The 12:08 service to...

[Devvy]

The 12:08 service to...
An alternative British Rail timeline

Hey....this is take two. Probably like a fair few others, when I was still an ultra newb on the board I got carried away with illusions of writing a TL, not really realising the amount of background info you need, researching, planning, and of course writing, and so my first attempt died a *very* quick death!

So take two, I've taken something to write about which I...a) have a boyhood fascination about and b) know a fair bit about.

In 1955 British Rail published their Modernisation Plan - a plan to renovate a rail network that had been worked to the maximum during the Second World War, and then subsequently starved of investment. However, BR didn't anticipate - or perhaps read the signs - that the rail market was changing. The Modernisation Plan spent over £1,000,000,000 of money at the time. The results put into motion a run of events that would result in the shutting down of roughly a third of the rail network (causing the cutting off of numerous towns from the network), and a soured relationship with the Government & Treasury - something that would haunt BR for the rest of it's days.

How different would the railways in Great Britain be if the 1955 Modernisation Plan had called for some different priorities, which played into BR's hands a bit better.....

 

[Meadow]

Consider me subscribed and absolutely hooked already.

You seem to know your stuff, so I shan't patronise you, but was not the Cycling Lion still in use in 1955? I'm sure you're just using the later emblem because it's more iconic. (can you tell I'm into British Rail too?)

 

[Devvy]

Personal Diary: Walter Rose
December 1954

Had a top level meeting of the Ministry of Transport & Civil Aviation today with the rest of the board. British Rail management also attended in order to officially present their proposal and submissions into the modernisation of British Rail. They make an interesting case - thankfully for them the Government clearly wants action taken over the dreadful state that the BR network runs, and are willing to invest in the rail network in order to make change happen.

It seems like only yesterday that British Rail came into existence under Atlee. And now they want a large amount of money to invest in the network.

Times have changed though I guess....coal that was the lifeblood of the country is now starting to give way to foreign imports of oil. Although BR want to electrify huge swathes of the railways as well. I can't really see the benefit myself; all we are doing is swapping oil or coal burning in the train for burning it in a power station and then paying for a large electrical distribution network as well. BR should be thankful I'm not the Minister who seemed a lot more enthusiastic then myself about the ideas then I was. BR are also lucky they have such an articulate director as Sir Brian Robertson from the BTC as well.

In essence, they want millions of pounds in order to electrify large swathes of the rail network, they want to purchase large fleets of new diesel and electric locomotives in order to replace their current steam fleet and close some lines.

Questioned them later about their plans for freight - the BR management nicely glossed over the fact that rail freight is consistently dropping. Hardly suprising when road transport offers a quick and efficient door to door option. The Minister agreed with me on that - it seems absurd to spend such grandiose sums of money on huge freight yards if will sit quiet.

I don't expect the public will hear much of this for a few months. I always think it's a slightly weird situation that privately the Government's response is largely made up here and now, but in public it will sit and formulate a response for the next few months.


Notes:
- Walter Rose is just a fictional character, someone to help shed some light on what is going on as I start...there's a fair bit of groundwork to lay.

 

[Devvy]

Consider me subscribed and absolutely hooked already.

You seem to know your stuff, so I shan't patronise you, but was not the Cycling Lion still in use in 1955? I'm sure you're just using the later emblem because it's more iconic. (can you tell I'm into British Rail too?)

Erm yeah....that's a stupid gaff by me. Just because I think the double arrows are iconicly awesome too

Thank you - correcting now!

 

[Meadow]

Erm yeah....that's a stupid gaff by me. Just because I think the double arrows are iconicly awesome too

Thank you - correcting now!

Happy to help, and while I'm at it - Rose's diary is compelling and intriguing, but he wouldn't be talking about British Rail in 1955. It was known officially and unofficially as British Railways until 1965.

So, freight gets shafted while electrification potentially gets a heftier push? I'm listening. If you keep steam around longer I'll love you forever, but something tells me that isn't where this is headed.

