| Industry | Railway company |
|---|---|
| Fate | Amalgamation |
| Successor | London and North Western Railway |
| Founded | 9 July 1847 |
| Defunct | 1 January 1922 |
| Headquarters | Lancashire and Yorkshire |
| Products | Electrification |
| Parent | Manchester and Leeds Railway |
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways. It was the third-largest railway system based in Northern England (after the Midland and North Eastern Railways) and the largest whose network was entirely within Northern England.
The intensity of its service was reflected in the 1,650 locomotives it owned – it was by far the most densely-trafficked system in the British Isles with more locomotives per mile than any other company – and that one third of its 738 signal boxes controlled junctions averaging one every 3.5 miles (6 km). No two stations were more than 5.5 miles (9 km) apart and its 1,904 passenger services occupied 57 pages in Bradshaw, a number exceeded only by the Great Western Railway, the London and North Western Railway, and the Midland Railway. It was the first mainline railway to introduce electrification of some of its lines, and it also ran steamboat services across the Irish Sea and North Sea, being a bigger shipowner than any other British railway company.
It amalgamated with the London and North Western Railway on 1 January 1922. One year later, the merged company became the largest constituent of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.
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The L&YR was incorporated in 1847, being an amalgamation of several important lines, the chief of which was the Manchester and Leeds Railway (itself having been incorporated in 1836).
The following companies, in order, were amalgamated into the L&YR. The dates shown are, in most cases, the Acts of Parliament authorising the incorporation and amalgamation of each company. In a few instances the effective date is used.[1]
The system consisted of many branches and alternative routes, so that it is not easy to determine the location of its main line. For working purposes the railway was split into three divisions:
Whereas there were various lines between the Central and Western Divisions there was only one route between the Eastern and Central Divisions. This line cut through the Pennines between Lancashire and Yorkshire using a number of long tunnels, the longest of which was Summit Tunnel (2,885 yards (2,638 m) in length) near Rochdale. There were six other tunnels each more than 1,000 yards (914 m) long.
Victoria railway station was one of the largest railway stations in the country, and was the first of four stations to be named Victoria, pre-dating those in London, Sheffield and Nottingham. It occupied 13.5 acres (0.055 km2; 0.0211 sq mi) and had 17 platforms with a total length of 9,332 feet (2,844 m). After the grouping, a structural change led No. 11 platform to run through and join with No. 3 platform in the adjacent Manchester Exchange railway station, at 2,238 feet (682 m) between ramps becoming the longest railway platform in Britain.[3] Lately the station capacity has been reduced to two platforms for Metrolink trams, two bay platforms, and four through platforms under the Manchester Evening News Arena, which now replaces a significant area once occupied by the station. The main facade and station building of the original Hunts Bank station still exist and are kept in relatively good condition.
The L&Y was the first in the country to electrify a mainline route. In Liverpool, the Fourth Rail system was used at 600 V DC, although this was later converted to a Third rail system. Suburban lines in the Liverpool area were electrified to reach a total of 37 route miles.
In 1912 Dick, Kerr & Co.'s Preston factory was considering tendering for a Brazilian contract, and approached the L&YR to use the Bury to Holcombe Brook Line for test purposes at Dick, Kerr's expense. The line from Bury Bolton Street Station to Holcombe Brook was electrified with the overhead 3.5 kV DC system, rolling stock was also supplied at their cost. After prolonged trials the trains entered public use on 29 July 1913. The L&YR purchased the equipment and stock on the successful completion of the trials in 1916.
In 1913 a decision was taken to electrify the Manchester to Bury route at 1.2 kV DC in an attempt to overcome competition from trams. Using the Third Rail system, trains powered by electric motor cars (or carriages) began running on 17 April 1916 but as Horwich was by then involved in war work, deliveries of the new electric stock were delayed and it was not until August 1916 that steam trains were withdrawn from the route. In 1920 the L&YR also considered electrifying the Manchester–Oldham–Shaw and Royton lines, but no work was carried out. During 1917 work began to convert the Bury to Holcombe Brook line to a Third Rail system, matching the Manchester to Bury system. Third Rail trains started to run on 29 March 1918.
L&YR locomotives originally were painted dark green with ornate brass work and copper capped chimneys. Lining was black and white. In 1876 the dark green was changed to a light green and goods engines were painted plain black. 1878 saw the goods locomotives also appearing in light green. This livery was discontinued from 1883 when all locomotives were painted black. Lining was red and white for passenger locomotives and, if present, red only for goods locomotives.
