How would you rank the Big 4 railway companies in terms of your liking/interests?

[tomparryharry]

I should mention that before voters rank those companies, rose-tinted spectacles should be removed...

[BachelorBoy]

2 hours ago, DenysW said:

That Berne gauge assertion has the survival power of the cockroach, as I think I detect that you already know.

 

As is BR Brunswick green. 

[Rivercider]

I wonder how many of us have formed an allegiance from a very early age?

 

My vote was  SR,   GWR,          LMS,                LNER.

 

I was born in Exeter into a railway family so quickly appreciated the GWR/SR rivalry.

My dad was a railway enthusiast, when I was little he took me around Exmouth Junction, and I have memories of SR steam, but not of WR steam as diesel hydraulics had already taken over. However childhood visits to the embryonic Dart Valley Railway at Buckfastleigh, and countless GWR BLTs in Railway Modeller meant the GWR was an early frontrunner in my affections. Later once I became a 5th generation railwayman I learned more about the four generations of LSWR/Southern men (and woman) before me.

The LMS gets third place due to the S&D connection in the west, I have visited a few locations, though I have never ridden over any part of it before closure.

The LNER is a long way away,

 

cheers

 

cheers

Edited November 27, 2022 by Rivercider
correction

[TheQ]

Given the choice I'd vote MSWJR, as I went school in sight of that line, they were taken over by GWR, for which I have voted, however the MSWJR would have been better off with LMS or SR or a combination of the two.

LMS is voted for in second place because I'm Modelling HR in 1963, yep grouping and nationalisation didn't occur in that world. I went to school on the HR lines as well...

Lner is last because I hate the hype over the flying kilted one.

[irishmail]

I went GWR,  LMS,, SR then LNER.

[Steamport Southport]

On 27/11/2022 at 17:41, Rivercider said:

I wonder how many of us have formed an allegiance from a very early age?

 

My vote was  SR,   GWR,          LMS,                LNER.

 

I was born in Exeter into a railway family so quickly appreciated the GWR/SR rivalry.

My dad was a railway enthusiast, when I was little he took me around Exmouth Junction, and I have memories of SR steam, but not of WR steam as diesel hydraulics had already taken over. However childhood visits to the embryonic Dart Valley Railway at Buckfastleigh, and countless GWR BLTs in Railway Modeller meant the GWR was an early frontrunner in my affections. Later once I became a 5th generation railwayman I learned more about the four generations of LSWR/Southern men (and woman) before me.

The LMS gets third place due to the S&D connection in the west, I have visited a few locations, though I have never ridden over any part of it before closure.

The LNER is a long way away,

 

cheers

 

cheers

 

I don't think so. When growing up I saw most of the big engines at places like Carnforth, Dinting, Southport, KWVR. SVR. etc.

 

A3, Scots, A4s, A2, Castles, Halls, Black Fives, MNs, WCs, LN, etc. all within easy reach. Probably why I don't have a very biased allegiance unlike some. They were all just big engines to me and why I prefer them.

 

No local connection either. One way would be CLC (MR, GCR, GNR) and the other way was the LNWR main line. With the GWR within spitting distance at Birkenhead and L&Y not far either. No Southern though, unless you count a few ex SR units.

 

I would say what was available RTR was a bigger deal. ISTR I had at least one of every loco that Mainline and Airfix made with a few Hornby and Lima steam. 

 

So I think my choice can be a bit fluid. LMS and GWR well ahead of the rest with the others probably about equal.

 

 

 

Jason

[Dungrange]

5 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

I would say what was available RTR was a bigger deal.

 

I'd say it influenced my choice.  Steam had gone by the time I was born and the pre-nationalisation railways ceased to exist when my parents were small children, so I didn't form an allegiance to any of the Big Four through location or family connections.  For me, it was looking at the Hornby catalogue as a youngster - which steam locomotives did I like best?  The answer was the ones that had been designed by H N Gresley, which led to a greater interest in the LNER than the others.  A visit to Carnforth and the National Railway Museum allowed me to see locomotives from each of the Big Four, but again, it was the LNER or LMS locomotives that attracted me more than the examples I saw from the Great Western and Southern, so that was how I answered.

 

Now I model the post privatisation period, so I have no allegiance to the steam era.

[kevinlms]

To date we have staggered to 99 votes. Using the graph, I have provided a spreadsheet showing much the same ratios as the first one I posted.

 

I have added a table made from 1st & 2nd preferences.

 

The GWR group is more popular than the Southern group, which is no surprise.

 

The LNER and LMS are virtually equal. I am surprised that the LNER & LMS are both so far in front of the GWR. Maybe the GWR fans thought the survey wasn't worth responding to, as so obviously their favourite!

 

I have previously created other tables, which suggest that the GWR is NOT the most popular railway group, that many seem to think, although generally the ratios are in the order of size of the railway group. But the GWR group is often nearly the size of LNER/LMS groups.

 

 

Big 4 Choice.xlsx

[Bucoops]

Maybe people are finally realising the GWR wasn't all that? 😇

[rogerzilla]

GWR gets overdone by modellers, possibly because of the potential for Cotswolds/Devon branch lines.  The locos also tend to look dull in model form, although in real life the varnished green is quite a complex and attractive colour.

