London and Croydon Railway

Last updated

The London and Croydon Railway (L&CR) was an early railway in England. It opened in 1839 and in February 1846 merged with other railways to form the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR).

Contents

Origins

The Croydon line and other railways

Railways in South East London in 1840 S E London railways 1840.jpg
Railways in South East London in 1840

The Surrey Iron Railway had been opened in 1806 between Wandsworth and Croydon; it was a plateway operating on the toll principle, in which carriers could move wagons with their own horses. However, the Surrey Iron Railway's terminal on the Thames was rather far west and sea-going vessels were discouraged from connecting with it. [1]

Edge railways using locomotive traction represented a clear technological advance, marked particularly by the Stockton and Darlington Railway (1825) and the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (1830), and promoters put forward a scheme to link Croydon, then an industrial town, with London. The Croydon Canal of 1809 was moribund, and it was proposed to purchase it and to utilise its course. It was to extend northwards from the Croydon Canal terminal at New Cross, so as to make a junction at Corbetts Lane (then spelt Corbets Lane), in Bermondsey with the London and Greenwich Railway; its trains were to run over that line to its London Bridge station.

The engineer Joseph Gibbs surveyed the route; this involved complex judgments, and is described below. The company obtained an authorising act of Parliament on 12 June 1836. [note 1] The line was 8+34 miles (14.1 km) long and at the southern end followed the alignment of the Croydon Canal from Anerley to a terminus at Croydon, with a locomotive depot, on the site of the canal basin. This was later to be developed to the present-day West Croydon station. [1]

The London and Greenwich Railway Company intended that its proposed London Bridge terminus would accommodate trains of several other companies and had acquired land sufficient for the purpose; at this time however it had inadequate funds to carry out the actual construction, and the Croydon company was obliged to do the work itself, taking some of the London and Greenwich Railway Company's land on the north side for the purpose, obtaining the necessary parliamentary powers on 14 July 1836. At this stage the Greenwich line had not yet been opened into London Bridge: this was completed on 1 December 1836.

The South Eastern Railway got its authorising act of Parliament on 21 June 1836 for a line from Dover, joining the London and Croydon line end-on at Croydon, and the London and Brighton Railway obtained its act on 15 June 1837, also relying on running over the London and Croydon from Norwood. Over the following two years the point of convergence with the L&CR was varied, but all the lines converged at or before Corbett's Lane Junction. Capacity at London Bridge was clearly going to be an issue, and the L&CR took further powers (11 June 1838) to enlarge its station then under construction at London Bridge. A parliamentary select committee also became concerned about the safety of the arrangements, and in response the London and Greenwich Railway Company was given powers to widen its viaduct on the southern side so as to make a four-track viaduct from Corbett's Lane to London Bridge. [1]

Determining the route

In its first conception, the line was to follow the bed of the Croydon Canal for much of the route. A jury determined the value of the canal as £40,250 as if it was a going concern. When detailed route design was undertaken (before handover of the canal), it was clear that the meanderings and zigzags made by the canal were unsuitable, and that the line needed to be built alongside the general course. The levels around New Cross were also difficult, and to find the best compromise a 1 in 80 gradient was selected, involving at that time the use of assistant engines due to the steepness. Even so, a cutting of considerable depth was unavoidable.

When the SER's line became authorised, the Croydon company reconsidered the matter, as its line would now be part of a trunk route, and it was decided to ease the gradient from New Cross to 1 in 100; this involved a deeper, and longer, cutting, and the line would only reach surface level at the present-day Forest Hill station. The deeper cuttings required more surface area of land; and some curvature improvements further south also required unanticipated land acquisition.

Stations were to be at New Cross, Dartmouth Arms (named after a nearby hostelry that is still extant in 2013), [2] Sydenham, Penge, Annerley (later Anerley; the Scottish owner of the land said that his was the "annerley hoose" in the area), Jolly Sailor (also named after a public house just north of the current Norwood Junction). [3] and the terminus at Croydon (now West Croydon).

Freight traffic was considered to be impracticable for handling at London Bridge, and the London freight terminal point was built at New Cross; the adjacent Surrey Canal was considered to give sufficient onward connectivity. There was also an engine shed at New Cross; coal was brought in by the canal, there being at the time no rail connection to coal mines. [4]

Construction

The railway at New Cross, 1839 London and Croydon Railway.jpg
The railway at New Cross, 1839

The consultant engineer was William Cubitt. The line proved to be expensive to build, costing £615,000 rather than the estimated £180,000, due to large cuttings at New Cross and Forest Hill. [5] The only severe gradient was 1:100 (1%) for 2.75 miles (4.43 km) from New Cross to Forest Hill. In addition to the viaduct where it joined the L&GR, there were 18 bridges, and three level road crossings, each attended by a "policeman".

