An introduction to the Southern

摘要

It may not have been quite so distinctive in style as the GWR, but the 'sunshine' lettering, art deco stations and splendid locomotive names of the Southern brought a touch of class to a railway once undeservedly described by an LMS official as "that tramway" - a derisory comment related to the SR's relative absence of freight traffic compared with the other three members of the 'Big Four'. The competent management of the SR has much to do with Sir Herbert Walker, general manager for the first 14 years of its existence. He was the visionary who turned the 'Southern Electric' into a network of tidy trains running to time on even-interval departures and today, 60 years after Nationalisation, the Southern remains the 'Big Four' company most recognisable as part of the modern railway - its three main constituents are virtually mirrored by modern privatised train operators and one even carries a green liven' and the brand name 'Southern'.