COMPETITION: Full steam ahead with Royal Mail stamps

Great British Railways features some of the classic locomotives which powered their way around the UK, and also marks the 50th anniversary of the building of the last UK steam locomotive, British Rail’s Evening Star.

By the end of the 19th century, numerous private railway companies competed fiercly across the British Isles, but by 1923, with profits waning due to the increasing competition from cars, buses and lorries, over 120 private railway companies were merged into the Big Four.

These comprised of the London, Midland & Scottish (including the Northern Counties Committee (NCC) in Northern Ireland), the London & North Eastern, the Great Western - which celebrates its 175th anniversary this year - and the Scottish Railways.

After the Second World War, the Big Four became British Railways (BR) in 1948, and in March 1960, Evening Star brought to an end more than 130 years of steam locomotive building for Britain’s mainline railways, leaving Swindon Works in a blaze of publicity in 1960.

To be in with a chance of winning a set of the new Great British Railway stamps from Royal Mail, just answer the following question: Which of the Big Four celebrates its 175th anniversary this year?

Please include your name and address with your entry. Closing date is Wednesday, September 22 at noon. Usual rules apply and the editor's decision is final.