The track was laid to standard 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) gauge, although during the construction the directors were undecided and ordered extra-long 9 ft (2,743 mm) sleepers with a view to conversion to 7 ft (2,134 mm) broad gauge, which never happened. [6] The line used "Vignoles" flat bottomed rail, broader in the base and lower than modern rail. These were mounted on longitudinal timbers with cross sleepers.

A new station was built at London Bridge for Croydon trains, on the north side of the L&GR one, with track shared as far as Corbetts Lane. The line opened on 5 June 1839 [7] There were six intermediate stations, at New Cross (now New Cross Gate), Dartmouth Arms (now Forest Hill), Sydenham, Penge, Anerley Bridge (now Anerley), and Jolly Sailor (replaced by Norwood Junction in 1859). The terminus was at London Road in Croydon.

Because of the planned additional traffic following the opening of the L&BR and the SER, the L&CR sought powers to widen the viaduct from Corbetts Lane to London Bridge in 1840. Parliament decided that the widening should be undertaken by the owners, the L&GR. [8] This work was completed by 1842. By this time the L&CR had joined the newly opened SER and L&BR to form a committee, and agreement was reached with the L&GR to exchange their stations at London Bridge in 1843 in order to avoid their trains crossing over at Corbetts Junction.

Bricklayers Arms Terminus

Lewis Cubitt's Bricklayers Arms station, 1844 Bricklayers Arm Station building, 1844.jpg
Lewis Cubitt's Bricklayers Arms station, 1844

By 1843, the L&CR and the SER were becoming concerned about the tolls charged by the L&GR for the use of its line between Corbetts Junction and London Bridge. As a result, they jointly constructed a branch from the L&CR at New Cross to a new terminus designed by Lewis Cubitt at Bricklayers Arms, thereby avoiding use of the L&GR. From 1844 the SER transferred all of its services to the new terminus, and the L&CR operated services from both termini. [9] This arrangement lasted until 1852.

Epsom extension

In April 1844 the L&CR directors approved an extension to Epsom, not completed until after the railway became a part of the LB&SCR.

Deptford Dockyard extension

In July 1846 an Act of Parliament was passed granting authority for a branch from New Cross to Deptford Dockyard. This was commenced after the railway became a part of the LB&SCR.

Locomotives and rolling stock

The railway owned seven 2-2-2 locomotives and one 0-4-2. The first five 2-2-2s and one 0-4-2 were built by Sharp, Roberts and Company, and were delivered between July 1838 and July 1839. The remaining two were built by G. and J. Rennie, in August 1838 and May 1839. [10]

Summary table

Brighton, Croydon and Dover Joint Committee

From 1842 the L&CR pooled its locomotive stock with the SER, to form the Croydon and Dover Joint Committee. From March 1844 the L&BR joined the scheme and the locomotives were thereafter operated by the Brighton, Croydon and Dover Joint Committee, which also ordered further locomotives. These arrangements caused great operating problems for the L&CR and the L&BR and in April 1845 they gave notice of withdrawal from the arrangement in January 1846, when the locomotives were divided between the three companies. The L&CR received eight locomotives back in April 1845, seven of which had been owned by other railways. [11]

Summary table

Motive Power Depots and Workshop

The railway opened an early example of a roundhouse motive power depot at New Cross 1 June 1839, but this brick-built building was burned down 14 October 1844. It was replaced by a nearby traditional straight shed in 1845, and the original turntable and associated lines were incorporated into a locomotive repair depot in the same year. [12] There was also a small depot at Croydon

Carriage Stock

There were first and second-class four-wheeled carriages, both of the three-compartment type usual for the period, the main difference seeming to be that the first-class coaches carried 18 passengers, the second-class 24.

Operation

The line into London Bridge became increasingly congested so at Corbetts Lane a white disc was installed, to be operated by the pointsman. If the disc was face on, or a red light at night, the route was set for Croydon; edge on or a white light, the junction was set for Greenwich. It is believed that this was first fixed signal used to control a junction. Greenwich trains ran every 15 minutes, Croydon trains were hourly. The first railway semaphore signal was erected by Charles Hutton Gregory on the railway at New Cross, about 1842. [13]

Atmospheric railway

Jolly-sailor station in 1845, the atmospheric pumping station, with its Gothic chimney/exhaust vent, in the foreground. JollySailor.jpg
Jolly-sailor station in 1845, the atmospheric pumping station, with its Gothic chimney/exhaust vent, in the foreground.

