The London Midland & Scottish Railway was the largest of the Big Four railway companies to emerge from the 1923 grouping. It was the only one to operate in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as having two short stretches of line in the Irish Republic, and was also the world's largest owner of railway hotels and railway shipping operator. Mainly a freight railway, it still boasted the best railway carriages, and the work of chief engineer Sir William Stanier influenced the first locomotive and carriage designs for the nationalised British Railways. Packed with facts and figures as well as historical narrative, this extensively illustrated book is a superb reference source that will be of interest to all railway enthusiasts. AUTHOR: David Wragg has written many books on railway, aviation and defence subjects, including 'Wartime on the Railways', 'The Southern Railway Story', 'The LMS Story, the LNER Story' and 'The GWR Story' for The History Press. He has also written on these subjects for The Sunday Telegraph, The Spectator and The Scotsman. SELLING POINTS: . Timed for the 70th anniversary of the end of the Big Four railway companies - 6 August 1947 saw Royal Assent to transport act that created British Rail . Recognised classic book on the subject by expert transport author David Wragg . With a new introduction . The largest of the Big Four railway companies to emerge from the 1923 grouping and the largest private enterprise concern in the British Empire . The only railway company to operate in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as having two short stretches of line in the Irish Republic 150 b/w illustrations