Express Trains (Britain’s Heritage Series) : Tim Bryan

Description

The most glamorous services run by railway companies were the high speed expresses. Often named, these premier trains were the fastest and most luxurious services offered by railways and generated much publicity especially in the 1930 s when such trains also regularly broke speed records.

By far the most famous express services were the trains whose names still resonate with the public today: the Flying Scotsman , the Royal Scot , the Cornish Riviera Limited and the Atlantic Coast Express . These and luxurious Pullman services featured the newest and fastest locomotives and the most up to date and comfortable rolling stock.

In addition to the named trains, the Big Four railways and later British Railways operated many other un-named express services across the network, all run at high speed linking London and major towns and cities as well as well known holiday destinations around the coast.

There were also more specialised express services run by railways that were an important part of the timetable. These included Boat Trains linking ocean terminals and the capital, overnight sleeper and fast mail trains. Less well known were express goods trains developed by railways in the 1920 s and 1930 s that carried perishable freight.

Always at the vanguard of technological development, railways introduced innovations that helped express train speeds and journey times apart of course from the best locomotives, these developments included water troughs, and slip coaches, making a journey on an express in the golden age of steam an experience not to be missed for the well-heeled traveller.