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History of the Great Western Railway Vol 1 1833-1863 by E.T. MacDermot Hard Cove
History of the Great Western Railway Vol 1833-1863 by E.T. MacDermot
Hard Cover Writing on first page, discoloration in front and back blank pages, foldout map.
456 pages
Copyright 1927
CONTENTS
PART I
CHAPTER I BIRTH (1833-1835)
London and Bristol Rail-Road 1825, J. L. McAdam-Bristol and London Railway 1832, W. Brunton and H. H. Price-Bristol Committee 1833 --I. K. Brunel-London Committee-C. A. Saunders-Great Western Railway-Bill of 1834, Brompton to Reading and Bristol to Bath-Defeat-Raising the Money-Eton College-Basing and Bath Railway-Bill of 1835-Bristol to Euston-Box Tunnel-Victory 1
CHAPTER II CONSTRUCTION (1835-1838)
Gauge of Seven Feet decided on-Deviation Acts of 1836-7-Extension to Paddington-Railways to Exeter and Cheltenhani-Construction London to Maidenhead-WharnclitlViaduct-Uxbridge Road Bridge-Paddington Station-Permanent Way-Daniel Gooch-First Engines-Opening to Maidenhead-Eton College and Slough Station-Disappointment and Opposition ..29
CHAPTER III THE FIGHT FOR THE BROAD GAUGE (1838)
Advice sought-Nicholas Wood-Brunei's August Report-Increased Estimate-John Hawkshaw-His Report-Brunei's Reply-Wood's Report-The Crisis-Brunel ready to resign-North Star-Gooch-The Special Meeting-Victory 46
CHAPTER IV CONSTRUCTION (1839-1841)
1. Maidenhead to Twyford.
Maidenhead Bridge and its critics-Brunel's triumph-Heavier rails - Opening to Twyford - Goods Traffic and Third Class Passengers.
2. Twyford to Reading.
Sonning Cutting-One-sided Stations-Gooch's First Engine-Opening to Reading.
3. Reading to Steventon and Faringdon Road.
Basildon and Moulsford Bridges.
4. Bristol to Bath.
Seven Tunnels-Litigious Contractors-Works delayed by Floods -Night and Day Work-Skew Bridge at Bath-Engines-Opening Trains.
5. Faringdon Road to Hay Lane.
The First Accident-Board of Trade Inspection-Level Crossings-Wootton Bassett Road Station-A New Town to be founded-Subsidised Coaches-Bad Roads.
6. Hay Lane to Chippenhamn.
A Slippery Embankment-Wootton Bassett Incline-Swindon Junction.
7. Chippenharn to Bath.
Heavy Works-Box Tunnel--Its Contractors and ProgressOpening-A Narrow Escape-Lighting the Tunnel-Dr. Buckland's Attack-River Bridges-Bath Station-Bristol Terminus-Coke Ovens-Junction with the Bristol & Exeter Railway 88
CHAPTER V EARLY GROWTH (1839-1846)
More Capital-Charles Russell, Chairman-Cheltenham & Great Western (can't say WU )Union, and Bristol & Exeter Railways leased-Swindon Refreshment Rooms and Works-A new Town-Organisation-Steventon-Cheltenham & Great Western
(can't say WU ) Union Railway-Oxford Railway-Completion of Cheltenham Branch-Sapperton Tunnel-Gloucester-First Mixed Gauge Line-Opening to Exeter-Extension Schemes-West London Railway-Suburban Ambitions-Windsor 147
CHAPTER VI THE GAUGE WAR (1845.1854)
1. General Summary.
Popularity of the Broad Gauge-English Expresses in 1848-Extent of Conquests- Gradual Decay.
2. Bristol & Gloucester Railway.
Early History-Adopts Broad Gauge-Opened-Break of Gauge-Bristol & Birmingham Company-Great Western Offer-A bold Quaker-Capture by the Enemy.
3. Oxford & Rugby, and Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railways.
Origin-Condemned by the "Five Kings"-AGreat Battle--Helpfrom the North-Birth of the London & North Western Railway-Victory.
4. The Gauge Commission.
A Cloud of Witnesses-Report-" Observations " thereon-The Case for the Broad Gauge-Board of Trade View-Gauge Act.
5. Birmingham & Oxford Junction, and Birmingham, Wolverhampton & Dudley Railways.
Origin-Bills passed-Narrow Gauge-Sale to Great Western-Civil War--The Euston Troupe-Forgery-Chancery-Another Battle-Brunel and Stephenson-Timid Commissioners-Victory -Spite-Duddeston Viaduct-Wolverhampton Junction Railway-Farthest North.
