Scattergun Euston 1837

[farnetti]

I have been reading a book, This Thing of Darkness, by Harry Thompson which was longlisted for the Booker Prize. It is a detailed, well researched and fascinating account of the Beagle voyage around the world in the early 1830's captained by Fitzroy and with Charles Darwin on board. It is, however, 750 pages long and not a holiday light read.

Anyway the point of this is that after they arrive back Darwin makes a journey from London to Birmingham by rail in 1837 which takes five hours. But this is after 'the locomotive has been pulled up to Camden by winding cables'.

I was unaware of this stage of the London to Birmingham railway. Does anyone know about it?

Ken

 

[76043]

These two websites might offer some help for your enquiry.

Rope haulage on Camden Incline - CRHT Web site

CAMDEN INCLINE WINDING ENGINE HOUSE, Camden - 1342073| Historic England

Tony

 

[adrian]

Interesting links,

FWIW according to wikipedia the Camden incline was rope hauled (1837-1844) not due to the lack of power from the loco's but because the act of parliament forbade loco's to approach London any nearer than Camden so used rope haulage to pull the coaches out of Euston to Camden.
London and Birmingham Railway - Wikipedia

Also a few more details on these pages,
Rail Album - London & Birmingham Railway - Part 1

Which includes this early plan for Euston where the top part "Unoccupied Ground belonging to the company." was set aside to accommodate the proposed terminus of the Great Western Railway - before they stopped at Paddington. Now that would have been a much better integration of the rail network!

 

[AJC]

Apropos of this (albeit at the other end corner of England a scant handful of years earlier), an eyewitness account of the earliest incarnation of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway which I somehow hadn't heard of until yesterday:

Swifter Than a Bird Flies: An Astonishing Account of Riding the First Passenger Train and How the Invention of Railroads Changed Human Consciousness

Lots of little details which add to the sense of wonder and excitement including the stationary engine-hauled section. What I'm really interested to find out about, however, is the experiment with the Snipe...

Adam

 

[John57sharp]

Thanks Adam, I really enjoyed that article.

 

[adrian]

Lots of little details which add to the sense of wonder and excitement including the stationary engine-hauled section.

Thanks for the link, a wonderful read and a very eloquent description.

inhabited by steam-engines of a stationary turn of mind, and different constitution from the traveling ones

What I'm really interested to find out about, however, is the experiment with the Snipe...

presumably the unladen swallow was not available.

Spoiler

in homage to Monty Python
View Quote ... Monty Python and the Holy Grail ... Movie Quotes Database

 

[farnetti]

Thank you all for your input. I know what I shall be reading this evening.

Ken