History of the Big Four - Southern Railway

Hello, and welcome to Part 2 of my 4 part series looking at the Four Great Railways of Britain that existed between 1923 and 1948, the LMS, the LNER, the Great Western and the Southern, companies that were formed, and dissolved, through acts of Parliament to try and rationalise the 120 individual railway firms into something more manageable, but even though these operators only lasted a mere 25 years, during that time they left an indelible mark on the face of not only British railway history, but the art-deco culture of the period that continues to resonate globally even to this day.
Part 4 focuses on the smallest of the bunch, the Southern Railway, which despite its size proved to be by far the most innovative and profitable of its contemporaries, utilising electric traction and highly innovative steam locomotive designs to provide high intensity commuter services across London and the south coast, as well as lavish long-distance express trains to the coast resorts of Hampshire, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall, the Southern's dependence on a more stable passenger market meaning, unlike the LNER, LMS and Great Western, this system could retain a near constant profit throughout its existence, even through the dark days of World War II.
All video content and images in this production have been provided with permission wherever possible. While I endeavour to ensure that all accreditations properly name the original creator, some of my sources do not list them as they are usually provided by other, unrelated KZbinrs. Therefore, if I have mistakenly put the accreditation of 'Unknown', and you are aware of the original creator, please send me a personal message at my Gmail (this is more effective than comments as I am often unable to read all of them): [e-mail]
The views and opinions expressed in this video are my personal appraisal and are not the views and opinions of any of these individuals or bodies who have kindly supplied me with footage and images.
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References:
Railway Wonders of the World (and their respective sources)
Kent Rail (and their respective sources)
Wikipedia (and its respective references)

[@rayaspo4893]

Best KZbinr out there. No begging for subscribers or likes. 👍

[@DKS225]

No he just uploads some damn fine quality content.

[@Keithbarber]

I don't ask for likes and subscribes either I upload various videos, but if people aren't interested, no skin off my nose

[@oktfg]

No need for ebegging. Those who know know!

[@jessesan2003]

KZbin panhandling. 😂

[@Mounhas]

Totally agree.

[@mattevans4377]

As I grow older, I appreciate the Southern railway more and more each day, and have actually started to prefer it to the other 3 big four. You can argue about who built the best steam locomotives, but, I don't think you can argue who had the best railway, that being the Southern.

[@davidcronan4072]

Another thing that the Southern pioneered was the use of concrete for its civil engineering work. You can still see today concrete bridges, fences and even benches scattered all through its former network.

[@lukegreen5341]

Happy 100th Birthday Southern Railway. 1923 - 2023. 100 Years. X

[@adrianbaron4994]

The Southern was the most innovative of the Big Four: the first to electrify suburban and trunk routes, to heavily adopt colour light signalling, to experiment with double-decker carriages, " Tavern cars" ( a pub car! ) and lightweight steam designs, and their PR and Marketing was first rate. They even ran midnight specials on the sparsely used Adur Valley line so that hikers could see the sunrise over the Sussex Downs. They made a lot out of little as freight was never very significant, and of course there were the wonderful prestige trains..the all - Pullman Brighton Belle ( superb full English with kippers, all done in less than hour non-stop between Brighton and Victoria ), the Golden Arrow and the Atlantic Coast Express.

[@DKS225]

Many Scoffed at The Q1 Locomotive but despite their appearance they were the most powerful 0-6-0's ever built. With a Power-To-Weight Ratio of a sports car. Furthermore Weymouth was the starting point of the fleet and troops for The D-Day Landings in Normandy that was after they liberated The Channel Islands first. But this clip Rory Wow and i mean wow it was brilliant i can't wait to see parts 3 and 4.

[@paulqueripel3493]

D day was about 11 months earlier than the liberation. June 1944 till May 1945.

[@MichaelBrodie68]

Absolutely agree. Plus, for both practical and perception reasons, the design brief really was for powerful austerity. Seen in that light, it's not strange, but rather a masterpiece.

[@DrivermanO]

The Channel Islands weren't liberated until after the German surrender on 7th May 1945! They certainly weren't liberated before D-Day, despite many hopes!