 

[Devvy]

Happy to help, and while I'm at it - Rose's diary is compelling and intriguing, but he wouldn't be talking about British Rail in 1955. It was known officially and unofficially as British Railways until 1965.

So, freight gets shafted while electrification potentially gets a heftier push? I'm listening. If you keep steam around longer I'll love you forever, but something tells me that isn't where this is headed.

That's one of the reasons I kept it as a diary entry - it means some abbreviations can be put down to diary shorthand slang

BR back in the 1950s isn't really my strongest point hence the Rail typo, but I think it's a prime root of where BR inherited a lot of it's problems from so it's a bit of catch up for me. And I'm only 28 so the "love of steam" is sadly lost on me - I find fast sleek electric boxes amazing, but steam still has it's part to play

Right...sleep beckons....

 

[Lord Brisbane]

Subscribed.

The main problem with the '55 plan was that many of the new diesel designs were taken straight from the drawing board, and proved to be crap. If they took a little longer and either ordered some prototypes first or took existing designs, then so much could have been better.

I think however dieselisation is inevitable, firstly to reduce costs and staffing numbers (actually how long did it take for BR to move towards Driver Only Operations?)

 

[Devvy]

1956 Government White Paper, summarising the BR Modernisation Plan:

1) The track and signalling must be improved to make higher speeds possible over trunk routes, and to provide for better utilisation of the physical assets; there will be an extended use of colour-light signalling, track circuits and automatic train control, the further introduction of power-operated signal boxes, and the installation of centralised traffic control where conditions are suitable; and the extended use of modern
telecommunication services - £250 million

2) Steam must be replaced as a form of motive power, electric or diesel traction being rapidly introduced as may be most suitable in the
light of the development of the Plan over the years; this will involve the electrification of large mileages of route, and the introduction of several thousand electric or diesel locomotives - £400 million

3) Much of the existing steam-drawn passenger rolling stock must be replaced; largely by multiple-unit electric or diesel trains; the remaining passenger rolling stock, which will be drawn by locomotives (whether electric, diesel or steam), must be modernised; the principal passenger stations and parcels depots will also require considerable expenditure - £300 million

4) The freight services must be addressed. Continuous brakes will be fitted to freight wagons, which will lead to faster and smoother operation of freight traffic; goods terminal facilities will be updated where appropriate, and in particular the number of marshalling yards will be greatly reduced - £150 million

5) Expenditure will be required on sundry other items, including improvements at the packet ports, staff welfare, office mechanisms, etc.; and a sum of at least £25 million for development and research work will be associated with the Plan - £50 million

Making a grand total of: £1,150 million

BR freight service by steam on the Great Central Main Line, mid 1950s

BR EM1 Sheffield bound freight service at Penistone, mid 1950s

------------------------


Personal Letter
<unknown> 1956

Ernest,

The Government are eventually publishing their white paper today - Sir Robertson is a capable orator and persuader. Eden has even been sold on the plan and gave it his rubber stamp in the end. Huge suburban electrification works to happen in (eastern) London and Glasgow. In London it is the Great Eastern Main Line and London, Tilbury & Southend Railway, and Kings Cross suburban lines that are going to be electrified.

Full electrification of the East Coast Main Line, West Coast Main Line and Great Central Main Line? At least the last one makes some sense, as part of the line is already properly electrified between Manchester & Sheffield. There were some limitations we got added in though - the WCML is only to be electrified as far as Manchester & Liverpool instead of Glasgow, and likewise the ECML will only be electrified as far as Newcastle.

Suprisingly sensibly though, BR are phasing out steam. The Clean Air legislation the Government is passing will make it near on impossible to run huge quantities of steam trains as we have in the past, especially into London. The air is obnoxious enough as it is with all the steam fumes, especially in the areas around Shoreditch and Finsbury Park.

I'm not really too sure what to make of the Government's move on freight. On one hand, it appears they've rightly dictated a move away from work as normal...local traffic is much better suited to use road transport as we both know, but there is some investment still occuring in the larger freight yards around big cities. Why not just close the lot down and save the money? They originally wanted large scale investment in huge numbers of freight and marshalling yards, but I guess as this represents such a significant climb-down the Government is willing to give them the rope. We'll see if they hang themselves with it.

