The LNER was one of the ‘Big Four’ Railway Companies formed during the 1923 Grouping Act in Britain. As such it barely lasted 25 years, but in this time left a prestigious mark in British railway history. Even today, the LNER’s Gresley Pacifics are synonymous with speed and luxury. The LNER was a railway of contrasts. It was the second largest ‘Big Four’ company in terms of route miles, but was also the poorest. It was famous for its prestigious high speed trains, but gained a lot of its income from the coal fields of North East England. Routes varied from the flat agricultural land of East Anglia, to the severe curves and gradients of Scotland and the Pennines.