Forging Ahead
In 1948 the British railway system, was nationalised from the Big Four to the single entity of British Railways. This was a period of deep austerity, very recently after World War II and with the previous railway companies near-bankrupt and their rolling stock worn out by limited maintenance during the wartime years. Working conditions for the railways had also changed: from top-link express services fired with carefully selected Welsh steam coal, the work was now more mundane and there was a distinct shortage of labour with which to carry it out. The Locomotive Standards Committee was set up shortly after nationalisation, to agree standards for the new locomotives required. One of their tasks was also to arbitrate between the views and previous practices of the old companies who would be carrying out the design and building work.
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