LMS Route: Nuneaton to Leamington

Old Milverton Lineside Views: lnwr_oldmil1465a

This close up of image 'lnwr_oldmil1465' shows ex-LNWR 'G2' 0-8-0 No 8415 in a filthy condition which demonstrates that it wasn't just in BR days that locomotives, particularly goods engines, were not cleaned on a regular basis. Whilst never as polished as passenger locomotives, goods engine prior to the First World War, were kept in a much better condition than after the war.

The railways were labour intensive in practically every area of operational life and whilst labour was cheap higher standards of cleanliness could be achieved without impacting on the profitability of the railway. Higher labour costs occurred in parallel to the development of the combustion engine the two together causing the railways both to lose business and rising costs at the same time.

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