6. The Fight in the South.
Preliminary Skirmish-Southampton & Dorchester-A TreatyBerks & Hants, and Wilts & Somerset-Exeter Great Western-Treaty Broken-Stalemate-Two New Lines to Exeter-Neither made-Progress of Wilts & Somerset-The Divided Enemy-Devon & Dorset Railway-Defeat-A Broken Pledge 199
CHAPTER VII GENERAL PROGRESS (1847-1854)
Hungerford-Basingstoke - Westbury- Banbury-Buckinghamshire Malice-Loss of the Bristol & Exeter-South Devon Railway-South Wales Railway-Gloucester & Dean Forest Railway-De- pression-Proposed Amalgamation of Great Western, London & North Western, and London & South Western Railways-Consultation Committee-A Goods Manager-The Shrewsbury Alliance -Paddington Station and Hotel-Testimonial to Russell-" The Picture "-Electric Telegraph-Captain Huish proposes Amalgamation-Opening to Birmingham-Aynho Collision-Paddington New Station-Mixed Gauge at Bristol-Birmingham to Wolverhampton-J. R. McClean-Break of Gauge 294
CHAPTER VIII THE SHREWSBURY RAILWAYS
The Shrewsbury & Chester.
North Wales Mineral Railway-Shrewsbury, Oswestry& Chester Junction Railway-Opening Chester to Ruabon-Dee Bridge Collapse-Opening to Shrewsbury.
The Shrewsbury & Birmingham.
Early Projects-Two Companies-Stour Valley Railway-Shropshire Union-Joint Lines-Opening Shrewsburyto Wolverhampton.
The Fighting Shrewsburys.
The Challenge-Battle of Chester-Birkenhead Railway-Alderman Bancroft-Boats on the Dee-Rate Cutting-Bad Faith-First Battle of Wolverhampton-General Baker-Great Western Alliance-Stormy Meetings-The Chairman's Night-cap-Forged Seal -The Euston Troupe-Their Local Rivals-Second Battle of Wolverhampton-Stour Valley Blockade-Birkenhead Hostility-The Alderman and his Bailiffs-More Stormy Meetings-Peace at last-Amalgamation with Great Western-No Broad Gauge-Enemy spiteful to the last-Domestic Affairs 340
CHAPTER IX HARD TIMES (1854-1863)
Wilts & Somerset--Hereford-Resignation and Death of Russell-Investigation Committee-Ruabon Coal Company-SaundersSalisbury-Yeovil-Narrow Gauge Oxford to Basingstoke-Birkenhead-Weymouth-Bradford - Falling Dividends-Opposition -Ponsonby the Peacemaker-Narrow Gauge at Reading-Brentford-Death of Brunel-Birkenhead Railway-West Midland Railway-Agreement to Amalgamate-Narrow Gauge to Paddington -South WalesRailway taken over-Shrewsbury & Hereford Railway -Sundry Extensions-Metropolitan and West London Railways-Fight with the London & South Western-Another Peace Treaty -West Midland and South Wales Amalgamation-New Directors -Resignation and Death of Saunders 394
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
VOL. I. PART I
CHARLES RUSSELL, CHAIRMAN 1839-1855Frontispiece
GEORGE HENRY GIBBS6
ISAMBARD KINGDOM BRUNEL 7
CHARLES ALEXANDER SAUNDERS 8
MESSRS. GIBBS & SONS' COUNTING HOUSE 11
PROSPECTUS PLAN 18
WHARNCLIFFE VIADUCT, HANWELL 41
UXBRIDGE ROAD BRIDGE 41
ENVIRONS OF PADDINGTON, 1837 43
PADDINGTON STATION IN 1845 44
FRONT OF ORIGINAL STATION, PADDINGTON 45
ORIGINAL PERMANENT WAY, 1838 48
SECTION OF 43 LB. BRIDGE RAIL 49
" VULCAN" 52
" NORTH STAR" 52
EXTRACT FROM " THE TIMES," 2ND JUNE 1838 55
EALING STATION, 1839 56
THE SLOUGH STATIONS, C. 1860 59
MAIDENHEAD STATION, C. 1850 63
MAIDEN HEAD BRIDGE 91
SECTION OF 62 LB. BRIDGE RAIL 92
TWYFORD STATION, C. 1850 93
SONNING CUTTING 96
THE UP STATION, READING, C. 1850 97
PLAN OF READING STATION, C. 1850 98
GOOCH'S FIRST ENGINE100
BASILDON BRIDGE 102
PANGBOURNE STATION 103
AVON BRIDGE, BRISTOL 106
No. 1 TUNNEL107
No. 2 TUNNEL 110
No. 3 TUNNEL 111
TWERTON TUNNEL 112
BATH SKEW BRIDGE 113
WOOTTON BASSETT INCLINE124
CHIPPENHAM STATION, c 1850 125
BOX TUNNEL 132
BATHFORD BRIDGE 138
BATH : ST. JAMES BRIDGE AND STATION139
BATH STATION140
THE BRISTOL TERMINUS 141
FRONT OF THE BRISTOL TERMINUS142
BRISTOL GOODS SHED 143
PLAN OF THE BRISTOL STATIONS, 1845 146
SWINDON STATION, c. 1850 154
FIRST-CLASS REFRESHMENT ROOM, SWINDON, c. 1850 154
ENGINE HOUSE, SWINDON, C. 1845. 156
