Southern Railway (GB)

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The Southern Railway (SR), sometimes shortened to 'Southern', was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent. The railway was formed by the amalgamation of several smaller railway companies, the largest of which were the London & South Western Railway (LSWR), the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSC) and the South Eastern & Chatham Railway (SECR). The construction of what was to become the Southern Railway began in 1838 with the opening of the London and Southampton Railway, which was renamed the London & South Western Railway.

The railway was noted for its astute use of public relations and a coherent management structure headed by Sir Herbert Walker.[1] At 2,186 miles (3,518 km), the Southern Railway was the smallest of the Big Four railway companies and, unlike the others, the majority of its revenue came from passenger traffic rather than freight. It created what was at that time the world's largest electrified main line railway system and the first electrified InterCity route (London—Brighton). There were two Chief Mechanical Engineers; Richard Maunsell between 1923 and 1937 and Oliver Bulleid from 1937 to 1948, both of whom designed new locomotives and rolling stock to replace much of that which was inherited in 1923. The Southern Railway played a vital role in the Second World War, embarking the British Expeditionary Force, during the Dunkirk operations, and supplying Operation Overlord in 1944; because the railway was primarily a passenger network, its success was an even more remarkable achievement. It continued to ply the lucrative cross-channel route as its predecessors had done.

Kingsway postcard of "Southern Railway Co's t.s. Maid of Kent". Used Nov 1930
Kingsway postcard of "Southern Railway Turbine Steamer, “Riviera”. Kingsway card S.14995
The Southern Railway Channel Steamer "Canterbury" leaving Dover. Card 9640 by E. A. Sweetman & Sons, Tunbridge Wells. Used June 1938.

SR Letter Stamps and Postal History

The two transfer types of the 4d, 1925-27 printings
Complete sheet of 12
Values from 1d to 6d for "Prepaid Newspapers at Owners's Risk". Used throughout Southern England, ca. 1925.
3d Parcel Paid stamp used as a railway letter stamp 22 Aug 1932 at Ash Vale. "To be Posted at Wloo" (Waterloo). Apparently posted on the 10.19pm it went into the post 12:15am. Ex Jackson
3d on 4d (#8)


printing date colour perf controls Paper Comments
1 1923 4d yellow green 14 10309 - 10728 cream surfaced no point after railway
2 1925 4d olive green 10 none cream transfer 1
3 1925 4d bright green 12 none greyish transfer 1
4 1925 4d dullish green 12 none grey transfer 1
5 1925 4d dark green 14 or 14x12 none grey transfer II
6 1927 4d pale green 12 none grey transfer II but very worn
7 1928 3d on 4d opt in red
8 1928 3d on 4d opt in black

Roger de Lacy-Spencer (The Railway Letter Stamps of Great Britain & Ireland 1891-1947, the author, 2000, ISBN 1-903633-01-X) suggests printings 2 & 3 were issued for the South-Eastern & Chatham section whilst printing 4 was for the London & South Western Section.

SR Parcel Stamps

Combination usage of first issue 1/- with a South East & Chatham 10d 18 June 1924.

Holborn Viaduct combination piece

First issue? Number below and boxes for number, weight and rate.

2d Cannon Street A, #42056


Large numbers in the middle.

2d. London Bridge No.3 #3451
3d. London Bridge No.3 #7407
4d. London Bridge No.3 #3048
5d. Hastings #2480
1s6d. London, Goodman's Yard #5150
2s. London Bridge No.3 #6222

Small numbers in the middle

2d. Petts Wood #444
8d. Tunbridge Wells (Central) #9781
1s3d. Cannon Street No. 1, #3230
2s. Lee #3332
5s. Tunbridge Wells (Central) #1687

Numbers at base

11d. Margate, #4540
1s St Leonards (W.S.) #7740
£10. Southampton Term. No.1 #1468

In use:

2s. Cannon Street No. 1, #556 used on label, London to Cheam per "Passenger Train Paid"
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