 

One thing that might put people off the other Big Three Is that all the small locos are black, so you can't have the famous bright liveries unless you model a fairly main line layout.

. 

[DenysW]

5 hours ago, Bucoops said:

Maybe people are finally realising the GWR wasn't all that?

They all have their die-hard adherents, all with good reasons - even {insert name here} that isn't one's own particular favourite. I've even grown accustomed to the spam cans and now think them to be a handsome locomotive.

[Yarravalleymodeller]

On 28/11/2022 at 04:41, Rivercider said:

I wonder how many of us have formed an allegiance from a very early age?

 

 

Yup, all big all boring. 

 

Once you see some tiny 0-4-0 working it's guts out pulling above its weight in industry these big toys become a bit dull to look at.

 

That said GWR if only because of the variety of exotic stuff they took on via absorption that started before grouping was even a thing. 

 

Rest, yeah nah. 

[JeremyC]

I haven't voted because my interest is South East Scotland, mainly LNER with a little bit of LMS and no interest whatsoever in GWR or Southern.

[The Black Hat]

NER/LNER/NE Region
GWR/Western
LMS/Midland
Industrial
Scottish
00 gauge
5 inch gauge
narrow gauge
N gauge
brio
lego
the train around lightwater valley.... 
SR/Southern...
 

[Nova Scotian]

2 hours ago, The Black Hat said:

NER/LNER/NE Region
GWR/Western
LMS/Midland
Industrial
Scottish
00 gauge
5 inch gauge
narrow gauge
N gauge
brio
lego
the train around lightwater valley.... 
SR/Southern...
 

If I didn't disagree with you this would be funny ;)

[OnTheBranchline]

Tidbit so far, the LMS only think of the LNER and the LNER only think of the LMS 😆

Edited December 17, 2022 by OnTheBranchline

[DenysW]

4 hours ago, OnTheBranchline said:

so far, the LMS only think of the LNER and the LNER only think of the LMS

Well, the other two are either tram operators, or puffed-up short-haul. Aren't they?

 

If you can't be bothered to go to Scotland, what use are you?

 

Just two stereotypes from the past.

[The Black Hat]

Joking aside, its interesting that the results have thrown up something I have noticed when out and about doing photography. Start asking people which areas they like most and like least and you end up seeing that the closest to home often is favourite with the area furthest away or geographically opposite scores least. This is all born out in the results on page 1, but interesting to see the results as the options list preferences from first to last. 

[6990WitherslackHall]

I went LNER, LMS, GWR and SR.

 

I live on ex-LNER stamping grounds and I prefer the locomotives of the LNER over the other three companies. Plus, the LNER has Gresley's finest: the A1 and A4 pacifics.

 

[Talltim]

NS

UP

CSX

BNSF

 

I'll get my coat

[Rivercider]

4 hours ago, The Black Hat said:

Joking aside, its interesting that the results have thrown up something I have noticed when out and about doing photography. Start asking people which areas they like most and like least and you end up seeing that the closest to home often is favourite with the area furthest away or geographically opposite scores least. This is all born out in the results on page 1, but interesting to see the results as the options list preferences from first to last. 

Railways are a huge subject for study and interest in themselves, even before being broken down into separate companies. I have a large (and increasing) book collection, but I very much try to restrict purchases to routes or lines where I live or worked, or I have travelled regularly - hence the LSWR/SR/GWR bias.

I hope that full retirement will allow me time to travel further afield in future, York, Durham, and Whitby are on the 'to do' list. When I visit a town or area I like to learn about the history and railways of the place, so my knowledge of, and affection for, the LNER may in time increase,

 

cheers

[Nearholmer]

6 hours ago, The Black Hat said:

Start asking people which areas they like most and like least and you end up seeing that the closest to home often is favourite with the area furthest away or geographically opposite scores least

My working assumption was that something like that would emerge as the main drift, maybe with where people lived in their formative years, rather than now, being the in the mix, and always with a few people being attracted most by distant exotica.

 

Just out of curiosity: what is the point of this the question posed by the thread? 

[Steamport Southport]

19 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

My working assumption was that something like that would emerge as the main drift, maybe with where people lived in their formative years, rather than now, being the in the mix, and always with a few people being attracted most by distant exotica.

 

Just out of curiosity: what is the point of this the question posed by the thread? 

 

A bit of fun?

 

Sometimes people get lost in the idea that everything has got to be serious. We're a bunch of mostly blokes playing with trains....

 

 

 

Jason

[AyJay]

I have locomotives for each of the Big 4, all bearing the BR totem, but the Kings, Castles, Granges and Halls outnumber anything else.

So I guess its GWR first, LMS & LNER equal second and Southern 4th place.

[wasabi]

Dividends had a slight mention above (unless I've missed something) but I haven't been able to find anything about share prices - or the total return to shareholders.  Is there a source anywhere?  I'd assume that nothing was paid out in the war years but is this right, given that railway shares were historically very solid and many pensioners might have relied on these as part of their portfolio.  Railways were originally set up to make money for investors so this should be a factor. 

 

In any case, the 'Big 4' only spent about seven years operating under 'normal' conditions and most of the rest was depression or wartime (under government control).  Passenger experience might be the best way of ranking them but how much source material is available?

 

Personally I like railways for travel so factors like comfort and convenience come into play, rather than a focus on the locomotives.