Tag: Railways

I’ve now reached November 1837 with my reading of the Railway Times, as that’s just how interesting I am…. It’s a little bit like a soap opera already with some lines struggling, some land owners moaning and some railways charging ahead.

An article in the newspaper read:

“CHELTENHAM and GREAT WESTERN UNION RAILWAY.

The second half-yearly Meeting of this Company was held at the Masonic Hall, Cheltenham, on the 3rd instant, William Henry Hyett, Esq., in the Chair.

The report of the Directors stated that, as many of the Proprietors desired the operations of the Company should be limited in the first instance to the completion of some portion of the line which would yield an adequate and certain return for the capital expended on it, during the progress of the remainder, they recommended the construction of that part between Swindon and Cirencester, on the following grounds—The main object of the undertaking was to effect a Railway communication between Gloucester, South Wales, and London; that on the opening of the Great Western to Swindon, and this line being completed to Cirencester, 95 contiguous miles of that communication would be established; that as Cirencester is easily accessible by excellent turnpike-roads from Stroud, Gloucester, and Cheltenham, the portion of the line between Cirencester and the Great Western would carry all the London traffic, while the remainder of the line was in progress; and that though this part of the line would yield a much less income than any other, when the whole should be completed, it would, nevertheless, in the meantime, yield a greater profit than any other portion which was not contiguous with the Great Western.

That Mr. Brunel having been desired to revise his estimates, and report the cost of the line between Cirencester and Swindon, had reported that the cost with all improvements suggested by further experience adopted on the Great Western Railway, and which he strongly recommends as productive of future economy, would be £249,500.

That the Directors had also caused the traffic to be ascertained on the same portion of the line, and that this would yield a net annual income of £25,000, after deducting the costs of maintenance.

That an arrangement had been under consideration with the Great Western Directors, which had led to an offer, sanctioned by their Proprietors at a special General Meeting, to rent the line when completed from Swindon to Cirencester, at £17,000 per annum, the lessees maintaining the way for a term not exceeding ten years.

That the Directors of this Company considered that rent would involve a serious sacrifice of income, but had secured the option to this Company of accepting or rejecting the offer till within six months of the opening of the line, as it might be satisfactory to distant Proprietors, who might not be so well acquainted with the details of the probable traffic, to know that they may rely at the least on 7 per cent. for their money.

That calls to the extent of something more than 30 per share would be required for the completion of this part of the Railway, the whole of which would not be required under two years and a-half, and would be called for by easy instalments, and that no further call would be necessary for some months.

The Meeting was numerously attended by a highly respectable class of Shareholders, who testified their unanimous approbation and adoption of the report.”

The Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway (C&GWUR) was a railway company, authorised in 1836, which was intended to create a broad gauge link between Cheltenham, Gloucester and Swindon, connecting to Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s Great Western Railway (GWR). And it was Brunel himself that was engaged with this railway setup as well.

However, the company faced significant financial difficulties and was unable to complete its ambitious plan. It only managed to open a short initial section of its line between Swindon and Cirencester in 1841, which is what was suggested in the 1837 meeting. Despite some attempts to operate as a partnership, the vital section between Cheltenham and Gloucester was actually built and opened by the competing narrow gauge Birmingham and Gloucester Railway company after the C&GWUR defaulted on its obligations.

GWR eventually bought the ailing railway up as apparently the directors were exhausted by trying to operate this line. They managed to open the stations of Purton, Minety and Cirencester in 1841 and the line is still partly still in place, but all of these stations were closed in 1964. The rather lovely Brunel designed railway station at Cirencester is standing empty, now miles away from the nearest track at Kemble. British Rail had the great idea of cutting the double track from single track at the same time in 1968, but this was returned to double track again in 2014.

There is vague talk about putting some sort of rail line into Cirencester, but it doesn’t look likely. Anyone wanting to go from Swindon to Cirencester today by public transport has to use the number 51 bus which takes around an hour, instead of a lovely shiny train which I imagine would today by operated by GWR. I’m not sure Brunel would have been pleased at his efforts being reduced to a bus service….

Back to the Railway Times (I like to mix things up on this ‘riveting’ blog….) and this is an article that they’ve republished from the Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard of November 1837.