[@johnsayers8788]

Brilliant and informative im from a railway family dad did 50 years on southern started as fireman on steamers during ww2,qualifying for a driver eventually then when steam went was on diesels for rest of his days.i did 18 years on railways my two brothers also done time

[@Sigil_Firebrand]

I never knew the Southern had so many crazy grades, really cements them as my favourite of the big four!

[@rogermunday1955]

Fascinating history of Southern. My wife's grandfather was a driver on Southern's munition trains during WW2 trnsporting live bombs, and after the war was a driver of the Golden Arrow (Merchant Navy class) on the London-Dover route.

[@Quebecoisegal]

This was my favorite BR region. For the areas which they served and the sheer variety of locomotives. Unbeatable.

[@kiwidiesel]

Awesome thank you for another historical treasure to watch.

[@joshjones3408]

Mit be a little station but done really big thangs...great video 👍👍👍

[@paulashley2707]

Thank you so much for yet another superb, well-researched video - some amazing colour film clips - really enjoyed it! 🤩

[@davidashton3396]

Great - as a 25 year London commuter to Cannon St, I recognised a lot and learned a lot, thanks for posting

[@davidcrook5511]

Another hugely enjoyable and informative video; the latest trains currently running on the former Southern network were shown in a very positive light. And the clip of 34067 leaving Exeter St Davids was a great touch!! 🙂

[@MinegateTransport]

Another excellent episode! In my opinion the southern was the best of the lot, I just love that green colour scheme

[@Mounhas]

The SR was my home territory although luckily I had easy access to all the other London terminal stations & London & Kent sheds. I mourned the day when the Kent electrification started & the end of many services including the Westerham branch from Dunton Green & the push’n’pull between the end of electrification once at Sevenoaks to full steam Tonbridge. Oh yes, we had no car so all holidays were by train including the A.C.E. twice, happy days.

[@TheHylianBatman]

Wow. Very cool. Efficiency is, in many ways, better than innovation. Make what you have better. It seems as though the Southern tried, and, in many cases, succeeded, to do that.

[@keshavdogra5811]

Fantastic video series. Your videos are all so well written and communicated. Lovely stuff!

[@jyoules9833]

Another excellent video, thank you! I learnt quite a lot, I didn't realise that it was the only company to be profitable for the whole of its existence! I notice you didn't mention Holborn Viaduct, though as it was always such an embarrassment of a station it well deserves to be forgotten!

[@MrMinij86]

Super job. I Would be interested in the long forgotten seaside destinations of Devon and Cornwall. Bude and so forth.

[@cameronpatterson1045]

Hi from Glasgow keep up the good work you do with the chanel and the History of the British Railway Thanks again Sir

[@grahamkent2868]

Really enjoyable video, great work.

[@chewyfoks1840]

The British Transport Films youtube has some superb films on the Southern, as well as everywhere else ofc.

[@Gymbro_069]

this is amazing, keep up the good work

[@amp9930]

Excellent film as always.

[@greatwolf5372]

I know you have done a few videos on North American rail before but it would be lovely to see videos on the modern North American equivalent of the big four: Union Pacific, BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern, Canadian National, and Canadian Pacific Kansas City.

[@ivangenov6782]

That feels like it's a bit more than four

[@macjim]

The Lynton and Barnstable Railway was not a ‘miniature’ railway, it was a narrow gauge railway… miniature railways were like the Kerr’s miniature railway and Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch railways whereas the L&BR was a full scale narrow gauge railway. Not only did the Southern absorb the Isle of Wight Railway and the Freshwater, Yarmouth and Newport railways but they also absorbed the Isle of Wight Central railway too.

[@DrivermanO]

I don't think you could call the RH&DR miniature. Its a full scale narrow gauge railway, like Festiniog, Ravenglass & Eskdale etc. It ran armoured trains during WWII !