NEW SWINDON, BIRD'S-EYE VIEW, C. 1850 158
SWINDON, C. 1850, VIEW FROM FOOTBRIDGE LOOKING WEST 173
SEAL OF THE CHELTENHAM & G.W. UNION RAILWAY CO 175
SECTION OF FIRST NUNEHAM BRIDGE, 1844 178
SECOND NIINEHAM BRIDGE, C. 1852 179
DIDCOT STATION, C. 1850 180
OXFORD OLD STATION, C. 1850 181
GLOUCESTER, 1847-1851 187
THE OLD T STATION HOUSE, GLOUCESTER 189
PLAN OF WEST LONDON CROSSING, 1844 194
WEST LONDON CROSSING, 1844 194
WINDSOR BRIDGE 197
GAUGE TRIAL ENGINES 233
SEAL OF THE BIRMINGHAM & OXFORD JUNCTION RAILWAY 260
SULTAN," 1847 264
DUDDESTON VIADUCT, BIRMINGHAM 274
GLOUCESTER STATION, 1852 304
HARBURY CUTTING, 1852 322
LEAMINGTON STATION, 1852 325
PADDINGTON STATION IN 1854 331
GREAT WESTERN ROYAL HOTEL 332
PADDINGTON STATION, C. 1855 333
MARLOW ROAD STATION, C. -1869 334
BOURNE END TIMBER VIADUCT 334
WOLVERHAMPTON, 1854 338
WOLVERHAMPTON JOINT STATION, 1856 339
DEE BRIDGE, CHESTER, 25TH MAY 1847 343
DEE VIADUCT, CEFN 345
CHIRK VIADUCT345
SHREWSBURY & CHESTER RAILWAY TIME AND FARE TABLE 347
SHREWSBURY STATION 353
CHESTER STATION, C. 1860 357
SEAL OF THE SHREWSBURY & BIRMINGHAM RAILWAY 367
WREXHAM STATION, C. 1870 390
BRADFORD-ON-AVON, 1848-1857 414
RUNDAS AQUEDUCT 415
SECTION OF MACDONNELL'S RAIL 416
BROAD-GAUGE TRAIN ON THE METROPOLITAN RAILWAY 441
SPENCER H. WALPOLE 449
LORD BARRINGTON 449
LORD SHELBURNE 449
CHARLES ALEXANDER SAUNDERS (C. 1850) 454
MAPS
GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY, 1848 between 198-199
GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY, 1855 at end
FOREWORD
TN dealing with the troubles and difficulties which today beset most branches of industry and commerce, one sometimes derives consolation from the knowledge that similar situations were also the lot of our forebears, and the courage and perseverance which they showed in overcoming these difficulties are traditions which the history of the past enables us to learn and appreciate. Some hold the view that tradition and sentiment are of great value where the conduct of a large undertaking is concerned and I heartily endorse this opinion, but it is not every undertaking that is in the fortunate position of being able to claim an existence of long standing. This, however, is the proud possession of the Great Western Railway Company, whose original charter was obtained nearly a century ago, and when an opportunity recently arose of enlisting the services of a writer who has made almost a lifelong study of the history of the Company, it was felt that the story of its progress and achievements might justifiably be placed on permanent record and that, emanating from such a capable author, the volume would be a worthy addition to the standard works on English Railways.
The Directors of the Company accordingly agreed to give the Author, Mr. E. T. MacDermot, the facilities which he required for completing his task, and the pages which follow faithfully record the struggles, the disappointments, and the triumphs which stand out as milestones in the Company's history-culminating in the radical changes brought about by the passing of the Railways Act, 1921, which led to the grouping of the Railways and to the extinction of the old Companies with the exception of the Great Western Company, which alone retained the privilege of using its own name in the amalgamations which followed.
To those who may derive pleasure from the reading of this book, and I hope they will be many, I would only add that, in my capacity as a Director of the Company since 1905 and as its present Chairman, it has been my good fortune to be in close and constant association with all those interested in the welfare of the Company and I regard it as a good augury for future prosperity that I see around me ample evidence of the desire of all grades to live up to the great traditions of a great Company.
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