I rather like that it summarises the debate of this exciting new form of transport which was still not winning everyone over. The article title was “The Importance of the Railways” and they still referred to the rail project as a “great experiment” which isn’t an unreasonable summary of the arrangement at the time.

As an aside, I like the use of the word “ebriety”, which I rarely see used now, it just means drunk although the word sobriety has continued in use. And there’s another interesting use of the word “characterizing” with a ‘z’ which was the frequently used spelling of the time before we’ve diverged off to prioritise our ‘s’ usage….

Most of all, it captures a snapshot of British life at the time, changing quickly and just as the population is getting used to the industrial revolution. It’s not just us today who live in interesting times.

“We beg to direct the attention of our readers to the subject of Railroads, as one destined, ere long, to produce a considerable revolution in the internal economy of this country. Some months ago the public mind was in such a ferment on this subject, and John Bull was so running riot, as he is wont to do on any matter affording scope for speculation, that the attempt to get at any sound notions, or information that could be depended upon, seemed hopeless. Now that this ebriety seems to have produced a complete lethargy, there is a chance of obtaining facts that may be relied on, and of arriving at just deductions from them.

This has become a subject of great national importance, as regards the commercial and manufacturing interests of the country. We have, hitherto, maintained a preference in the foreign markets by the comparative excellence and cheapness of our manufactures. It must be borne in mind that carriage, both of the raw material, and of the manufactured article, is, in many cases, a very important item in the cost of the latter, and that if we allow foreign countries to get the start of us, in modes of conveyance which very materially diminish expense, we shall give them a very serious advantage. It is not perhaps generally known what is going on in this way on the continents of Europe and America. In France, the following lines have been undertaken, some by the government and others by public companies: From Paris to Havre, by Rouen, 55 leagues; from Paris to Calais, 53 leagues; from Paris to Lisle, 53 leagues; from Paris to Lyons and Marseilles, 219 leagues; from Paris to Strasburg, 116 leagues; and from Paris to Bordeaux, 154 leagues. These communications are again carrying on from the Belgian frontier, as appears by the report of M. Nothcomb, the minister of public works, wherein it is stated that the Government has taken in hand an extent of 115 leagues; that the works were commenced in March, 1834, and have continued in progress, and that three sections are already open to the public. These traverse the country from the borders of France to those of Prussia. The Prussian government has fixed a line with various branches from the Belgian Railways by Aix-la-Chapelle to Cologne. In America there are upwards of 1500 miles of Railways completed, and 3000 miles reported to be in various stages of progress.

It is difficult to foresee the effect these wondrous means of communication will produce upon the value of property within their influence, upon the conveyance of commodities in different districts; on the localities of markets, and the modes of dealing, and even on the habits and manners of the people, by the great extension of intercourse which will necessarily result.

Though we are at present hardly justified in characterizing this bold and novel mode of conveyance, otherwise than as a great experiment, sufficient has been practically achieved, in particular cases, to render it morally certain that Railways will very soon entirely supersede the existing means of travelling, on all the great thoroughfares of the kingdom. It has been clearly established in practice, that, on a well-appointed Railroad, passengers can be conveyed in one-third of the time at two-thirds of the cost, with greater punctuality, with infinitely greater safety, and with much less fatigue than by the best appointed coaches now in use, excellent as they have become.

The general establishment of Railways, therefore, throughout the kingdom, is as certain as the return of the seasons. In this great commercial and manufacturing country, in which 9-10ths of the population are busily occupied a great proportion of the 24 hours, economy of time is of more consequence than economy of money; and the public will never submit to any system of transit, while another can be devised at once saving of time and money. Experience has shown us, that if coaches between two places, say 100 miles distant, have performed the journey in 12 hours, and a new coach starts and performs the same journey in eleven hours, the former must quicken their speed, or they will be driven off the road. The same result happens, if one coach conveys passengers for a few shillings less fare than those previously established. It having been demonstrated that the means exist of conveying passengers the 100 miles in four hours, at two-thirds of the cost, and with much less bodily fatigue, no man can doubt that the public will yield them.

