Timeline Date Period

H. P. M. Beames succeeds Charles Bowen-Cooke as Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Western Railway.

The Abermule train collision was a head-on collision which occurred at Abermule, Montgomeryshire, Wales on 26 January 1921, killing 17 people. The crash arose from misunderstandings between staff which effectively overrode the safe operation of the Electric Train Tablet system protecting the single line. A train departed carrying the wrong tablet for the section it was entering and collided with a train coming the other way.

Publication in the United Kingdom of the Railways Act 1921, which provided for the amalgamation of British railway companies into four large groups, "The Big Four", with effect from January 1, 1923.

All major railways in Great Britain are amalgamated into the "Big Four" companies, the Great Western Railway, London and North Eastern Railway, London, Midland and Scottish Railway and Southern Railway, under terms of Railways Act 1921.

London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) takes delivery of express passenger 4-6-2 steam locomotive Flying Scotsman from its Doncaster Works.

Great Western Railway (Great Britain) takes delivery of its first 'Castle' Class 4-6-0 express passenger steam locomotive from its Swindon Works, No. 4073 Caerphilly Castle.

Death of Henry Ivatt, Chief Mechanical Engineer of Great Northern Railway of England 1896-1911 Born16 September 1851.

London, Midland and Scottish Railway opens the luxury Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland.

Sir Henry Fowler succeeds George Hughes as Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.

Opening of Khyber Pass Railway, from Peshawar to Landi Kotal.

U.K. General Strike commences, continuing to affect railways until May 12.

Great Western Railway introduced the Atlantic Coast Express introduced. Leaving Waterloo at 11am for Devon and Cornwall destinations.

The Hull Paragon rail accident in England kills 12 people.

Garratt locomotives 2-6-0 + 0-6-2 introduced on Toton-Brent coal trains. A total of 33 of these locomotives were built by Beyer Peacock.

Great Western Railway takes delivery of its first 'King' Class 4-6-0 express passenger steam locomotive from its Swindon Works, No. 6000 King George V.

Opening of Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway on the English Channel coast (8.25 mi (13 km) of 15 in (381 mm) gauge).

Royal Scot class of locomotives introduced by LMS built in Derby.

The Sevenoaks railway accident in England kills 13.

Official opening of London Post Office Railway.

Third class sleeping cars are introduced on those British railways providing such a service.

Charfield railway disaster: London, Midland and Scottish Railway night mail train crashes into shunting goods train following signal passed at danger at Charfield, Gloucestershire: 16 killed.

Great Western Railway of England commences series production at its Swindon Works of ’Hall’ Class 4-6-0 steam locomotives, of which there will eventually be 339.

First of an eventual 863 Great Western Railway 5700 Class 0-6-0 pannier tank steam locomotives to C. B. Collett's design completed at its Swindon Works, England.

Golden Arrow 1st class Pullman service introduced Victoria-Dover and Calais-Paris.

The Southern Railway celebrates the 21st "birthday" of the Southern Belle passenger train with ceremonies at each end of the train's route between London and Brighton.

Underground Electric Railways Company of London officially opens its notable new headquarters building at 55 Broadway, above St. James's Park tube station, designed by
Charles Holden.