Well then, which was best?

[Lucky13]

GWR, LMS, LNER or Southern?

 

[Airframes]

LNER maybe? London to Edinburgh, and the Flying Scotsman, and that lovely green colour scheme, and the nice carriages, and the.......Heck ! I'm showing my age now !!

 

[Loiner]

LMS and LNER. Both battled with the best designers (Gresley for LNER, Stanier for LMS) to create the latest and best mainline locos, including both creating great rival streamlined locos.

GWR liked to think they were something special and probably were in the earlier days, but slipped behind the two leaders in the golden years of the 20s, 30s, 40s in my opinion.

LNER - A4 Class - designed by Sir Nigel Gresley (c/o wikipedia.com)

LMS - Coronation Class - designed by William Stanier (c/o wikipedia.com)

 

[Lucky13]

I like the LMS myself......but have to say that a 'Castle' class is a thing of beauty. 8)

 

[Geedee]

Has to be Gods Wonderfull Railway. Got a soft spot for the 14XX class (Titfield Thunderbolt film for those who dont recognise the class), the Prairie's and of course the Castle / King class. Oh, and great scenery to travel through as well.

Having said that tho', I do like the Gresley Pacifics, and the LMS compounds. Heck, they're steam...enough said !!!.

 

[Lucky13]

Steam and everything is beautiful....well, almost!

 

[BombTaxi]

I've always been a fan of the LNER. Perhaps it's the contrast between the top-link expresses and the tiny Cambridgeshire branch lines with their ancient engines. I think they also inherited the greatest variety of equipment from their predecessors, which led to some pretty interesting equipment being used, and of course being rebvuilt and re-used to keep the company going almost on a shoestring. I also live a few miles from where Gresley designed the A4, which coincidentally is the same place that de Havilland designed the Mosquito 8)

Of course, as a Midlands boy, if you want proper elegance and style in equipment, it has to be the LNWR and the MR. Shame the LMS replaced all those wonderful types with boring standard classes...

 

[Capt. Vick]

I think this one is best...

 

[Lucky13]

Some size of the pic!

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Let's not forget the Battle of Britain Class on Southern..................
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkX3qw2EfZw

 

[BombTaxi]

When I think of the Southern, I think third-rail electric. Still cool, but I was never a fan of Southern steam...