Companies and Organisations that have Contributed to this Project

Note- Books relating to specific railway companies are discussed in Appendix Two - Pre-Grouping Liveries

In the 1980s, when I began this project, I contacted a number of organisations for information, over the years as additional information has been added I have again requested clarification on a number of points. To date all of the organisations contacted in this way have provided a great deal of useful material, for which I am most grateful.

Railway Industry Association

Provided information and contact details for railway engineering companies in the UK.

Milk Marketing Board

Amongst other things the MMB supplied a great deal of information on the movement of milk by rail and the facilities associated with this traffic.

Unigate Daries

Provided information on the use of rail in milk distribution.

Express Daries

Provided information on the use of rail in milk distribution.

CWS Milk Group

Provided information on the use of rail in milk distribution.

MMB Creamery Chard, Somerset

Staff at this establishment supplied considerable and detailed information on railway milk traffic.

Blue Circle Cement

Supplied a wealth of information on this business, detailing their product development, industrial base and trading patterns.

Redland PLC

Provided considerable information on concrete pipes and roofing tiles and the railway transport of these goods.

London Brick Company

Supplied information on the brick trade.

British Industrial Sand Ltd

Provided information on the British sand industry and the railway transport of their goods.

Camborne School of Mines

Provided considerable information on the use of pit props in British mines and information on the mineralogy of Britain.

National Coal Board

Supplied information on the post nationalisation domestic and industrial coal distribution patterns with additional information on the pre nationalisation industry.

British Coal Corporation

Provided information on mining and full details of wooden pit props.

RJB Mining

Supplied a considerable amount of information on the post-privatisation coal industry.

Hartley's Fuels, Altrincham

Mr Hartley is a fifth generation coal merchant and the last independent supplier in Altrincham, he provided a lot of the background information on the domestic coal trade.

English China Clays

Supplied information on the china clay trade.

British Paper and Board Industry Federation

Provided information on the paper industry and contact details for companies.

Medway Sacks

Provided information on the history and use of paper sacks

Stothert & Pitt Ltd

Supplied information on cranes and lifting gear.

N.E.I Cranes Ltd (Cowans Sheldon Unit)

Supplied information on mobile cranes.

Derbyshire Castings (Broadheath near Altrincham)

Supplied information on foundry work and allowed me to take photographs of their operation.

British Steel Corporation

This organisation provided a lot of information on the use of rail to carry both their products and also the raw materials used in its manufacture.

BA Chemicals

This subsidiary company of British Alcan Aluminium plc operates the Burntisland aluminium plant in Scotland provided information on the railway transport of raw materials and finished goods.

Davidson's Scrap Metal Merchants (Broadheath)

Supplied information on the scrap metal industry and allowed me to take photographs of their operation.

Imperial Chemical Industries

This company (since de-mergered) provided a lot of help on the chemical industry and its use of rail transport.

British Salt Ltd

Provided information on the railway salt trade relating to its precursor organisations (British Salt was formed in 1969, since when virtually all transport of table grade salt has been by road).

Fisons Plc

Supplied information on the UK fertiliser trade.

BOCM Silcock

Provided information on the British cattle food trade.

Diageo

Formed by the merger of Grand Met and Guinness in the later 1990s, their archive department were most helpful in tracking down the details of the rail related Guiness tanker operations.

Railway Company Historical and Preservation Societies that have Contributed to this Project

Historical Model Railway Society

The journal provided a lot of detail and other members were most helpful when I thought of some rather obscure questions to ask. Well worth the membership fees.

Great Western Society (DIDCOT)

Provided a lot of information on early four and six wheeled milk tank wagons and other aspects of the GWR goods services.

Didcot Railway Centre website

The Glasgow and South Western Railway Association provided information on liveries and wagon design for inclusion in Appendix Two.

The Glasgow and South Western Railway Association website

The Great North of Scotland Railway Association have been most helpful, supplying detailed information on goods livery for inclusion in this article.

Great North of Scotland Railway Association website

Thanks are due to the North British Railway Study Group for assistance and advice in the preparation of the section on the NR railway in Appendix Two.

North British Railway Study Group website

Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Society

Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Society website

The North Eastern Railway Association provided information and guidance on NER matters for Appendix Two.

North Eastern Railway Association website

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