In
the 1830s several companies were formed with the intention of building
railways in the Midlands. This included the Midland
Counties (Nottingham to Derby)
North Midland Railway (Derby to Leeds),
York & North Midland (York to Newcastle-upon-Tyne)
and Birmingham & Derby.
The chairman of the York & North Midland, was George
Hudson. In 1844 Hudson arranged for his own company to amalgamate
with Midland Counties, North Midland
Railway and the Birmingham & Derby.
Hudson became chairman and leading shareowner of what was now known
as the Midland
Railway. This was the first large scale amalgamation of several small
railway companies into one large company.
In 1845 George Hudson added the Birmingham
& Gloucester and the Bristol & Gloucester to the Midland Company.
Hudson's companies now controlled 1,016 miles of railway track and
he obtained the title, the Railway King. A survey that year revealed
that Hudson had £319,835 invested in railway shares.
Workers at the Midland Company's
Locomotive Works in Derby (1860)
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