgar Yard, Manors railway station, Manors to Newcastle Quayside Yard. Further extensions taking the electrification to South Shields were carried out in March 1938 by the
London and North Eastern Railway The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) was the second largest (after LMS) of the " Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain. It operated from 1 January 1923 until nationalisation on 1 January 1948. At th ...
The lines were originally electrified at 600 V DC using the Third rail, 3rd rail system, although after 1934 the operating voltage was raised to 630 V DC. On the Newcastle Quayside Branch overhead line of tramway type was used for upper and lower yards (to avoid the danger of shunters and other staff coming into contact with live rails) with 3rd rail in the interconnecting tunnels between the yards.


Newport-Shildon

The Newport-Shildon line was electrified on the 1,500 V DC overhead system between 1914 and 1916 and the locomotives which later became British Rail Class EF1 were used on this section.


Traffic

The NER carried a larger tonnage of mineral and coal traffic than any other principal railway. The NER was a partner (with the North British Railway, North British and the Great Northern Railway) in the East Coast Joint Stock operation from 1860.


Signalling

The signalling of the NER and its constituent companies in the 1850s and 1860s was, at best, average for the period (with the notable exception of the
Stockton and Darlington Railway The Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) was a railway company that operated in north-east England from 1825 to 1863. The world's first public railway to use steam locomotives, its first line connected collieries near Shildon with Darl ...
). Passenger traffic density and train speeds were generally low and, despite the absence of continuous brakes, train crews were usually able to pull up short of an obstruction. The time interval system was in widespread use, and the interlocking of points and signals was very rare. It was only after a spate of accidents (notably at Brockley Whins in 1870, see below), and mounting public pressure, that the NER began to adopt the Signalling block system, block system and interlocking. Once this decision had been taken, the company made reasonably speedy progress, aided by the scrutiny of the Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate, Railway Inspectorate (Board of Trade) whose officers were supported by increasingly comprehensive legislation. The inception of block signalling in particular brought with it a large increase in manpower to operate and maintain the new equipment, along with the need for staff literacy. This was essential to enable compliance with a large number of new rules and regulations covering block working and the operation of the electric telegraph. In the last years of the Nineteenth Century a combination of changes began to drive modernisation of the signalling systems in the north-east of England. The track layouts installed in the 1870s were no longer adequate to handle the increased traffic and the signalling equipment was worn out or becoming obsolete. Longer and heavier trains were running, often at higher speeds; electricity was playing an increasing role, and finally the managers of Britain’s railways were becoming aware of the radical changes by which the railways in the United States were improving revenues, productivity and safety. The NER made several bold moves towards automatic and power signalling, but these did not always bring the benefits hoped for. By the end of its independent existence the North Eastern Railway had one of the most advanced signal systems of the LNER constituent companies – the Great Central was also well-equipped – and the progressive attitude of the signal engineers continued to make itself felt in the North Eastern Area of the new company. Despite this, features dating back to the mid- Nineteenth Century remained in use, such as slotted-post semaphore signals and rotating board signals. By 1910 about 1,150 block signal cabins controlled the NER network, along with numerous other signalling installations at level crossings and isolated sidings.


