The Railway Clearing House in the British Economy 1842-1922
Over 120 railway companies operated in Britain before the First World War. Without the services performed by the Railway Clearing House from 1842 onwards, the passenger and trader would have suffered great inconvenience whenever railways had to be employed over longer distances than those covered by a single company. But the Clearing House did much more than settle accounts between different companies concerned with through traffic. It established a common classification of goods; standardized signalling systems and telegraphic codes, organized a lost property office, and provided a neutral meeting ground for general managers to establish their pooling agreements and rate conferences. It was the nerve centre of the railway for the best part of a century. At one time more than 2,500 clerks were employed in its huge offices near Euston Station. The author has used the ample official records, only recently made available, to reconstruct the story of the Railway Clearing House, and to show the vital role it has played in the development of British railways and the growth of the economy.
Hardback with dust jacket, 14x22cm, 320 pages, black & white photographs
Condition: Good/Very Good
ISBN: 9780043310373
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