What's your favourite British Railway Company?

[rjhowie]

Should be interesting to see what comes of this?

 

[itareus]

"Light the blue touchpaper and retire........" comes to mind.

I'll stick my neck out and say British Railways, and that coming from a third generation GWR man that is akin to heresy!

Got to go now, there's a policeman knocking at my door, funny thing is he's wearing a very old fashioned uniform.

 

[Bill69]

Well when I was younger, much younger, I lived in Falkirk. Closer to Grahamston station than Falkirk High, near the Falkirk - Stirling line, I was always keen on railways, in the earlier days LNER but later BR, cant remember when the liveries changed but it was a while after the BR nationalisation.
My folks owned a trucking business there but that was nationalised too.

Cheers,
Bill69

 

[captainkman]

My favourite Brirish railway other than British Rail itself is the LNER. (London & North Eastern Railway) I like Gresley's Pacifics, especially the A3.

 

[Vern]

British Rail(ways) but if I had to select a favourite pre-Nationalisation company it would be the LMS.

 

[lewisner]

British Rail but other than that the North Eastern Railway.

 

[Atlantis27]

LNER, followed by one of it's constituents, the Great Central.

 

[Stationbeem]

For me it has to be L.N.E.R (London and Nearly Everywhere Railway).

 

[rjhowie]

I have a sneaking admiration for the GWR ("God's Wonderful Railway"!) even though I live in the centre of the universe in Glasgow.

The old Scots companies that existed until forced into the big four in 1922 are of special interest. The Caledonian, North British, Glasgow & South Western, Highland and the wee Great North of Scotland. It was oft said that when you arrived in Aberdeen and made your way to the GNRofS the staff had a crabby delight in waving your connection away! BR was an interlude for me and although First Scotrail has much improved things here since BR, I have a sneaking admiration for the one "State Railway" left over in the modern back to private days - the N.I.R. which I am presently building. Small company but done an admiral job in what was left of the most heavily cut place in Dr Beeching days (from near 900 miles to around 215 today). Two or so years ago it won the Best Train Company Award,

 

[IsambardKingdomBrunel]

GWR\BR-WR, although as Stanier was a "swindon works man". I do have a liking for the LMS.

 

[pfx]

I'm too young to remember pre-BR days by some 30 years or so and I'm not a massive steam fan.

I still love all the stink and dirt of 70s/80s BR and all its infrastructure, slam doors, awful tea, platform tickets and all.

My favourite operator was GNER (brilliant company in my opinion and well worth the £50 1st Apex from Edinburgh to London) who successfully provided the ECML service until 2007.

 

[tdstead]

GWR broad gauge days, the trains just look great in God's Wounderful Railway times.

I have to agree the railays on the Isle of Wight were nice and did like them

Must also say I like the Railways of Ireland, (Thread should have been railways of the UK)

Tom

 

[Paulsw2]

BR - LMS - Great Central, in that order.

Paul

EDIT: actually, thinking about it, perhaps we ought to break down the question at the top of this thead into three parts:
1. which era of British Railways?
2. which one of the Big Four?
3. which pre-Grouping company?

I refer back to my earlier answer, above!

 

[lewisner]

GWR = Great Way Round.

LNER = Late & Never Early Railway.

LMSR = Long Muddled & Slow Railway.

 

[captainkman]

GWR = Great Way Round.

LNER = Late & Never Early Railway.

LMSR = Long Muddled & Slow Railway.

GWR = God's Worst Railway

LNER = Long and Never Ending Railway (Means it reaches all of England)

LMSR = Luxurious Mountainous Scenic Railway

SR = Sea Railway

 

[IsambardKingdomBrunel]

LNER = Long and Never Ending Railway (Means it reaches all of England)

I doubt it as i could name half a dozen areas of engerland where the LNER never reached.

 

[amigacooke]

Has to be the Freshwater, Yarmouth and Newport Railway one of the several small companies that built lines on the Isle of Wight.

 

[captainkman]

I doubt it as i could name half a dozen areas of engerland where the LNER never reached.

Yeah, I know. I just would like to imagine so as it is my favourite pre-nationalisation railway. I like Gresley's Pacifics, especially the A3.

 

[BLACKWATCH]

LNER with the LMS running a close second.

 

[themnax]

festiniog, welch highlands, tallylin, et al.

if it runs on narrow rails and carries passengers, i love it, no matter what part of the planet, or even what planet or what era.