Accidents and incidents

*On 6 December 1870, a collision between two trains at Brockley Whins,
County Durham County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly â€About North East E ...
killed five people. The accident was caused by a lack of interlocking between points and signals, and is generally viewed as having persuaded the NER board to adopt the Signalling block system, block system and interlocking. *In 1870, a freight train overran signals and collided with a
London and North Western Railway The London and North Western Railway (LNWR, L&NWR) was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. In the late 19th century, the L&NWR was the largest joint stock company in the United Kingdom. In 1923, it became a constituent of the Lo ...
passenger train at St. Nicholas Crossing, Carlisle, Cumberland. Five people were killed. The driver of the freight was intoxicated. *On 27 July 1875, the boiler of a locomotive exploded at station, Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, Yorkshire. : *On 25 March 1877, an express passenger train was derailed at ,
Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...
due to excessive speed on a curve. Five people were killed and seventeen were injured. *In 1877,the boiler of a locomotive exploded at , North Riding of Yorkshire, Yorkshire. *On 10 August 1880, an express passenger train hauled by a NER locomotive was derailed on the
North British Railway The North British Railway was a British railway company, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1844, with the intention of linking with English railways at Berwick. The line opened in 1846, and from the outset the company followe ...
near Berwick upon Tweed,
Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...
due to defective track. Three people were killed. *On 25 October 1887, a freight train overran signals at , Northumberland and was in a head-on collision with a locomotive that was shunting. That locomotive and its wagons were pushed into a stationary passenger train. *In 1890, a freight train was derailed on the Redheugh Incline, Gateshead,
County Durham County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly â€About North East E ...
. : *On 2 November 1892, an express passenger train was in a rear-end collision with a freight train at , North Riding of Yorkshire, Yorkshire due to errors by the driver of the freight train and a signalman. The latter had fallen asleep on the night shift after spending his rest day searching for medical help for his infant daughter. Ten people were killed and 43 were injured. *On 4 November 1894, a sleeping car train overran signals and collided with a freight train that was being shunted at Castle Hills, North Riding of Yorkshire, Yorkshire. One person was killed. *On 5 November 1900, a freight train ran away and was derailed by trap points at Lingdale Junction, North Riding of Yorkshire, Yorkshire. *On 4 July 1901, a freight train was unable to stop and ran off the end of a siding at , County Durham. *On 27 June 1905, a freight train was derailed at Wallsend,
Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...
. *On 24 November 1906, a passenger train overran signals and ran into the rear of a freight train at , East Riding of Yorkshire, Yorkshire. *On 26 March 1907, a passenger train was derailed by heat buckled track at Felling, Tyne and Wear, Felling, County Durham (now Tyne and Wear). Two people were killed and six were seriously injured. The accident could have been prevented as the signalman had been warned of the buckle by a member of the public but refused to heed the warning. *On 28 August 1907, a freight train overran signals and was derailed at ,
Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...
. Two people were killed and one was seriously injured. *On 8 October 1908, an overloaded freight train ran away and crashed into goods wagons at , North Riding of Yorkshire, Yorkshire. *On 29 May 1909, a freight train was derailed at Skinningrove, North Riding of Yorkshire, Yorkshire due to subsidence of the trackbed. *On 8 August 1909, a freight train was derailed at Hartley, Cumberland due to the track buckling in the heat of the sun. *On 15 November 1910, an express freight train overran signals and was in a rear-end collision with a freight train at , County Durham. *On 15 December 1911, a freight train was derailed at Lartington, north Riding of Yorkshire, Yorkshire due to the driver braking too sharply. During recovery operations, a rail-mounted crane overturned. *On 17 December 1915, a passenger train collided with a light engine at St Bede's Junction, Tyne Dock. The light engine had been overlooked by the signalman. An empty carriage train travelling in the opposite direction then ran into the wreckage. The wooden carriages were gas-lit and caught fire; 17 people died and 81 were injured. *On 3 March 1916, an empty stock train was in a rear-end collision with an electric multiple unit at station, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland. Forty-nine people were injured. *On 15 September 1917, a set of carriages ran away from and was derailed. Three people were killed. *On 11 August 1918, the carriage sheds at Heaton, Newcastle were destroyed by fire, as were 34 carriages forming a number of NER electric units. *On 14 February 1920, two freight trains were involved in a head-on collision at Skelton, Yorkshire. *On 31 March 1920, a passenger train was derailed at station. *On 22 October 1921, Petrol Inspection Saloon No. 3768 was destroyed by fire at York station.


Docks

The company owned the following docks: *Hull Dock Company, The Hull Docks Company (Queens dock, Humber Dock, Railway Dock, Victoria dock, Albert dock, William Wright Dock, St Andrews dock): acquired 1893. Dealt with a large variety of cargoes, including coal exports, grain, seed, and imports of timber and fruit **King George V Dock, Hull, King George Dock (opened 1914) – jointly operated with the
Hull and Barnsley Railway Hull may refer to: Structures * Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship * Submarine hull Mathematics * Affine hull, in a ...
.The Dock was used by the List of Northumberland Fusiliers battalions in World War I#17th (Service) Battalion (N.E.R. Pioneers), 17th (NER Pioneer) Battalion,
Northumberland Fusiliers The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Raised in 1674 as one of three 'English' units in the Dutch Anglo-Scots Brigade, it accompanied William III to England in the November 1688 Glorious Revolution an ...
as a base during its formation in 1915. *Hartlepool Docks: acquired as part of the West Hartlepool Harbour & Railway in 1865. Major imports of Scandinavian timber (including pit props for coal mines): coal exports from the south Durham coalfield *Tyne Dock: opened by the NER in 1859. Major coal export terminal; also chemicals and grain exports. Imports including iron ore and Esparto, esparto grass for paper manufacture. *Middlesbrough Dock: Opened in 1842 by the
Stockton and Darlington Railway The Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) was a railway company that operated in north-east England from 1825 to 1863. The world's first public railway to use steam locomotives, its first line connected collieries near Shildon with Darl ...
. Iron and steel exports; and a worldwide trade in other goods. The NER also owned coal-shipping wharf, staithes at Blyth, Northumberland, Blyth and Dunston-on-Tyne. The numerous other coal export staiths on the Tyne, the Wear and at Seaham were owned by the colliery companies or the river improvement commissioners. Wilson's & North Eastern Railway Shipping Co. Ltd steamers ran between Hull and Antwerp, Ghent and Dunkirk.Harmsworth (1921) One tug, HM Tug Char, Stranton, used at West Hartlepool Dock was requisitioned by the Admiralty during the First World War but was lost at sea in January 1915.