Coaching stock was originally painted teak, changing in 1875 to an overall light brown. In 1879 a decision was made to use 'a little brighter shade'. Finally in June 1881 it was announced that the lower panels were to be painted 'lake colour'. Between 1896 and 1914 the upper panels became buff with the lower in purple-brown, ends were dark brown. Roofs were normally dark grey but some did appear in red oxide.
Wagons were unpainted until 1902 except for the ironwork which was black. After 1902 it was painted dark grey. The illiterate symbol of an inverted solid triangle within a circle was replaced from 1902–3 with the letters LY. Brake vans were black and special traffic wagons were painted in various colours e.g. Gunpowder- red, Fish – white, Butter – pale blue etc.
The football team of the L&YR Carriage and Wagon works at Newton Heath, Manchester, evolved into Manchester United F.C..
The L&YR had the largest fleet of all the pre-grouping railway companies. In 1902 the assets of the Drogheda Steam Packet Company were acquired for the sum of £80,000[4] (£6,440,194 as of 2012).[5]
By 1913 they owned twenty six vessels, with another two under construction, plus a further five under joint ownership with the London and North Western Railway. The L&YR ran steamers between Liverpool and Drogheda, Hull and Zeebrugge, and between Goole and many continental ports including Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Hamburg, and Rotterdam. The jointly-owned vessels provided services between Fleetwood, Belfast and Derry.
Ships operated by the L&YR.[6]
| Ship | Launched | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin | 1891[7] | 1,090[7] | Acquired in 1895 with the takeover of Yorkshire Coal & Steamship Co. Renamed River Ribble in 1916. |
| Colne | 1903 | 875[8] | Sank on 11 March 1906 off the West Maas Lightvessel.[8] |
| Dearne | 1909 | 984[9] | Torpedoed on 22 December 1915 and sunk[9] |
| Don | 1892 | 939[10] | Torpedoed and sunk on 8 May 1915.[10] |
| Douglas | 1907 | 950[11] | Sold in 1937 to G M Mavroleon, Greece and renamed Nepheligeretis. Sold later that year to J A Billmeir and renamed Stancourt. Sold in 1938 to B Athanassiades and renamed Hermes then Suzy. Renamed Ioanna in 1940. Sunk on 1 June 1940 by gunfire from a U-Boat off Cape Finisterre.[11] |
| Equity | 1888 | 918[12] | Bought from Co-Operative Wholesale Society in 1906. Scrapped in December 1931 at Greenock.[12] |
| Hebble | 1891 | 904[13] | Mined and sunk on 6 May 1917.[13] |
| Hodder | 1910 | 1,016[14] | Scrapped in November 1956 at Dunston.[14] |
| Humber | 1903 | 1,023[15] | Sank on 12 February 1912 after a collision with SS Answald off the Elbe No.1 Lightvessel.[15] |
| Irwell | 1906 | 1,092[16] | Scrapped in March 1954 at Gateshead.[16] |
| Liberty | 1900 | 895[17] | Bought from Co-Operative Wholesale Society in 1906. Scrapped at Sunderland in December 1931.[17] |
| Mersey | 1906 | 1,087[18] | Hit a mine on 20 February 1940 and sunk.[18] |
| Nidd | 1900 | 996[19] | Chartered to Great Western Railway in 1932. Scrapped in 1933. |
| Rawcliffe | 1906 | 866[20] | Bought from Wetherall Steamship Co in 1906. Scrapped at Bowness in December 1931. |
| River Ribble | 1891[7] | 1,090[7] | Renamed in 1906 from Berlin. Scrapped in September 1933 at Gateshead.[7] |
| Spen | 1908 | 900[21] | Scrapped in September 1933 at Middlesbrough.[21] |
| Unity | 1902 | 1,091[22] | Bought from Co-Operative Wholesale Society in 1906. Torpedoed on 2 May 1918 by UB-57 and sunk.[22] |
Ships jointly operated with the London and North Western Railway[23]
| Ship | Launched | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes and references |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colleen Bawn | 1903 | 1,204 | Relegated to cargo service in 1914. Scrapped in 1931.[24][25] |
