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London and Blackwall Railway

A tramway was proposed along Commercial Road to West India Docks in London in 1825, but this failed to get the necessary support in Parliament in 1827-28. In 1835, George Stephenson was engaged as engineer to build steam railway along the south of Commercial Road, but he advised a route along the north side of the road. A new company, the Commercial Road Railway, with John Rennie as engineer, proposed a competing railway along the south side to be worked by steam locomotives. George Stephenson argued that steam locomotives would present too high a risk of fire for the rope walks and ship yards on the bank of the river, and his son Robert Stephenson agreed when questioned by the House of Commons committee.[Polepp=227-230]

Whishaw p.254-257

Act 28 July 1836, second Act 1939 for Fenchurch Street extension.[LW]

The 3 mi railway descended from Minories to Blackwall.[p. 254-257] From Minories station it was carried on a 4025 yd 285 arch brick viaduct to West India Dock road; the viaduct was topped with iron railings, making it quieter than the brick walls of the London and Greenwich Railway viaduct.[p. 259] For the 1/2 mi there was embankment before, the line entered a cutting to Blackwall.[ p. 260] There were two 5 ft gauge tracks, known as the north line and the south line. Four steam engines provided the motive power, two rated at 115 hp at Minories and two 74 hp 3.105 mi away at Blackwall; the working pressure was 4+1/2 psi. Each line has more than twice the length of 5+3/4 in circumference rope between two 23 ft diameter rope wheels.[p.261-264]

To travel from a terminus station, a passenger would board a train, which left under the power of the steam engine at the other end. Each carriage had a guard standing at the front, approaching the first station the guard on the last carriage removes its coupling pin, disconnecting it from the rest of the train, and then applying the brake stopping the carriage at the platform. This is repeated, one or more carriages being left behind at each station, until the last carriages arrive to the terminus. At the intermediate stations the carriages would be attached to the rope, the engine started, and the train is reassembled as the carriages arrive in turn at the terminus. The mechanism for attaching and detaching the carriages was designed by Bidder;[p.268] and a Wheatstone and Cook electric telegraph was used to communicate between the stations and the operators of the steam engines.[p. 269]

There were fifty or fifty-one services a day;[p. 265] There was a train every fifteen minutes between 8:30 am and 9 pm in the winter and 8 am to 10 pm in the summer.[p. 83] The six-wheeled carriages were painted dark blue and first-class and third class accommodation was provided. First Class compartments could hold ten people; twenty people stood in the third class compartments, also known as Stanhope or stand-up[LW]. The fare from Minres to Blackwall was 6d first class and 4d third class; Edmondson tickets were used. Whishaw saw respectably dressed people travelling third class.[pp. 266-267]

After the extension to Fenchurch Street was opened, carriages would be detached from the cable as they passed Minories and run into the terminus by inertia. From Fenchurch Street the train would descend by gravity to Minories, where it is attached to the rope.

Hemp rope used at first, but this would frequently break and this was replaced with 1 1/4 in diameter wire rope.[p.85]]