[@macjim]

@@DrivermanO the differences are, the Lynton & Barnstable was from the outside, a narrow gauge railway with full sized coaches, and freight vehicles whereas the RH&DR was from the outset a railway made to run scale locomotives for wealthy owners, the L&B being from the outside a public railway. The Festiniog too, was from the outset a narrow gauge railway again in the mould of the L&B but it was initially a means to get freight moved to the port but adding passenger carriages later. The R&ER was originally a railway like the Festiniog too in that it began with freight (quarry materials) using much larger locomotives & rolling stock (it even had a short section of standard gauge track too at one time) but what you see now is much more like what the RH&DR has. Miniature railways come all kinds of sizes going from the type that need a raised line where the ‘coaches used’ straddle the line, to small scale models that again haul coaches you sit upon and up too ones you can travel in… so it’s a wee bit hard to classify what is ‘miniature’ and what isn’t so I’ll give you one for the RH&DR… oh, did it really do much for the war effect and was it really as useful as the publicity would have us think, I don’t know as it’s usefulness would have been war propaganda. Didn’t the R&ER have their own war train? I can’t remember if they did or not. Oh, and the R&ER locos, Irt, Esk and Mite are the original locos made for the quarry work but have been heavily modified with only the rolling chassis being original (if I’m wrong about that then I’ll stand corrected but I’m pretty sure that is the case). Anyways, I’m no expert and I don’t claim to be one either so this is purely my own opinion of what is, or isn’t, a miniature railway, something that the L&BR wasn’t.

[@russellgxy2905]

@@DrivermanO Technically speaking, it is. True, the RH&DR does act more as an extremely scaled down mainline railway, but it's still 15 inch gauge. The most common names for this gauge are either Miniature gauge or Minimum gauge. It's the smallest practical gauge for a railway before getting into "live steam" territory

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

Southern are always the best to have steamers including the bullied locos

[@SmudgeThomas]

Lovely things on the Southern, even if Bullied was a long way from the SE&CR locos in terms of looks!

[@InventorZahran]

The SE&CR had some of the best-looking steam engines in the world!

[@robinforrest7680]

Another excellent video. Thankyou

[@david5845]

Hi. Enoyed the above. I also enjoyed your series on the demise of the British Car Industry. Just one thing and this is not a critcism but an obervation, why are your commentaries delivered at "break neck speed'? ( It is not my end I've checked). There could be a technical reason for this. Anyway thank you again and I will continue watching. Cheers

[@0fficialdregs]

I watched all four :D again...for the 4th time lol

[@PaulSmith-pl7fo]

Hi Ruairidh. Bulleid should be pronounced "Bulleed": discus. Is there any footage of a boat train transferring via ferry to the continent?

[@wiedep]

Reggie Perrin- 11, 17, 22 minutes late on the Southern. Pick a reason - "staff difficulties, Hampton Wick." "signal failure at Vauxhall." "staff shortages, Nine Elms." "derailment of container truck, Raynes Park." "seasonal manpower shortages, Clapham Junction." "Edefective junction box, New Malden." "overheated axle at Berrylands." "defective axle at Wandsworth." "somebody had stolen the lines at Surbiton." .. and that's just one series.

[@bernardfitzgerald6117]

If there were maps it would be perfect!!

[@macjim]

You need do a report on the Leader class locomotive now…

[@squeaksvids5886]

Personally I think the Southern Railways only error was ditching the 6.7kv AC in favour of 630v DC. The 3rd rail always suffer when it’s snows, the overhead system generally works well in winter weather.

[@adrianbaron4994]

Exactly the points that were made in 1923 but as the LWSR had more track miles of DC compared to the LB&SCR AC system ( and although the AC system was installed almost 40% of the way to Brighton) , DC was cheaper and faster to install ( although the larger number of substations was a major cost compared to AC ) , so that was the system the SR went with. We know now that the AC system was superior.

[@squeaksvids5886]

@@adrianbaron4994 Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

[@TheLostGamerMan]

My favorite railway

[@Shark30006]

The SR Leader Class was not preserved. Hopefully, there can be a new build of the Leader

[@Rog5446]

London Bridge was not mentioned in the list of London Termini? Waterloo was said to be the busiest station in Britain, but that's for passengers, with Clapham Junction being busier the number of trains.

[@russellgxy2905]

I'm sure he meant Waterloo was the busiest in terms of passengers using the station for boarding and departing. Most passengers that use Clapham are transfers

[@flippop101]

Quality KZbin!

[@DrivermanO]

In your list of London stations, where is London Bridge?

[@mattjones1992]

Southwark

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

For those who don't Waterloo, it 8s also the southern end if the Waterloo and City Railway which was aldo owned by the LSWR and is now part of London Underground.