In 1844, the L&CR was given parliamentary authority to lay an additional line next to the existing track and test an atmospheric railway system. Pumping stations were built at Portland Road, Croydon and Dartmouth Arms, which created a vacuum in a pipe laid between the running rails. A free-running piston in the pipe was attached to the train through a slit sealed by a leather valve. The piston, and hence the train, was propelled towards the pumping station by atmospheric pressure. The pumping stations were built in a Gothic style, with a very tall ornate tower, which served both as a chimney and as an exhaust vent for air pumped from the propulsion pipe.

As part of the construction works for the atmospheric system, the world's first railway flyover (overpass) was constructed south of Jolly Sailor, to carry the atmospheric line over the conventional steam line. [15] The railway experienced many problems with the pumping engines and the valves during 1846, creating dissatisfaction among the shareholders with the directors. The added directors from the L&BR, after the amalgamation in August, were even less interested in continuing the experiment. [16] In 1847, the atmospheric experiment was abandoned. The engine house at Dartmouth Arms was largely demolished in 1851 and an electricity sub-station was built on the site in 1928. Stone from the Croydon pumping station was reused in construction of the Surrey Street waterworks building, which still exists. According to one historian the use of the atmospheric system cost the railway £500,000 and was 'a sad fiasco'. [17]

Railways in the South East of England in 1840 S england railways 1840.jpg
Railways in the South East of England in 1840

Accidents

The railway is not known to have suffered any serious accidents, which is remarkable given its early operation over shared lines. [13]

Amalgamation

As a result of the poor financial performance of both the L&CR and the L&BR, a group of shareholders organised an amalgamation of these companies with the Brighton and Chichester Railway and the Brighton Lewes and Hastings Railway (both under construction) to form the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway on 27 February 1846. [18]

Notes

  1. Howard Turner states (page 27) that the date has often been erroneously quoted as 5 June.

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 John Howard Turner, The London Brighton and South Coast Railway: I - Origins and Formation, B. T. Batsford Ltd, London, 1977, ISBN   0 7134 0275 X
  2. "Dartmouth Arms". Forest Hill: Dartmouth Arms. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  3. "The Jolly Sailor Public House". Liane Lang. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  4. Howard Turner chapter 4
  5. Dendy Marshall (1963) p.38.
  6. Dendy Marshall (1963)p.39
  7. Brown, Joe (2015) [2006 p=40]. London Railway Atlas (4th ed.). Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN   978-0-7110-3819-6.
  8. Dendy Marshall (1963) p.41.
  9. Howard Turner, J.T. (1977). London Brighton and South Coast Railway. London: Batsford. pp. 192–204. ISBN   0-7134-0275-X.
  10. Bradley, D.L. (1963). Locomotives of the South Eastern Railway. Solihull: Railway Correspondence and Travel Society. pp. 11–12.
  11. Bradley, D.L. (1963). Locomotives of the South Eastern Railway. Solihull: Railway Correspondence and Travel Society. pp. 13–16.
  12. Griffiths, Roger, and Paul Smith (1999). The Directory of British Engine Sheds 1. Southern England, the Midlands, East Anglia and Wales. Oxford: Oxford Publishing Co. p. 95. ISBN   0-86093-542-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. 1 2 Dendy Marshall (1963) p.50.
  14. "Jolly-sailor Station". The Pictorial Times. 1845.
  15. Connor, J.E. (2006). London's Disused Stations: The London Brighton & South Coast Railway. Colchester: Connor & Butler. p. 70. ISBN   0-947699-39-2.
  16. Howard Turner, J.T. (1977). London Brighton and South Coast Railway. London: Batsford. pp. 272–4. ISBN   0-7134-0275-X.
  17. Hamilton Ellis, C. (1971). The London Brighton and South Coast Railway. London: Ian Allan. p. 31. ISBN   0-7110-0269-X.
  18. Brown, Joe (2015) [2006]. London Railway Atlas (4th ed.). Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN   978-0-7110-3819-6.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Bridge station</span> London Underground and mainline railway station