Locomotives

A comprehensive list of NER locomotives: Locomotives of the North Eastern Railway.


Coaching stock

The NER originally operated with short four and six wheeled coaches with a fixed wheelbase. From these were developed the standard six-wheeled, low elliptical roofed coaches which were built in their thousands around the 1880s. One variety alone, the diagram 15, five compartment, full 3rd class, numbered around a thousand. The NER started building bogie stock for general service use in 1894, clerestories for general use with a variation built for use on the tightly curved line from Malton, North Yorkshire, Malton to Whitby. There were also a series of low ark roofed bogie coaches (with birdcage brakes) for use on the coast line north of Scarborough, North Yorkshire, Scarborough. Coach manufacture moved to high arched roof vehicles but with substantially the same body design in the early 1900s. The NER had limited need for vestibuled coaches but from 1900 built a series of vestibuled, corridor coaches with British Standard gangways, for their longer distance services. The company introduced clerestory corridor dining trains on services between London and Edinburgh. The initial trial was run between York and Newcastle in 1 hour 30 minutes on 30 July 1900. The new train consisted of eight coaches and was long (excluding the engine), and had seating for 50 first-class and 211 third-class passengers. At the same time they built (in conjunction with their partners) similar coaches for the East Coast Joint Stock (Great Northern Railway (Great Britain), GNR/NER/North British Railway, NBR) and the Great Northern and North Eastern Joint Stock. All NER coach building was concentrated at their York Carriage Works, which went on to be the main
LNER LNER may refer to: *London and North Eastern Railway, a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1923 until 1947 *London North Eastern Railway, a train operating company in the United Kingdom since 2018 * Liquid neutral earthing resistor, a type ...
carriage works after Railways Act 1921, grouping. With the introduction of the standard 6-wheeled coaches NER carriage livery was standardised as 'deep crimson' (a deeper colour with more blue in it than that used by the Midland Railway), lined with cream edged on both sides with a thin vermillion line. For a time the cream was replaced with gold leaf. Lettering ('N.E.R.' or when there was sufficient space 'North Eastern Railway' in full, together with 'First', 'Third' and 'Luggage Compt.' on the appropriate door) and numbering; was in strongly serifed characters, blocked and shaded to give a 3D effect. The NER's bogie coach building programme was such that, almost unique amongst pre-grouping railways, they had sufficient bogie coaches to cover normal service trains; six wheel coaches were reserved for strengthening and excursion trains.


See also

*
North Eastern Railway War Memorial The North Eastern Railway War Memorial is a First World War memorial in York in northern England. It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens to commemorate employees of the North Eastern Railway (NER) who left to fight in the First World War and we ...
, memorial to the company's employees killed in the First World War, located outside its former head office in York


References


Sources

* *British Railway Electrics (Ian Allan, 1960 edition) * *Cook, R.A. & Hoole, K. (1991) ''North Eastern Railway Historical Maps''. Railway & Canal Historical Society. * *
North Eastern Railway
at LNER Encyclopedia

at Steam Index. Notes on locomotive classes with references to appropriate publications. *Railway Magazine February & March 1923 editions *Railway Year Book for 1912 (Railway Publishing Company) * Reprinted as ''Tomlinson's North Eastern Railway''. Newton Abbot: David and Charles, 1967.


Further reading

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links


''North Eastern Railway Association''
{{Authority control North Eastern Railway (UK), British companies established in 1854 Railway companies established in 1854 Pre-grouping British railway companies London and North Eastern Railway constituents