Look forward to seeing you next month anyway.

Best regards,

Walter



------------
Notes
1) The Grand Central Main Line section through the Pennines between Sheffield and Manchester was electrified by the LNER and finished by BR, finishing in 1955.
2) The figures quotes differ from the OTL Modernisation Plan. Significantly less here is spent on 4) (freight), but more on electrification as more main lines are planned to be electrified and a bit more on research and development.

 

[Devvy]

Subscribed.

The main problem with the '55 plan was that many of the new diesel designs were taken straight from the drawing board, and proved to be crap. If they took a little longer and either ordered some prototypes first or took existing designs, then so much could have been better.

I think however dieselisation is inevitable, firstly to reduce costs and staffing numbers (actually how long did it take for BR to move towards Driver Only Operations?)

Agreed - steam will inevitably die out at some point, but BR's introduction of replacements left a lot to be desired.

 

[Basileus Giorgios]

Erm yeah....that's a stupid gaff by me. Just because I think the double arrows are iconicly awesome too

Thank you - correcting now!

Consider me subscribed and absolutely hooked already.

You seem to know your stuff, so I shan't patronise you, but was not the Cycling Lion still in use in 1955? I'm sure you're just using the later emblem because it's more iconic. (can you tell I'm into British Rail too?)

Guys- I'm reasonably sure that the Cycling Lion was in use until 1956, being replaced by the symbol that's currently on the thread in that year, which remained the official symbol until 1965, when double arrows and Corporate Blue came in. Meadow's right to say that, pre 1965, it's British Railways, not British Rail.

Interesting to see the GC gets electrified, does this mean BR will be ordering more EM2 (TOPS class 77) locomotives? The design's quite outdated by the mid 1950s, but this is cash-strapped Britain, still.

I'll be looking out particularly for the development of rail travel in the North West, where I suspect a lot of the extensive network will get the chop. Be interested to see if the ex Lancashire and Yorkshire electrification around Liverpool gets extended here, and linked up. Third rail EMU's in the north west to replace regular electrification?

Look forward to more!

 

[Basileus Giorgios]

The main problem with the '55 plan was that many of the new diesel designs were taken straight from the drawing board, and proved to be crap. If they took a little longer and either ordered some prototypes first or took existing designs, then so much could have been better.

Also, the desire to subsidise British companies (particularly Glasgow based North British) hobbled the programme somewhat. Whilst Preston-based English Electric was fine, North British products were universally awful.

Which has echoes in the modern debate in Britain about building trains in Derby at Bombardier...

 

[Meadow]

Guys- I'm reasonably sure that the Cycling Lion was in use until 1956, being replaced by the symbol that's currently on the thread in that year, which remained the official symbol until 1965, when double arrows and Corporate Blue came in. Meadow's right to say that, pre 1965, it's British Railways, not British Rail.

Interesting to see the GC gets electrified, does this mean BR will be ordering more EM2 (TOPS class 77) locomotives? The design's quite outdated by the mid 1950s, but this is cash-strapped Britain, still.

I'll be looking out particularly for the development of rail travel in the North West, where I suspect a lot of the extensive network will get the chop. Be interested to see if the ex Lancashire and Yorkshire electrification around Liverpool gets extended here, and linked up. Third rail EMU's in the north west to replace regular electrification?

Look forward to more!

Yes. Cycling Lion is different to 'Lion and Wheel' or 'Ferret and Spinning Wheel' as the less charitable call it. Cycling Lion was better IMO, it always faced direction of travel thanks to it facing different ways on the opposite sides of tenders.

 

[Devvy]

Thanks for the comments! One other thing I want to take a quick look at before we chew too much further on is the London Underground, as although it's not BR it does play a role in how BR conducts it's business in and around London.

Interesting to see the GC gets electrified, does this mean BR will be ordering more EM2 (TOPS class 77) locomotives? The design's quite outdated by the mid 1950s, but this is cash-strapped Britain, still.

