I have to admit that the Midland Railway is a favourite probably because of the sheer elegance of S W Johnson's locomotive designs. In my view there is nothing better than a Johnson Single locomotive. Formed from the usual amalgamation of minor railways the Midland became a leading operator in the years before the Grouping of 1923. Even after this date it had a huge influence on the LMS Railway for many years much to the dismay, I suspect, of the LNWR supporters.

Formed in 1847 from the amalgamation of minor railways, this railway served the central part of England in the Yorkshire and Lancashire areas but was always in competition with other railways in the area due to lucrative coal transportation in the rich coal fields. The railway was subsequently amalgamated with the London & North Western Railway shortly before the Grouping of 1923.The locomotives appeared to be quite colourful in the early years being a dark green (almost Brunswick green) This disappeared by 1878

Midland Railway

© Don Marshall 2011

ELEGANT STEAM

Midland Railway saturated Compound 4-4-0  No 1031. The Midland used 4-4-0 locomotives for all their main line services and, in general, very good locomotives they were too. In fact, they were so useful that the above locomotive, for example, lasted right through LMS days and into BR days in the mid fifties. The above is a saturated compound type introduced by Deeley from 1905 - 1908.
Anyone with a Midland, LMS or BR layout should almost certainly have one of these.

Midland Railway livery is a minefield. Some locomotives had red tops to the cabs other black. Others had black painted fluting to the coupling rods others not. Some had polished cylinder ends others black while the wheels were either red or black with yellow/cream/sort of gold lining - or not !!!