38-723: Eastern National was a bus company operating in south-east England, primarily in Essex, from 1929 to the 1990s. Eastern National Omnibus Company commenced operating in 1929 as a joint venture between the London and North Eastern Railway , the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and the National Omnibus & Transport Company. The National company had originated in 1909 as the National Steam Car Company, operating steam bus services in London . The London services ceased in 1919, when
76-572: A Traffic Apprenticeship Scheme to attract graduates, train young managers and provide supervision by assistant general manager Robert Bell for career planning. The company adopted a regional managerial system, with general managers based in London, York and Edinburgh, and for a short time, Aberdeen. For passenger services, Sir Nigel Gresley , the Chief Mechanical Engineer built new powerful locomotives and new coaches. Later developments such as
114-527: A free hand. William Barribal designed a series of bold Art Deco posters in the 1920s and 1930s. When Teasdale was promoted to Assistant General Manager, this philosophy was carried on by Cecil Dandridge who succeeded him and was the Advertising Manager until nationalisation in 1948. Dandridge was largely responsible for the adoption of the Gill Sans typeface, later adopted by British Railways. The LNER
152-452: A railway station. Basildon station was opened by British Rail on 25 November 1974. In September 2022, the down (towards Southend) platform was partially closed, preventing 12-carriage trains from calling at the station in that direction. The station has two platforms, both located on the upper level. The ticket hall houses a retail unit as well as self-service ticket machines. The ticket office has three serving positions. Basildon
190-457: Is 24 miles 26 chains (39.1 km) down the main line from London Fenchurch Street and is situated between Laindon to the west and Pitsea to the east. Its three-letter station code is BSO. The station and all its trains are currently operated by c2c . The "Pitsea direct" line of the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway was opened between East Horndon and Pitsea on 1 June 1888 and allowed trains between London and Southend to avoid
228-482: The LNER Musical Society comprised a number of amateur male-voice choirs , based at Doncaster , Leicester , Huddersfield , Peterborough , Selby and elsewhere, which annually combined for a performance in London under their musical director Leslie Woodgate . Basildon railway station Basildon railway station is on the London, Tilbury and Southend line , serving the town of Basildon , Essex. It
266-706: The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS), the LNER was co-owner of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway , the UK's biggest joint railway, much of which competed with the LNER's own lines. The M&GNJR was incorporated into the LNER in 1936. In 1933, on the formation of the London Passenger Transport Board , the LNER acquired the remaining operations of the Metropolitan Railway Company. The LNER
304-513: The 1920s, but the legal powers of the railway companies (after 1922 the Big Four ) to run bus services were unclear and each promoted private legislation (the Road Powers Acts of 1928) to obtain clarity. One result was that the railways were in future to refrain from taking a controlling interest in bus undertakings. This led the companies to enter into partnerships with the bus companies, including
342-578: The East Coast Main Line was won by Sea Containers Ltd , who named the new operating company Great North Eastern Railway (GNER), a name and initials deliberately chosen to echo the LNER. Following the collapse of Virgin Trains East Coast in May 2018, the newly-nationalised operator of the East Coast Main Line was named London North Eastern Railway to evoke the earlier company. During the 1930s,
380-647: The East Midlands and Yorkshire to the north east of England and Scotland. The 1923 grouping meant that former rivals within the LNER had to work together. The task of creating an instantly recognisable public image went to William M. Teasdale, the first advertising manager. Teasdale was influenced by the philosophies and policies of Frank Pick , who controlled the style and content of the London Underground's widely acclaimed poster advertising. Teasdale did not confine his artists within strict guidelines but allowed them
418-545: The LMS and the Corporation. In 1935, with the LMS, Wilson Line of Hull and others it formed the shipping company Associated Humber Lines Ltd. In 1938 it was reported that the LNER, with 800 mechanical horse tractors, was the world's largest owner of this vehicle type. The LNER operated a number of ships , including three rail ferries . In total, 6 turbine and 36 other steamers, and river boats and lake steamers were used by
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#1732881080688456-537: The National. In 1929 the London and North Eastern Railway, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and the National formed Eastern National Omnibus Company, to which all three shareholders transferred their bus operations in Essex, Hertfordshire , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire . In 1931, a controlling interest in the National Omnibus was acquired by the Tilling Group . From then on Eastern National
494-518: The collection of the St Bride Library . Gill Sans was retained by the Railway Executive in 1948, although modified for signage, and Gill Sans was the official typeface until British Rail replaced it in the mid 1960s with Rail Alphabet for signs and Helvetica or Univers for printed matter. Continental shipping services were provided from Harwich Parkeston Quay. The company took up