Railways are so expensive in their construction, that they cannot be multiplied like ordinary roads. Their course and position, therefore, become a matter of the deepest interest to all persons of property, or who are engaged in trade, commerce, or manufacture, as there can be no question, but that the districts traversed by these lines, or in close communication with them, will derive advantages which will greatly enhance the value of property, as compared with that which is more remote. We entertain no doubt that, ere long, in advertisements for the sale of property, the advantage most prominently put forth will be, that it is within a certain distance of this or that Railway. It behoves, therefore, all those interested in any particular district, to bear an eye in time to this subject, and not allow their more foresighted neighbours to steal a march upon them.”

As I’m still reading through the Railway Times (I’ve reached the second issue now), this is from November 1837 and the London & Birmingham Railway has now managed to reach Tring. Although the railway station wasn’t built that near to Tring, the excited local population funded part of a new road to make it more accessible to residents.

They reached Tring on 16 October 1837 and it would be on 17 September 1838 that the full line between London Euston and Birmingham was opened. The glorious station and the Euston Arch were constructed in 1837, but the disaster that was the nationalised British Rail pulled it all down in the 1960s. But, that’s a different story.

Reading the Railway Times it’s evident just how exciting the advent of the new rail era actually was, the country was opening up and there were all manner of opportunities ahead. I was going to note that I’ve never been to Tring, but I’ve remembered that we walked through it when walking the Ridgeway a few years ago.

This advert in the Railway Times in 1837 is the turning point for long-distance transportation in the country. The Red Rover stagecoach route from London to Manchester was being re-established, but the sands of time weren’t in the favour of the service. The Red Rover service had been quite decadent, the drivers were well-paid and wore smart red hats and they were fined if their service was delayed (making them slightly less well-paid).

This stagecoach website mentions:

“LONDON – MANCHESTER. ‘THE RED ROVER’
London (Bull & Mouth, St Martins-le-Grand), Barnet, St Albans, Dunstable, Fenny Stratford, Stony Stratford, Towcester, Daventry, Coventry, Birmingham, Lichfield, Rugeley, Stafford, Stone, Newcastle-under- Lyme, Congleton, Wilmslow, Manchester
– Distance 187 miles. Journey time 20 hours
– Depart London at 8.30amManchester at 8.00am
– 4 seats inside, 8 outside
– Operator E Sherman & Co Numbers 3448, 3493″

On 17 September 1838, the rail service between London and Birmingham opened and the service between Manchester and Birmingham had already opened in 1837. The stagecoach services didn’t last much after this, most of the London services had ceased by the early 1840s.

Since I’m now obsessed with this new archive, something that I hadn’t given much thought about is how in 1837 they were starting to wonder how they were going to connect England and Scotland by rail.

The businesses in Scotland were quite exercised by this, the opportunity for new trading opportunities started to become available and the initial thought was that this was all so complex and expensive that there would only be one line needed.

The very first comprehensive rail link between the English and Scottish networks wasn’t created until 1846 by the North British Railway, which opened its line from Edinburgh down to Berwick-upon-Tweed. This route connected the Scottish capital to the burgeoning English railway system, although it was not a continuous track journey into London initially, as it involved two “water breaks” which were crossings of the River Tweed at Berwick and the River Tyne at Newcastle, which necessitated road or ferry transfers. Only later, when bridges were built, did passengers finally get to stay comfortably aboard without the indignity of a ferry detour. It also transpired that the North British Railway made more of their money from transporting minerals around the place than they did from their passenger services.

A fully continuous, uninterrupted railway line between the two capitals for the first time came shortly after with the opening of the Caledonian Railway’s (and they were the big rivals of North British Railway with absolutely no love lost there at all) main line between Glasgow and Carlisle on 15 February 1848, which then linked to the English London and North Western Railway, finally establishing a complete, high-speed rail route between Glasgow and London.

I accept that this might not be very interesting to either of my two loyal readers, but I am very excited to discover that the British Newspaper Archive have just put on 3,295 issues of the Railway Times starting from 1837. The aim of their new journal was to focus on many railway related stories, but they also took a view that they should comment and report on wider news matters.

Expect a wave of quite ‘riveting’ posts of things that I find that are interesting….