For staff record cards, which contain summaries of employment, contact county record offices for each of the british rail regions as these. North british railway r class 440t built between 1880 and 1884, the elegant r class 440ts were drummonds last design for the nbr. In conjunction with this, railuk has also updated its album to include more trainspotter photos. The national archives also holds records of the british transport commission, british railways board and other bodies that managed the railways after 1947. National records of scotland nrs holds the largest written and pictorial archive of scottish. The records of manufacturing and supply companies may still be with the company or deposited with a local authority records office. As would be expected, it contains records relating to the north british railway and great north of scotland railway. Paper and digital copying available depending on terms of deposit national records of scotland also operates the scotlandspeople family history centre, providing access to digital images and indexes of scottish census returns and birth, marriage and death records. The north british railway company was established in 1844, and operated two pension funds for its staff.
Railway paperwork found detailing an aborted attempt on the. Most people interested in railways know that in 1938 the steam locomotive mallard created a new world steam record of 126mph on a special test train while descending stoke bank between grantham and. Edinburgh writer alexander mccall smith said this is a city of shifting light, of changing. Poster, north british railway and its communications, c1915. How virgin trains changed british railway travel itv news. Ellis on financial affairs, 18671878 963 letters on financial matters. North british railway list of stations with opening and closing dates from 1828 to 2003 acknowledgement this list is taken from a publication entitled north british railway register of stations routes and lines which was written by study group member david lindsay, who spent some considerable time researching the subject. Reaching glasgow by the existing mineral lines included the rails of the monkland and kirkintilloch railway. We hold the largest written and pictorial archive of scottish railway history. Railways and railway workers professions and occupations. During the 1850s and 1860s, the caledonian railway and the north british railway were locked in a bitter struggle for dominance of scottish railway industry. These include images of the construction of the forth rail bridge, a selection of which you can see below. The public time table book issued for 1 st may 1918 will remain in force on 1 st january 1919 and until further notice. For example, thomas taylor, age 26, a railway surfaceman is working for the n.
Staff records pieces 412, 4, 440, 442, 443, 471522 rail 397 london and north eastern railway company. This series comprises selfindexed volumes containing staff record sheets of employees who worked with the victorian railway traffictransportation branch. North british railway public time table 1 st february 1919 until further notice. Railway worker records go online who do you think you. Isambard kingdom brunel 18061859 william henry barlow 18121902 george stephenson 17811848 robert stephenson 18031859 iconic infrastructure. Vprs 537 employee history sheets, traffictransportation branch circa 1910 to 1926. British railways, former national railway system of great britain, created by the. Most records are prior to 1949, though some date later. It was established in 1844, with the intention of linking with english railways at berwick. For staff records of scottish railway companies, visit the national archives of scotland. Employment with the railways covered a large range of positions, including working as a driver, cleaner, engineer, draftsman, inspector, timekeeper, porter. In addition 12 page passenger service alterations january 1919. Little information is held on british railway staff working overseas, and there is no specific railway staff index to the surviving material.
The coach was withdrawn from service by british railways in december 1951, and would have been cut up if it had not been converted in 1957 for use as an inspection saloon for company officials. North british railway, blackston branch, at couston siding with linesmans hut, disused since the line closed in 1964 image. List of rail accidents in the united kingdom wikipedia. The bulk of the collection is made up of the records formerly held by the british transport records historical records department in edinburgh and passed to us by the terms of the transport act 1968 section 144 nrs reference br. North british railway public time table 1st february 1919.
However, while many books on genealogy confine themselves to discussing the available records, the first two sections of tracing your railway ancestors focus on the historical background, placing railway workers in the context of a rapidly changing industry. Rail uk homepage rail uk british railways 1823 2014. Edinburgh and hawick railway north british railway bruce mccartney 32017 carnforth. The north british railway study group was formed in 1978 by a group of enthusiasts keen to learn about and record the history of all aspects of the locomotives, rollingstock, infrastructure, people and operations of the north british railway, its. They were long lived, the last being scrapped by the lner in 1933. Opened by the north british railway in 1894 or 1895 its status has changed several times along with its official name. Mss notebooks listing alterations to the london and north western railway s locomotive fleet c 18901952 20057278, 7279 british rail. Railway workers records hit the web who do you think you. This was the north british s connection to the line to allow services to run south on what was to become the waverley route. The index records the name, position, date of appointment and page number. The industrial revolution changed the face of the uk and ireland. Photo gallery reaches 1 million views trainspotting photo album.
