British Railways STATION MASTER'S Uniform Visor Cap displaying the British Railways gilt Brass badge depicting a demi-lion holding a wheel between its paws and rising from a crown.

Badge design CIRCA 1956

In 1956 following a 'Grant of Arms' a demi-lion holding a wheel between its paws and rising from a crown was introduced in badge form for caps

This QE2 era cap may have previously displayed the Enamel Totem badge (looks to have scars from mounting earlier badge type)

I have the older Enammelled "Totem" cap badge presently listed (NOT INCLUDED)

The stitching for the lining has given-out. EASILY repaired I would imagine with just a needle & thread, lining is still present if you want to "restore" cap

CONDITION pretty fair for a 70+-year-old cap RATHER RARE item very possibly the ONLY1 in NZ?

British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the state-owned company that operated most of the overground rail transport in Great Britain between 1948-1997.

It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies & lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages between 1994-1997.

Originally a trading brand of the Railway Executive of the British Transport Commission, it became an independent statutory corporation in 1962 designated as the British Railways Board

The period of nationalisation saw sweeping changes in the national railway network. A process of dieselisation & electrification took place, & by 1968 steam locomotion had been entirely replaced by diesel & electric traction, except for the Vale of Rheidol Railway (a narrow-gauge tourist line). Passengers replaced freight as the main source of business, & 1/3 of the network was closed by the Beeching Axe of the 1960s in an effort to reduce rail subsidies

On privatisation, responsibility for track, signalling & stations was transferred to Railtrack (which was later brought under public control as Network Rail) & that for trains to the train operating companies