532-654: The company during its existence. The most common liveries were lined apple green on passenger locomotives (much lighter and brighter than the green used by the Great Western Railway ) and unlined black on freight locomotives, both with gold lettering. Passenger carriages were generally varnished teak (wood) finish; the few metal-panelled coaches were painted to represent teak. Some special trains and A4 Pacific locomotives were painted differently, including silver-grey and garter blue. The LNER covered quite an extensive area of Britain, from London through East Anglia,
570-655: The company was renamed National Omnibus & Transport Company. The company expanded outside London, first in Essex (1913), where the company bought the bus operations of the Great Eastern Railway around Chelmsford , and later in Bedfordshire (1919), Gloucestershire (1919), Somerset (1920), Dorset (1921), and Devon and Cornwall (1927). The National continued to expand in Essex, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. The railways developed networks of feeder bus services in
608-531: The company's operations in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, North Hertfordshire and Huntingdonshire were transferred to United Counties ,; control of Westcliff Motor Services was transferred to Eastern National. On 1 January 1963, Eastern National was included in the transfer of the British Transport Commission's transport assets to the state-owned Transport Holding Company , which in turn passed to
646-437: The garage at Castle Road, near Clacton town centre, which was later redeveloped as flats. There was an outstation of Clacton at Walton-on-the-Naze , until May 1996. This was a small garage at Kino Road, just off the seafront, and housed four vehicles. Walton had the depot code of WN and was demolished in 1998, with bungalows built on the site. However, the enquiry office survives as a gift shop. The predecessor of Walton garage
684-400: The longer route via Tilbury, significantly reducing journey times. Laindon station opened with the new line in 1888 and Pitsea, originally opened in 1855, became a junction station . Basildon was designated a new town on 4 January 1949. Laindon and Pitsea stations fell within the new town boundary, albeit on the periphery. As was the case at other new towns, it took many years to deliver
722-807: The most westerly track and stations in Great Britain, in the form of the West Highland Railway to Arisaig and Mallaig , previously owned by the North British Railway. The LNER inherited four of London's termini: Fenchurch Street (ex- London and Blackwall Railway ; King's Cross (ex- Great Northern Railway ); Liverpool Street (ex- Great Eastern Railway ); and Marylebone (ex- Great Central Railway ). In addition, it ran suburban services to Broad Street ( London, Midland and Scottish Railway ) and Moorgate ( Metropolitan Railway , later London Transport ). The LNER owned: In partnership with
760-551: The offer in 1933 of government loans at low interest rates and electrified the lines from Manchester to Sheffield and Wath yard, and also commuter lines in the London suburban area. The LNER inherited: It took shares in a large number of bus companies, including for a time a majority stake in United Automobile Services Ltd. In Halifax and Sheffield , it participated in Joint Omnibus Committees with
798-420: The public to visit the holiday destinations of the east coast in the summer. The company was nationalised in 1948 along with the rest of the railway companies of Great Britain to form British Railways . It continued to exist as a legal entity for nearly two more years, being formally wound up on 23 December 1949. On the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, the franchise to run long distance express trains on
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#1732881080688836-491: The standard typeface for the company. Soon it appeared on every facet of the company's identity, from metal locomotive nameplates and hand-painted station signage to printed restaurant car menus, timetables and advertising posters. The LNER promoted their rebranding by offering Eric Gill a footplate ride on the Flying Scotsman express service; he also painted for it a signboard in the style of Gill Sans, which survives in
874-474: The state-owned National Bus Company on 1 January 1969. In 1964 it advertised the following Express Services:- As part of the privatisation of the National Bus Company, Eastern National was sold in a management buyout . In 1990, Eastern National passed to Badgerline . Badgerline divided the company into two: Thamesway Buses in the south of Essex and Eastern National in the north. Eastern National
912-471: The streamlined Silver Jubilee train of 1935 were exploited by the LNER publicity department, and embedded the non-stop London to Edinburgh services such as the Flying Scotsman in the public imagination. The crowning glory of this time was the world record speed of 126 miles per hour (203 km/h) achieved on a test run by LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard . In 1929, the LNER chose the typeface Gill Sans as
950-788: Was 106.5 miles (171.4 km). It covered the area north and east of London . It included the East Coast Main Line from London to Edinburgh via York and Newcastle upon Tyne and the routes from Edinburgh to Aberdeen and Inverness . It also included the Great Central Main Line , from London Marylebone to Sheffield . Most of the country east of the Pennines was within its purview, including East Anglia . The main workshops were in Doncaster , with others at Darlington , Inverurie and Stratford, London . The company also owned