| Duke of Albany | 1907 | 2,259 | Requisitioned by the Royal Navy as HMS Duke of Albany, an Armed Boarding Vessel. Torpedoed and sunk in 1916.[25] |
| Duke of Argyll | 1909 | 2,052 | Sold in 1927 to Angleterre-Lorraine-Alsace and renamed Alsace. Scrapped in 1937 at Altenwerder, Germany.[25][26] |
| Duke of Clarence | 1892 | 1,458 | Requisitioned by the Admiralty in 1914, returned to LNWR in 1920. Scrapped in 1930.[24][25] |
| Duke of Connaught | 1,082 | Scrapped in 1893[24] | |
| Duke of Connaught | 1902 | 1,680 | Scrapped in 1934.[25] |
| Duke of Cornwall | 1898 | 1,540 | Sold in 1928 to Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, renamed Rushen Castle. Scrapped in 1948.[25] |
| Duke of Cumberland | 1909 | 2,052 | Sold in 1927 to Angleterre-Lorraine-Alsace, renamed Picard. Sold in 1936 to A Anghelatos, Greece and renamed Heliopolis. Scrapped at Genoa, Italy in 1939.[25][27] |
| Duke of Lancaster | 1895 | 1,520 | Sold to Isle of Man Steam Packet Company in 1912, renamed The Ramsey. Requisitioned by the Royal Navy in 1914. Sank in August 1915 by SMS Meteor.[25][28] |
| Duke of York | 1894 | 1,473 | Sold to Isle of Man Steam Packet Company in 1912 and renamed Peel Castle. Sold in 1930. Scrapped in 1939 at Dalmuir, West Dunbartonshire.[25][29] |
| Earl of Ulster | 1878 | 1,107 | Sold in 1894 to Harland & Wolff[24] |
| Iverna | 1895 | 995 | Acquired with the takeover of Drogheda Steam Packet Company in 1902. Scrapped in 1912.[24][25] |
| Kathleen Mavourneen | 1885 | 988 | Acquired with the takeover of Drogheda Steam Packet Company in 1902. Scrapped in 1903.[24][25] |
| Lune | 1892 | 253 | Used for pleasure trips to Blackpool and Morecambe. Sold to Cosens & Co in 1913, renamed Melcombe Regis. Scrapped in 1920.[25][30] |
| Mellifont | 1903 | 1,204 | Scrapped in 1933[25] |
| Norah Creina | 1878 | 894 | Acquired with the takeover of Drogheda Steam Packet Company in 1902. Scrapped in 1912.[24][25] |
| Prince Arthur | 1864 | 708 | Built as Sheffield for Liverpool & Dublin Steam Navigation Co Ltd. Bought in 1870 and renamed. Sold in 1877 to T Seed Ltd, Fleetwood.[24] |
| Prince of Wales | 1886 | 1,429> | Sold in 1896 to Spain.[24] |
| Princess of Wales | 1870 | 936 | Scrapped in 1896.[24] |
| Royal Consort | 1844 | 522 | Built in 1844 for North Lancashire Steam Navigation Co Ltd. Bought in 1870, scrapped in 1893.[24] |
| Thomas Dugdale | 1873 | 1,000 | Sold in 1883 to Irish National Steamship Co Ltd.[24] |
| Tredagh | 1876 | 901 | Acquired with the takeover of Drogheda Steam Packet Company in 1902. Scrapped in 1904.[24][25] |
The Burscough Junction Station Crash occurred on 15 January 1880 at the Burscough Junction station on the Liverpool to Preston section of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway line.[31]
The L&YR amalgamated with the London and North Western Railway on 1 January 1922, prior to the 1923 Grouping, which involved the expanded LNWR forming part of the new London Midland and Scottish Railway. The general manager, secretary and chief mechanical engineer positions of the expanded company were taken by L&YR employees. ex-L&YR lines formed the core of the LMS's Central Division.
The LMS did little to develop the former L&YR routes. Nationalisation followed in 1948 followed by a period of rationalisation and modernisation. The L&YR system has survived largely intact, although the following routes have been closed, many within the L&YR's old East Lancashire division:
Most ex-L&YR routes are now operated by Northern Rail. Manchester Victoria station has been rebuilt in a more modest form and retains the former terminal building.
Caldervale Line: a service operated by Metro (West Yorkshire), which uses a large part of the former L&YR.
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