The railwaymans details have been extracted from his obituary in the british railways magazine of november 1949 vol 2 no 11 and from this we are able to learn such useful facts. North british railway timetable cover 1st july 1900. Media in category north british railway the following 12 files are in this category, out of 12 total. North eastern railway company, hull and barnsley railway company, and hull joint dock committee were dissolved and united into one company, by name north eastern railway company, as from 1st april 1922 by virtue of north eastern and hull and barnsley railway companies. In 1911 the fund was shown to be insolvent so a new scheme was set up, guaranteed by the company. The form glendouglas was also sometimes used, such as on the platform name. For staff records of railway companies in northern ireland, visit the public record office of northern ireland. Copies of testimony given in public hearings before the rail services planning office of the interstate commerce commission, 197475, with. A conventional border of laurel and oak surrounds the tablet. A mailing list for anyone with a genealogical interest in the 125th london cycle regiment during world war i and those ancestors who served in this regiment. The records of thousands of rail employees from across durham, northumberland and tyneside are included. The records of manufacturing and supply companies may still be with the company or deposited with a local authority records.
The archive was transferred to the national railway museum in july 1990. North british railway company war imperial war museums. The north british railway s edinburgh waverley station, 20th july 19. They undertook various duties, hauling suburban passenger, and mainline stopping and branchline trains. The line opened in 1846 and provided a service between berwick and edinburgh with a branch between longniddry and haddington, east lothian, scotland. Engineering as a career at the north british locomotive co ltd, glasgow, north british locomotive company, 1950. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways. For details of people employed by privately run railway companies operating since railway privatisation in 1994, and employed by these companies since 1 april 1994, contact. Researching william white, gwr langport ernest james walter.
Watt joined the north british railway in 1876, and drove one of the 185 class on goods trains across the first tay bridge and later generally over the system, retiring in about 1923. It was the thirdlargest railway system based in northern england after the midland and north eastern railways. Fourfoot and sixfoot in inquest report railway staff magazines hutchison north british railway. The university of guelphs scottish collection is one of the finest in the world. The railway has always created large quantities of records and over the years they have also been deposited in archives and museums across the country.
There was a considerable turnout from the caledonian railway society and the north british railway study group, to pay their last respects to a man who is mourned and will be greatly missed. Railway workers records released off the rails trace railway ancestors before beechings axe. The first railway staff magazines, the south western gazette and great western railway magazine and temperance union record, appeared in 1881 and 1888 respectively. Nottingham loco department register more details matlock station staff more details chapel manchester engineering staff more details midland railway station masters more details. Approximately 50% of the books cover the great western railway, while the books covering the london and north western railway are more dense with records. A notable legacy of the nbr is the iconic forth bridge. The highland railway hr was one of the smaller british railways before the railways act 1921, operating north of perth railway station in scotland and serving the farthest north of britain.
Researchers can now find out more about their ancestors working lives following the addition of new railway employee papers to uk building on a collection that already includes over one million railway records from across england and wales, the family history website has now added details of men employed by the cornwall railway company during the late19th century. Records of north east rail workers are now online 08. Trainspotting in the 1950s and 1960s and what we used to wear the national railway museum are researching the trainspotting hobby which will be the focus of a season at the museum from september 2014 march 2015. Railway paperwork found detailing an aborted attempt on the uk rail speed record but did a eurostar unofficially take the uk rail speed record. Centred on edinburgh, the north british railway included the northern section of the east coast main line as well as lines that reached as far afield as mallaig in north west scotland, aberdeen in the north east, silloth in cumberland and berwick on tweed in northumberland. Thornton methil line 1889 the information layout out here is taken from a grubby little guards report book. The bulk of the collection is made up of the records formerly held by the british transport historical records department in edinburgh. Railway personal history cards these cards detail the service history of state rail employees born prior to 1900, and were kept by the finance branch to record rates of pay, leave, and superannuation entitlements. It was established in 1844, with the intention of linking with english. Employment with the railways covered a large range of positions, including working as a driver, cleaner, engineer, draftsman, inspector, timekeeper, porter, ganger etc. Over the years, the library has established rare book, manuscript, and archival resources. The north british railway co, edinburgh, scotland, was formed in 1844 and was the name chosen by the promoters of a proposed line from edinburgh, scotland, to berwickontweed, england. My ancestor was a railway worker understand the new.
Kennedy, j, my time with the north british locomotive company, locomotives large and small no 32 pp49, no33 pp1420, no34 pp1218. North british locomotive company steamindex homepage. He had initially purchased them with a view to breaking them up and then selling on the valuable steel and other materials. Purchased by the science museum from the north british locomotive company ltd, c1962. The line opened in 1846, and from the outset the company followed a policy of expanding its geographical area, and competing with the caledonian railway in particular. For staff record cards, which contain summaries of employment, contact county record offices for each of the british rail regions as these are dispersed across regions. When this later became part of the north british, the caledonian exercised running rights between gartsherrie and garnqueen south, a distance of 52 chains. For booking information and fees telephone 01 314 4300 catalogues, indexes and.
Records relating to todays railway infrastructure are not just held by network rail. Railway worker records go online who do you think you are. Railway workers records released off the rails trace. Now that thegenealogist has added over 62,000 rail worker records to its original online indexes of railway employment records, it is easier than ever to delve into those who once worked for the railway companies in a great variety of occupations. Interest in building scottish and scottishcanadian holdings began after 1965 when the university of guelph was established. Brnbr15194, north british railway staff registers, 1844 1948. It continued to expand, reaching wick and thurso in the north and kyle of lochalsh in the west. Here the north british railway s branch from portobello east met the existing edinburgh and dalkeith railway.
