NG lines taken over by the Big Four

On another forum someone posted they were sure that the Big Four all took over some NG lines at the Grouping (or presumably soon before/after). Apart from the GWR lines in Wales, and the Southern takeover of the L&B, it's tricky trying to find out what other lines (if any) were taken over. Excluding the Irish 3 foot lines, can anyone suggest other GB-based NG lines taken over by the Big Four?

 

Leek and Manifold operated by the LMS

 

Leek and Manifold - LMS

Steve B

 

beat you!

 

Cruden Bay Tramway - GNSR, later LNER - 3ft 6.5in gauge. Details -http://www.lner.info/locos/Electric/crudenbay.shtml. Not quite a narrow gauge railway but something new to me!

Steve B

 

The LNER had a sleeper works at Lowestoft with a 3' narrow gauge system that used locomotives. The NER did propose a narrow gauge line in the Beverley area but it wasn't built.

Sadly the Southwold Railway was somehow excluded from the grouping.

I appreciate they were excluded from the OP - but for info, the LMS's 3ft gauge narrow gauge lines in Ireland came through their ownership of the Northern Counties Committee (originally part of the Midland Railway). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Counties_Committee

I am not an expert on the Irish 3ft but the I lines I gather the NCC had were: -

• - Ballycastle Railway
• - Ballymena and Larne Railway
• - Ballymena, Cushendall and Red Bay Railway
• - Portstewart Tramway
• - County Donegal Railway Joint Committee: Strabane - Derry - section. This section of the line was owned by the NCC but operated by the CDRJC which the NCC jointly owned with the GNR(I).

 

Unfortunately for the Southwold Rly, it was still solvent at the grouping. The nearby, standard gauge, Mid-Suffolk Light was bankrupt and being operated by the Receiver by 1923 and as a result of pressure from the local MP and the relevant Parliamentary committee, the LNER was obliged, reluctantly, to take it on in 1924.

As a result, the M-SLR survived until 1952, whereas the Southwold went under in 1929, by which time the committee had been wound-up and the LNER was immune from political pressure.

An intriguing "what if" though.

 

The LMS had a couple of 2' guage Bagnalls for use on large civil engineering jobs.

 

Does the Burton and Ashby Light Railway count?

It was 3` 6" and a tramway but it does have the word "Railway" in its title!

Henry

 

What about the garden operation on the Eastern Region that supplied the hanging baskets? There was an internal rail (just about) system there until closure a few years ago

 

Plus, of course, The Nantlle Tramway. This horse powered line was inherited by the LMS from the LNWR and survived until 1963.

Cheers

Alan

 

the 3ft 6" Caldon low lime quarry system was operated first by the North Staffs railway then the LMS, closing in 1936
Cheers
Colin

 

Although the nursery (Poppleton?) existed pre nationalisation I think the rail system there wasn't installed until some time later in BR days.