988-456: Was Warners Iron Foundry at Naze Park Road, a building stands to this day. This had its origins with Silver Queen. Colchester garage was located on Queen Street, which was on the site of the Theatre Royal that burned down circa 1917. Until 1973, Eastern National had a one bus outstation at West Mersea , acquired from Primrose Bus Service in 1935. The building there survive, but, in 1979, it
1026-452: Was a very industrial company: hauling more than a third of Britain's coal, it derived two thirds of its income from freight. Despite this, the main image presented was one of glamour, of fast trains and sophisticated destinations. Advertising was highly sophisticated and advanced compared with those of its rivals. Teasdale and Dandridge commissioned top graphic designers and poster artists such as Tom Purvis to promote its services and encourage
1064-471: Was closed. Maldon was a full depot until 1993, when it became an outstation. South Woodham Ferrers (SW) was an outstation with the allocation of one bus in the late 1980s. Southend depot was originally sited on London Road, but closed in 1987 and has now disappeared under a Sainsbury's store. Operations moved to a new site in Prittlewell . Silver End depot was acquired when Moore Brothers of Kelvedon
1102-586: Was divided into the new British Railways ' Eastern Region , North Eastern Region , and partially the Scottish Region . The company was the second largest created by the Railways Act 1921 . The principal constituents of the LNER were: The total route mileage was 6,590 miles (10,610 km). The North Eastern Railway had the largest route mileage of 1,757 miles (2,828 km), whilst the Hull and Barnsley Railway
1140-610: Was heavily modified to become part of a new leisure centre. Service buses still terminate outside and locals still refer to it as West Mersea bus station . Until 1969, Eastern National also had a one bus outstation in Victoria Place, Brightlingsea . This was acquired with the business of Berry & Sons in 1937. Canvey (CY) depot closed in April 1978 and has since become a transport museum. Harwich depot at Harwich bus station, off Main Road,
1178-563: Was included in the June 1995 merger of Badgerline with GRT Group to form FirstBus . FirstBus combined the two operations and renamed the company First Essex . The following locations hosted depots to maintain Eastern National's fleet: Brentwood depot was a small site, located near to the High Street on North Road. The site us now occupied by a Sainsbury's supermarket. Braintree depot
Eastern National Omnibus Company - Misplaced Pages Continue
1216-535: Was located on New Writtle Street, with some maintenance duties carried out at the 1930s bus station on Duke Street. Chelmsford had an outstation at Great Dunmow (DW). Clacton depot had been sited at Telford Road, on the Gorse Lane industrial estate, since 1988 at premises previously occupied by Coastal Red, a one-time competitor on the Tendring peninsular who were later bought by Eastern National. Telford Road replaced
1254-400: Was opened by Eastern National in 1974. It replaced the old Dovercourt depot at Kingsway, whose building is now used as a public library. Hadleigh garage is located on London Road, just west of Hadleigh shopping centre. It is a former Westcliff-on-Sea Motor Services depot, controlled by Eastern National from 1955. Hadleigh expanded its operations in 1992, after Southend's Prittlewell depot
1292-595: Was opened to support the CityBus operations in east London. Ponders End (PD) was an outstation. [REDACTED] Media related to Eastern National Omnibus Company at Wikimedia Commons London and North Eastern Railway The London and North Eastern Railway ( LNER ) was the second largest (after LMS ) of the " Big Four " railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain. It operated from 1 January 1923 until nationalisation on 1 January 1948. At that time, it
1330-538: Was run as a Tilling company, although the railways retained their shares until 1948. In 1948, the railways were nationalised and, shortly after, the Tilling Group sold its bus interests to the government. Eastern National therefore became a state-owned company, under the control of the British Transport Commission . The new regime resulted in rationalisation of the company's area of operations. In 1952,
1368-499: Was situated on Fairfield Road, in the town centre. Fairfield Road had originally been used by Hicks Brothers, a bus operator which Eastern National took over in 1949. A house adjacent to the old depot site survives, to remind us of a link with the Hicks era. Basildon depot is located on Cherrydown East, near to Basildon railway station . It was opened by Eastern National in 1961 to replace premises at Bull Road, Vange. Chelmsford depot
1406-467: Was taken over by ENOC in 1963. Rationalisation brought about the depot's first closure in December 1965; however, after extensive refurbishment, it reopened on 31 October 1974. Unfortunately, the need to cut costs meant that the depot had to close for good on 6 August 1988. Operations were transferred to surrounding depots and the service provided for Silver End reduced to a basic hourly service. This depot
1444-901: Was the majority partner in the Cheshire Lines Committee and the Forth Bridge Railway Company . It depended on freight from heavy industry in Yorkshire, the north east of England and Scotland, and its revenue was reduced by the economic depression for much of the early part of its existence. In a bid to improve financial efficiency, staffing levels reduced from 207,500 in 1924 to 175,800 in 1937. For investment to retain freight traffic, new marshalling yards were built in Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire, and Hull in Yorkshire to attempt to retain freight traffic. Sir Ralph Wedgwood introduced
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