 The earliest agreements were reached with the LNWR . In 1849 an agreement was reached where LNWR traffic could work over the NSR system but in exchange a certain amount of the LNWR London trains had to be routed via Stoke . These Manchester to London Euston restaurant car expresses were unique in often being hauled by NSR tank engines from Manchester to Stoke @-@ on @-@ Trent where the LNWR express engines took over for the run via Stone , Sandon , Colwich , and the main line to London Euston . The NSR received a payment for every through passenger on these trains and employed a small army of ticket inspectors to examine and clip ( with its distinctive ' P ' clip ) every ticket during the Stoke @-@ on @-@ Trent station stop . The agreement did give the NSR access to destinations such as Llandudno , Manchester , Stafford , Wolverhampton and Buxton . NSR goods trains were able to run to places such as Liverpool and Rugby . The LNWR also used running rights over the Uttoxeter – Ashbourne line to run through coaches from Buxton to London via Nuneaton . As well as the running power agreements with the LNWR there was a very short joint line of 32 chains ( 644 m ) at Middlewood and three jointly owned stations ; Ashbourne , Colwich and Macclesfield Goods . 
