Passenger Brakes

[Caledonian]

Idly looking at photos of Scottish railways (as one does) I was struck by what seems to be a distinct difference in policy on the marshalling of passenger trains between the LNER and the LMS. The latter seem to have been pretty consistent in topping and tailing trains with a brake of some kind. On LNER and ex-LNER trains on the other hand, most of the photos (I'm excluding the big ECML workings) show ordinary passenger stock marshalled next to the engine. This isn't invariably the case but it certainly seems to be the case on the majority of workings.

Was this general LNER practice, or largely a Scottish thing?

[industrial]

It has been stated that the LMS used a full brake behind the engine as the first coach in the train is normaly the worst damaged in an accident so there will be less injury to the passangers for this reason. The LNER with the buckeye coupling coaches were less lickly to concertins into each other causing more injuy.

[Caledonian]

Thanks, that sounds a pretty sensible explanation.

[Bill Bedford]

Idly looking at photos of Scottish railways (as one does) I was struck by what seems to be a distinct difference in policy on the marshalling of passenger trains between the LNER and the LMS. The latter seem to have been pretty consistent in topping and tailing trains with a brake of some kind. On LNER and ex-LNER trains on the other hand, most of the photos (I'm excluding the big ECML workings) show ordinary passenger stock marshalled next to the engine. This isn't invariably the case but it certainly seems to be the case on the majority of workings.

Was this general LNER practice, or largely a Scottish thing?

Most photographs of trains, especially those taken pre-war, were taken on summer Saturdays so you cannot draw any conclusions about the make up a ordinary weekday trains from photographs. As far as I'm aware it was the standard practice of all British railways to make up rakes with brakes at both ends. This enabled the rakes to be used in both directions. Vans and through carriages could be added at either end depending of the working they were assigned to. Likewise extra coaches added for peak traffic.