Summary

Heavily used cloth covered booklet setting out rules for conduct of employees and telegraph signalling procedures for the North London Railway Company, published in 1889.

The North London Railway (NLR) Company had its origins as the East & West India Docks & Birmingham Junction Railway, authorised by the British Parliament in August 1846. Originally empowered to construct an above ground railway between Poplar and the docks area of East London to Camden Town in north of the city, it was subsequently extended through collaborations with other railway companies to provide a semi-circular east-west route through northern suburbs of the city with interconnections to both the London & North Western Railway (LNWR), a successor to the London & Birmingham Railway, and the London and South Western Railway (LSWR), as well as a city terminus at Broad Street. The first section of its route opened in 1850, and the company's name was changed to the more succinct North London Railway in 1853. Operating both passenger and goods services, the NLR was unusual for such a small railway, in that it manufactured as well as maintained locomotives, carriages, wagons, and signalling equipment in its own workshops at Bow. At its peak the NLR was carrying 85,000 passenger journey a day, but by the early 20th century competition from the expanding underground network and trams was having an impact on patronage, leading to an agreement with the LNWR to take over day to day management from 1st February 1909. The NLR retained a separate board and shareholders until 1922, when it formerly amalgamated with the LNWR, before the latter organisation was absorbed into the London, Midland & Scottish (LMS) Railway the following year, and later became part of the nationalised British Railways in 1948. The NLR was operated by steam locomotives, until 1916 when the LNWR introduced partial electrification.

This copy of the Rules and Regulations Book was issued to Herbert Augustus Noltey (1888-1969) who worked for the NLR at Poplar (East India Road) Railway Station around 1903-1904, before migrating to Melbourne, Australia, in 1912. Poplar was the southern terminus of the NLR passenger service but goods trains ran through to the East India Docks. The area was heavily bombed during World War II and Poplar Station was closed in 1944. It is now the site of the All Saints Docklands Light Railway Station. The main section of the former LNR route today forms part of the North London Line of the Overground Network.

Physical Description

Book with pink coloured cloth covered cover with North London Railway Company logo impressed in centre of cover with title text below.

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