Railway-owned Hotels.

In the infancy of the “Iron Way,” a railway was a carrying concern purely and simply. When he won fame with his Stockton and Darlington and Liverpool and Manchester Railway achievements, George Stephenson never visualised those undertakings engaging in any noteworthy activity beyond that of rail conveyance proper. To-day, however, subsidiary businesses conducted by the more progressive railways throughout the world rank as of immense importance. Many are in themselves highly profitable: almost all bring much grist to the railway mill.

Among the many outside activities of the Home railways that have proved to be well page 23 worth while, that of hotel operation is of outstanding note. Britain's railway-owned guest-houses to-day actually form the most important group of hotels in Europe, and the biggest railway—the London, Midland and Scottish—operates a vast chain of twenty-eight first-class hotels situated up and down the system. By the London and North Eastern line some twenty-two hotels are owned and operated; the Southern has four commodious hotels of its own; and the Great Western also operates four splendid hotels. Through hotel operation the L. M. and S. Railway annually secures a profit of about £200,000, and thousands of travellers are drawn to the rail route as a result of the convenience offered by these establishments.

Two noteworthy projects of the Home railways in recent times have been the opening of the Gleneagles Hotel of the L.M. and S. Railway, in the heart of the Scottish Highlands; and the opening by the Great Western Railway of the super-sports hotel at the Devonshire beauty spot of Moretonhampstead. In Ireland, too, the railways have launched forth as hotel-owners with marked success, and much tourist business has been brought to Erin's Isle as a direct consequence of this enterprise.