• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

British Rail Divisions

Status
Not open for further replies.

LAX54

Established Member
Joined
15 Jan 2008
Messages
3,753
Very true....although, IIRC, the Central Division HQ was actually in the nearby Essex House, where I did my guard's passing out exam in 1983. Southern House contained various Southern Region HQ departments as a sort of overspill from Waterloo.
Yes, the CD HQ was at Essex House, the ER Norwich Division HQ on Prince of Wales Road, was very similar in design
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Springs Branch

Established Member
Joined
7 Nov 2013
Messages
1,418
Location
Where my keyboard has no £ key
The London Midland public timetables included lists of senior managers and their jobs.
I used to like the way those regional timetables included the names, full postal addresses and phone numbers of senior managers.

Just the ticket when pulling out the Basildon Bond & First Class stamp to pen off a strongly-worded letter of complaint - Reginald Perrin-style - about the continued delays due to badgers on the points at Clapham Junction.


The one thing I associate with the creation of the divisions, was the ugly, brutalist office-blocks that were built to house many of them. . . . . . The NER excelled - not
Does anyone happen to know the purpose of the 1960s-era office block in York known as Holgate Villa?

This was at the corner of Holgate Rd and Lowther Terrace and built to house some significant BR admin function - possibly by the North Eastern Region at the time of construction.


[Reason for asking: The building is now converted to apartments and has a much-improved appearance compared to the brutalist original, enhanced by (hopefully non-flammable) cladding. On my last visit to York, I spent a week in an Air BnB there. Great apartment, high up and facing the south end of York station. Each evening, with Mrs S.B. liking to retire early, I'd settle in on the couch by the window and watch the ECML comings and goings, accompanied by the odd snack, a can or two of beer and Realtime Trains running on the iPad. With the windows cracked open, you could even hear the station announcements. And when you'd had enough, it was just a couple of steps to jump into bed. Train spotting de luxe!]
 

Clarence Yard

Established Member
Joined
18 Dec 2014
Messages
2,461
In my copy of the Winter 1955-56 Scottish Region Passenger Timetable, no Divisional Managers are listed. However, in the Summer 1961 edition three Divisional managers are listed, viz. G.L.Nicholson, Glasgow & South West Division; J.M. Fleming, East Coast Division (Edinburgh) and H.M.Herbert, Northern Division (Inverness). By the Summer 1963 timetable, the same three divisions existed, but the Glasgow & South Western Divisional Manager's post was vacant.

The Scottish Divisions were abolished in 1969, a long time before the ones on the other regions.

The KX divisional office was G.N.House, on the Euston Road, opposite what is now the British Library. It was built in the 1950’s and was the G.N. Line Manager’s HQ before the Line organisation was dismantled, being replaced by the Divisions reporting to HQ.

It was owned by the Worshipful Company of Skinners (the owner’s name had to be on the fire certificate!) and leased to BR. When the lease ended (a few years after the divisions finished), it was converted into a YHA Youth Hostel. It has a slightly odd shape, being built around the pub on the corner.

I used to work in the “KM” (divisional maintenance) in Room 208, overlooking the old entrance to Camden Town Hall where, in the 1970’s, there used to be frequent demo’s and speechifying by the likes of Ken Livingstone.
 
Joined
21 Oct 2012
Messages
929
Location
Wilmslow
Does anyone happen to know the purpose of the 1960s-era office block in York known as Holgate Villa?

This was at the corner of Holgate Rd and Lowther Terrace and built to house some significant BR admin function - possibly by the North Eastern Region at the time of construction.
Sadly the original York station was demolished for the monstrous Holgate Villa - it was built when the NER and ER were merged as overflow offices to the main NE Rly HQ building. (Now also a hotel).
 

D6130

Established Member
Joined
12 Jan 2021
Messages
5,652
Location
West Yorkshire/Tuscany
I used to like the way those regional timetables included the names, full postal addresses and phone numbers of senior managers.
Yes....but of course when you 'phoned those numbers, you got through to the Divisonal Office switchboard....who put you through to the appropriate public relations department. Likewise, the Basildon Bond envelope would be opened by a fairly junior clerk and then directed to the appropriate department. I suspect that the aforesaid senior managers very rarely saw any of the individual comments and complaints, unless it was a very serious matter like severe staff misconduct or attempted fraud.
 

Tio Terry

Member
Joined
2 May 2014
Messages
1,178
Location
Spain
Yes, the CD HQ was at Essex House, the ER Norwich Division HQ on Prince of Wales Road, was very similar in design


I don't think Grosvenor House was ever designed as a BR building, it was leased by BR. I worked in there for several years!

I understand it has now been converted into apartments.
 

LAX54

Established Member
Joined
15 Jan 2008
Messages
3,753
I don't think Grosvenor House was ever designed as a BR building, it was leased by BR. I worked in there for several years!

I understand it has now been converted into apartments.
Yes, BR just had a couple of floors if I recall...from my Form 1 visits ! lol, (with Mr Eccles) but the look and layout both inside and outside was very similar to Essex House, but was handy for some Fried Chicken :)
 

Tio Terry

Member
Joined
2 May 2014
Messages
1,178
Location
Spain
Yes, BR just had a couple of floors if I recall...from my Form 1 visits ! lol, (with Mr Eccles) but the look and layout both inside and outside was very similar to Essex House, but was handy for some Fried Chicken :)
Estates were on Floor 6
S&T Floor 5
Civils to the rear of Floor 4, Control and Ops to the front of 4
Divisional Manager Floor 3
Telegraph and telephone exchange to the front of 2, not sure who was at the rear of 2.
Floor 1 and Ground were not BR (although some staff "camped"on the Ground floor).
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top