Docks & Inland Waterways Executive

[Ashley Hill]

The above was created in 1948 and abolished by the British Transport Commission in 1962. What is known about this Executive, presumably it looked after the Commission’s interests in Britains waterways?
Here’s a picture of what appears to be their uniform buttons.

 

[Rescars]

AIUI, the British Transport Commission was set up in 1947 to take responsibility for nationalised transport in the UK. It oversaw the work of five Executives. One of these was the Docks and Inland Waterways Executive. The others were Railways (which traded as British Railways), Hotels, London Transport and Road Transport. This whole governance structure proved very bureaucratic, top-heavy and costly, so it was gradually abolished. The assets of the Docks and Inland Waterways Executive were passed on to British Waterways in 1963.

 

[stuving]

AIUI, the British Transport Commission was set up in 1947 to take responsibility for nationalised transport in the UK. It oversaw the work of five Executives. One of these was the Docks and Inland Waterways Executive. The others were Railways (which traded as British Railways), Hotels, London Transport and Road Transport. This whole governance structure proved very bureaucratic, top-heavy and costly, so it was gradually abolished. The assets of the Docks and Inland Waterways Executive were passed on to British Waterways in 1963.

Surely only the inland waterways went to BW. The docks and seaports went into the British Transport Docks Board on 1962, and were later privatised as ABP.

 

[Ashley Hill]

It seems this was a very overlooked part of the British Transport Commission.

 

[Rescars]

Surely only the inland waterways went to BW. The docks and seaports went into the British Transport Docks Board on 1962, and were later privatised as ABP.

Yes, of course.

It seems this was a very overlooked part of the British Transport Commission.

Very much unloved!

Remarkable just how influential Tom Rolt was to become in both railway preservation and the renaissance of the canal network.

 

[John Webb]

.....Remarkable just how influential Tom Rolt was to become in both railway preservation and the renaissance of the canal network.

Indeed - although his railway preservation came after a major disagreement between him and other members of the Inland Waterways Association, particularly fellow-founder Aickman, which led to his departure from the IWA at the time he was involved with the setting up of the Talyllyn Preservation Society. (He'd first come across the Talyllyn in 1943 while on holiday.)

 

[Dr Hoo]

It seems this was a very overlooked part of the British Transport Commission.

But not overlooked by the energetic Ernest Marples (Transport Act 1962) or Dr Richard Beeching (Last Chairman of the BTC who had the task of actually splitting the various parts of it up).

Both the docks and the inland waterways survived and went on to greater things by embracing new opportunities such as containerisation and pleasure cruising.