They will be added to the database at a later date. Our ancestors employment details are an important part of social history and when we attach them to a family tree it becomes all the richer for it. The records reveal fascinating stories about life on the railways from their early, dangerous beginnings to their heyday as a key component of britains victorian infrastructure, and reflect the significance of the railway companies as employers in both the towns and country. Sheena tait scottish genealogy research family history. Glen douglas halt railway station was known as craggan in the lines construction reports, also glen douglas siding, glen douglas platform private, glen douglas private and finally glen douglas halt. History records other uses for these newly redundant steam locomotives. North british railway company limited free company information from companies house including registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges, business activity. Meanwhile, in glasgow, postcard records made precarious progress with such. The best way to start is to search discovery, our catalogue using keywords such as.
Driver of first train across the forth bridge which railway. National records of scotland formerly national archives. North british railway company limited filing history free. A midland railway through service over the waverley route to edinburgh was introduced in may 1876. How to search for the national archives railway records. Based in inverness, the company was formed by merger in 1865, absorbing over 249 miles 401 km of line. All of the railways included in this database were once private companies that later came under authority of the british transport commission with the 1947 transport act. The north british railway superannuation fund for salaried staff, established in 1883. This comprehensive guide to genealogy in the british isles has a page on railways and railway workers in norfolk, see here. Railway which is the north british railway company whose staff records can be found at national records of scotland formerly national archives of scotland. However, the wiping away of the steam railway fleet by british rail soon created a new phenomenon. This is a guide to where you can find railway records so you can put your railway research on the right track.
The 64mile journey from edinburgh to dundee took three hours and 12 minutes to complete. North eastern railway co this page summarises records created by this business the summary includes a brief description of the collections usually including the covering dates of the collection, the name of the archive where they are held, and reference information to help you find the collection. Dec 30, 2019 the scottish capital is the second most visited city in the uk after london and its obvious why. Many families will find railway ancestors here, and the level of. The collection features selected records from the following companies. It records the shuttle service on the thornton to methil line along the fife coast on the northern shores of the firth. The magazines content of news, reports and informative articles about the railways activities reflected employees deep connection with the railway and its family of staff. As a general rule, personnel records for staff who worked for the railways from 1948. Colas rail 37099 brings up the rear on a network rail management train that was working from derby to carlisle via the cumbrian coast line on th march 2018.
From this page you can search the following documents which have been transcribed by members of the midland railway society. These have been digitised and are available by subscription on the. At the base is a separate plate, bearing the dedication as follows. As part of a modernization program, steam locomotives began to be replaced by. My ancestor was a railway worker understand the new railway records on. Records of north east rail workers are now online the journal. The existing wheatley 440s were not powerful enough for this service, so drummond designed. Records of north east rail workers are now online the.
Discussing the extensive collection of railway staff records held at the national archives, this talk looks at various company records, accident records and railway magazines, and offers advice on the best ways to approach and use these resources. Also for discussion of the different railway companies. The north british railway golfer and anglers guide, 1921. Railway staff records from 1833 to 1956 at the national archives are available to search online through. Read more about caledonian railway staff records list updated dalry road motive power depot, edinburgh the latest title to be published by the caledonian railway association and lightmoor press tells the history of the motive power depot from 1848 to 1965, through the locomotives and the staff who worked and serviced them. Indexes railways and railway workers wwi military and war copy service nrs 12922. My ancestor was a railway worker understand the new railway. The main repository of the staff records of the lnwr is the national archives in kew, west london with some at chester record office and elsewhere. Topics include any feature or staff member of these lines as well as those. The north british railway was a british railway company, based in edinburgh, scotland.
Railway association in rg 287, publications of the u. National records of scotland nrs holds the largest written and pictorial archive of scottish railway history. North british locomotive company and constituent companies, engineering drawings. There are currently 6 sections missing from these records.
Mar 21, 2009 north eastern railway company, hull and barnsley railway company, and hull joint dock committee were dissolved and united into one company, by name north eastern railway company, as from 1st april 1922 by virtue of north eastern and hull and barnsley railway companies amalgamation scheme 1922 dated 1st april 1922. As a general rule, personnel records for staff who worked for the railways from 1948, during the period of nationalisation, have not been retained. A breakdown crane hauled by a north british railway c class locomotive help tidy up the mess after an accident in the sidings of newliston mine. A lot of younger people in the various societies and groups have good reason to be thankful for the help so freely given. The dossier, consisting of thousands of pages, includes employment details of british railway workers dating back to the invention of the locomotive in the early 19th century. North eastern railways staff lists the lner encyclopedia. The caledonian railway of 1847 met the scottish central railway at greenhill.
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