Britains Big Four: The Story of the LMS, LNE, GW, and Southern Railways - Horace Greenleaf

Britains Big Four: The Story of the London Midland and Scottish, London and North Eastern, Great Western, and Southern Railways - Horace Greenleaf

The Big Four Railway Groups before Nationalisation in 1947. The Big Four will always remain a romantic memory. History of what were once Britain's "Big Four" railways, written in 1948 at the height of the steam era. Covers the Southern, the London, Midland and Scottish, the London and North Eastern and the Great Western.
The book is meant to be an accessible yet thoroughly accurate history of the British rail system, telling how the permanent way was constructed, how locomotives and rolling stock are built and maintained, the battle over gauges, the workings of signals, timetables, restaurant cars, etc. -- all the parts that make up the whole system are explored in fascinating detail.

FOREWORD by Clarence Winchester Publisher
'In an introductory note to The Permanent Way, the story of the making of Britain's railways, by Horace Greenleaf and Guy Tyers, I made no apology for having gone beyond what may or may not be regarded as the proper function of a Publisher, and for having given the reader an insight into the conception of that book. Nor, again, do I feel that any further explanation of this present Foreword is necessary other than that of the fact that Railway Wonders of the World was issued under my Editorship (with Mr. Cecil J. Allen as Consulting Editor) some years before World War II.
Correspondence from readers continues to reach me because Railway Wonders of the World is still much used by railway enthusiasts, many of whom have from time to time asked if I intended to issue further volumes on railway activities. The result was firstly the publishing of The Permanent Way, by Horace Greenleaf and Guy Tyers, and secondly the issuing of the present volume, Britain's Big Four, by Mr. Greenleaf.
The nationalization of the railways, it may be contended, makes Britain's Big Four less apt as a title than it would have been before the railways became State controlled ; but to the genuine enthusiast the Big Four will always remain a romantic memory, and neither the authors nor I could favour any title that did not include recognition of that fact. '

Includes 5 color plates and over 120 black and white illustrations. With rosters and index.

    First Edition, with double-page coloured frontispiece, 4 coloured plates, numerous illustrations in sepia and map endpapers.
    Hard Cover. Red textured buckram with gilt titling and decoration to the spine that is very lightly sunned.
    See photographs for details.
    Spine ends and corners rubbed but worn but intact. Hinges intact.
    The text block is clean, bright, tight, white and square.
    Contents are clean and clear.
    No Dust Jacket.
    Hard Cover. Condition: Very Good to Fine.
    Published by Winchester Publications Ltd., London, 1948. First Edition.
    Binding Condition: Fine
    Overall Condition: Very Good to Fine.
    Size: octavo, 245 mm X 190 mm X 22 mm.
    228 pages.

A classic must have for the history and the nationalization of the railways.