Well I think after the obvious candidates of the WCML and ECML for electrification (and both of them were slated for electrifying in the 55 report, despite the ECML not being done until the 1980s), the 3rd choice would logically be the GCML. It's partly electrified already as we stated, and the line itself it very conducive to running express trains and freight over as it doesn't interface with many lines as it runs between Sheffield and London but has central stations in Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester. Most expresses from the East Midlands ran via the Midland Main Line (and still do OTL), but they would be easy to switch over given the advantages. As for the EM2, given the time taken to electrify 3 main lines, it depends if it is still in operation when the route is done.

I'll be looking out particularly for the development of rail travel in the North West, where I suspect a lot of the extensive network will get the chop. Be interested to see if the ex Lancashire and Yorkshire electrification around Liverpool gets extended here, and linked up. Third rail EMU's in the north west to replace regular electrification?

The network across Yorkshire and Lancashire is unavoidably going to pruned at some point - there's so much duplication....and well it looks like a mess of spaghetti quite frankly. I don't think anyone then or now could reasonably argue for the status quo at that point.

Also, the desire to subsidise British companies (particularly Glasgow based North British) hobbled the programme somewhat. Whilst Preston-based English Electric was fine, North British products were universally awful.

Which has echoes in the modern debate in Britain about building trains in Derby at Bombardier...

Aye - English Electric seem to of produced some decent stuff. Bombardier might still get the Crossrail tender though. Would be the political escape out of that conundrum.

Yes. Cycling Lion is different to 'Lion and Wheel' or 'Ferret and Spinning Wheel' as the less charitable call it. Cycling Lion was better IMO, it always faced direction of travel thanks to it facing different ways on the opposite sides of tenders.

Cycling Lion is OK, I prefer the dragony thing now at the top of the thread. It's rather regal with the crown and everything. But the double headed arrows still come top for me - simple, iconic and instantly recognisable.

 

[Bernard Woolley]

Aye - English Electric seem to of produced some decent stuff.

'Some'? That's quite an understatement!
Just look at some of the things they built, the Class 55 is an icon of diesel traction and locos like the Class 08/09 and the Class 20 and 37 are still in revenue earning service, and that's without mentioning their AC electric locos.

 

[Devvy]

'Some'? That's quite an understatement!
Just look at some of the things they built, the Class 55 is an icon of diesel traction and locos like the Class 08/09 and the Class 20 and 37 are still in revenue earning service, and that's without mentioning their AC electric locos.

Being British and chronically understating things go hand in hand!

I quite agree about those, and I'd also add the 86 as the prime AC loco by EE.

 

[trekchu]

While I remember EE more for stuff that goes faster and higher than any train, I must call El Pip to this. We have this ongoing running joke where I say that nationalized Railways and essential services are a good thing and he objects to that.

 

[Nebogipfel]

The 12:08 service to...
An alternative British Rail timeline
.....

What ? A TL without vast piles of corpses ??

Excellent.

Subscribed.

 

[Astrodragon]

What ? A TL without vast piles of corpses ??

.

You're not a commuter on BR, are you....

 

[Basileus Giorgios]

Bombardier might still get the Crossrail tender though. Would be the political escape out of that conundrum.

Indeed, though Bombardier have the habit of producing expensive and unreliable trains, that they then deliver late- and then moan about not being selected for contracts. I don't have a vast amount of sympathy with the company, though the members of staff are of course another matter.

Anyway, I digress. Let's see what happens.

 

[Bernard Woolley]

Being British and chronically understating things go hand in hand!

I quite agree about those, and I'd also add the 86 as the prime AC loco by EE.

Ah, well, can't blame you for understatement. Btw I will consider any TL that doesn't have the iconic EE locos as a dystopia.

Trekchu,
Yes, I know that EE are perhaps better known for the Canberra and Lightning. I always think that they have their counterparts in the locos - the Canberra was the Class 37, a long lived design that did it's job without too much fanfare, but an excellent job; the Lightning was the Class 55, a glamorous design known for being fast, glamorous and complex to maintain.