[@gilbertporter4992]

What locomotive class at 3:41?

[@AmogusInMyWalls]

LSWR T14 Class I believe

[@mcjdubpower]

Gud vid 💯👌🔥

[@awesome-xk8vj]

You forgot to mention that Oliver Bulleid's diesel mechanic shunter 11001 AKA Dennis and Norman from Thomas and Friends.

[@bazza3643]

I always thought that it was 50 miles from London to Brighton, not 70 miles.

[@tri-clawgaming7682]

Having lived in brighton for years, i used to loath Southern Railway. Late services, cancellations and then all the strike action. I hated having to rely on them.

[@adrianbaron4994]

Are you possibly thinking of the current " Southern Railway" rather than the 1923 to 1948 company?

[@tri-clawgaming7682]

@@adrianbaron4994 taht was what i was saying yes

[@crackaple]

I just entered 0.0001 secs and subbed

[@josiahjosiah4798]

I like1923 it's cool

[@marcleslac2413]

6:14 thomas the tank detected

[@paolomargini7904]

Already before WW2 Switzerland had electrified 77% of its railway net against a 5% average of the rest of Europe.

[@PositionLight]

The Southern Serves The South 👍

[@Andrewjg_89]

Govia Thameslink Railway is still the best train operator since they ordered new Class 700 trains for Thameslink and Southern will still be part of GTR or will GTR lose the franchise and TSGN to be separated and to operate as their own franchise.

[@pacermanthefan]

The Lynton and Barnstaple railway was narrow gauge not miniture

[@NSMerryweather4771]

Great video. However Bulleid is pronounced Bull-eed 🙂

[@zetectic7968]

Oliver Vaughan Snell Bulleid CBE (19 September 1882 - 25 April 1970). His surname is pronounced Bull -Leed not bully -ed. The 3rd rail has held back the southern network & been the source of many problems in Autumn & Winter then add the NIMBYs that oppose the use of overhead wires that would improve things with better locomotives thus faster services. In some sections they are still running to a 1928 timetable.

[@johnkeepin7527]

Historically, the adoption of third rail dc was not limited to the Southern Railway, or it’s predecessors around the early 1900s. Apart from the London Underground (alright, third & fourth), the North Eastern had a suburban system around Newcastle which lasted until the 1960s - largely part of the Tyne & Wear Metro now, and then there is the ex-LMS system from London Euston to Watford, which is still third rail (part of it being shared with the Underground), and there were some in the Manchester area.

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

There's pros and cons for third rail and for catenary power provision. I don't think it's too awkward-squad of people like me if we dislike the visual pollution of overhead gantries ~ both from the carriage windows and looking across the landscape. I know not enough about it, but if pantographic power is more effective, then third rail simply needs development. Also, Bulleid does get an ear bashing, you're quite right, but don't forget his earlier use of the hot potato/springs that is Baff instead of the more melodious Barrrth.

[@zetectic7968]

@@JP_TaVeryMuch EuroStar has to slow down in Kent because it can't get enough power via the third rail. With a Pantograph you don't get "leaves on the line" burning out motors & damaging the power shoe due to arcing. In winter you don't have to use thousands of gallons of vegetable oil on cold nights to stop the third rail from freezing over plus the expense of running trains over the network to dispense the oil. The downside of overhead wire is that idiots will risk death to steal the copper wire & the disruption until it is replaced.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

As Brighton didn't become a city until 2000 how could the route from London Victoria be called an inter-city railway? The northern end is fine as it lies in the City of Westminister (a city since 1540).

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

The Pullman livery is umber and cream not chocolate and cream. The shades of brown are distinctively different.

[@Rog5446]

Dark Choc & Cream

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

@@Rog5446 it's not easy to tell from old photographs but umber looks a bit redder than milk chocolate, whilst GWR's brown looks more like dark chocolate. And depending on the light it's s tricky with modern photographs. Just been checking out the Railmatch range at my local, stockist. If you want a GWR brown you need their no. 602, but if you want Pullman brown you need their no. 324.

[@JoshuaRicamonte-cr4oh]

Whose steam train is heavier Is it the Japanese steam train The American steam train The south African steam train Or the British steam train

[@johnoneill5661]

The Leader yes well less said the better. 😳🤮