page_title: London, Midland and Scottish Railway
section_title: Electrification
hierarchical_section_title: London, Midland and Scottish Railway / Technical innovation / Electrification
caption_attribution_description: 'Oerlikon' electric train at Harrow and Wealdstone, Middlesex. These heavy electric trains, which were in use at this time on the services from Watford Junction to Euston and Broad Street, and also from Broad Street to Richmond, had electrical equipment by the Swiss firm of Oerlikon. They were both reliable and fast, but they caused considerable wear to the tracks, which were shared with London Transport's 'Bakerloo' tube trains. The Oerlikon trains were replaced during 1957-58 with more modern (but much less interesting) stock. These services still continue, nowadays using Class 313 and Class 508 trains.
context_page_description: The London, Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railways into four. The companies merged into the LMS included the London and North Western Railway, Midland Railway, the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, several Scottish railway companies, and numerous other, smaller ventures.
  The resulting company was an unwieldy construction, with numerous interests other than railway operation. Besides being the world's largest transport organisation, it was also the largest commercial enterprise in the British Empire and the United Kingdom's second largest employer, after the Post Office. The LMS also claimed to be the largest joint stock organisation in the world.
  In 1938, the LMS operated 6,870 miles of railway, but its profitability was generally disappointing, with a rate of return of only 2.7%. Under the Transport Act 1947, along with the other members of the "Big Four" British railway companies, the LMS was nationalised on 1 January 1948, becoming part of the state-owned British Railways.
context_section_description: The LMS operated a number of suburban lines using electric traction, in and around London, Liverpool, Manchester and Lancashire.
  Schemes in the London area generally used the four-rail system in use by tube and sub-surface railways (such as the Metropolitan Railway). Lines from Bow to Barking, Euston to Watford Junction, Broad Street to Richmond and a number of related branches and connecting lines were already electrified when the LMS came into existence, although the LMS did extend electrification from Barking to Upminster in 1932.
  In the Liverpool area, lines were electrified using a third rail, energised at 630 V DC.  Routes from Liverpool Exchange to Southport and Aintree and from Aintree to Ormskirk were already completed prior to the formation of the LMS. Lines from Birkenhead Park to West Kirby and New Brighton were added to this network in 1938.
  In Manchester, the line from Bury to Manchester Victoria had already been electrified by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway using a side-contact, third rail system. In conjunction with the LNER, the lines of the former Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway were electrified using the 1500 V DC overhead line system, opening on 11 May 1931.
  Finally the route between Lancaster and Heysham via Morecambe had been electrified by the Midland Railway using a 6600 V AC overhead system, as early as 1908.
caption: An electric multiple unit as used by the LMS in the London area, stands at Harrow and Wealdstone station after nationalisation.
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