London Bridge is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in Southwark, south-east London. It occupies a large area on three levels immediately south-east of London Bridge, from which it takes its name. The main line station is the oldest railway station in London fare zone 1 and one of the oldest in the world having opened in 1836. It is one of two main line termini in London to the south of the River Thames and is the fourth-busiest station in London, handling over 50 million passengers a year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystal Palace railway station</span> National Rail station in London, England

Crystal Palace railway station is a Network Rail and London Overground station in the London Borough of Bromley in south London. It is located in the Anerley area between the town centres of Crystal Palace and Penge, 8 miles 56 chains (14.0 km) from London Victoria. It is one of two stations built to serve the site of the 1851 exhibition building, the Crystal Palace, when it was moved from Hyde Park to Sydenham Hill after 1851.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Cross Gate railway station</span> London Overground station

New Cross Gate is a railway station in New Cross, London, on the Brighton Main Line and the London Overground. It is 2 miles 70 chains down the line from London Bridge and is about 600 m (660 yd) west of New Cross station. It is in Travelcard Zone 2, and is operated by London Overground.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Cross railway station</span> National Rail station in London, England

New Cross railway station serves New Cross in south-east London, England. It is 4 miles 68 chains (7.8 km) down the line from London Charing Cross and is in London fare zone 2. The platforms are lettered rather than numbered to avoid confusion with those at New Cross Gate by staff who worked at both stations before privatisation of the stations in 1997. Platform D is used exclusively by London Overground services. Ticket barriers control access to all platforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London, Brighton and South Coast Railway</span> British pre-grouping railway company

The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey. It was bounded on its western side by the London and South Western Railway (L&SWR), which provided an alternative route to Portsmouth. On its eastern side the LB&SCR was bounded by the South Eastern Railway (SER)—later one component of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SE&CR)—which provided an alternative route to Bexhill, St Leonards-on-Sea, and Hastings. The LB&SCR had the most direct routes from London to the south coast seaside resorts of Brighton, Eastbourne, Worthing, Littlehampton and Bognor Regis, and to the ports of Newhaven and Shoreham-by-Sea. It served the inland towns and cities of Chichester, Horsham, East Grinstead and Lewes, and jointly served Croydon, Tunbridge Wells, Dorking and Guildford. At the London end was a complicated suburban and outer-suburban network of lines emanating from London Bridge and Victoria, and shared interests in two cross-London lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Croydon station</span> National rail station and Tramlink tram stop in London

East Croydon is a railway station and tram stop in Croydon, Greater London, England, and is located in Travelcard Zone 5. At 10 miles 28 chains from London Bridge, it is the 17th busiest station in Britain, was the 10th busiest in 2020–21, and is one of the busiest non-terminal stations in the country. It is one of three railway stations in the London Borough of Croydon with Croydon in their name, the others being West Croydon and South Croydon. A Tramlink tram stop is located immediately outside the main station entrance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atmospheric railway</span> Railway propulsion system using atmospheric pressure

An atmospheric railway uses differential air pressure to provide power for propulsion of a railway vehicle. A static power source can transmit motive power to the vehicle in this way, avoiding the necessity of carrying mobile power generating equipment. The air pressure, or partial vacuum can be conveyed to the vehicle in a continuous pipe, where the vehicle carries a piston running in the tube. Some form of re-sealable slot is required to enable the piston to be attached to the vehicle. Alternatively the entire vehicle may act as the piston in a large tube or be coupled electromagnetically to the piston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Eastern Railway (England)</span> British pre-grouping railway company

The South Eastern Railway (SER) was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1836 until 1922. The company was formed to construct a route from London to Dover. Branch lines were later opened to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Canterbury and other places in Kent. The SER absorbed or leased other railways, some older than itself, including the London and Greenwich Railway and the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway. Most of the company's routes were in Kent, eastern Sussex and the London suburbs, with a long cross-country route from Redhill in Surrey to Reading, Berkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London and Brighton Railway</span> Victoria-era rail company of South East England

The London and Brighton Railway (L&BR) was a railway company in England which was incorporated in 1837 and survived until 1846. Its railway ran from a junction with the London and Croydon Railway (L&CR) at Norwood – which gives it access from London Bridge, just south of the River Thames in central London. It ran from Norwood to the South Coast at Brighton, together with a branch to Shoreham-by-Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brighton Main Line</span> Railway line between London and Brighton

The Brighton Main Line is a major railway line in the United Kingdom that links Brighton, on the south coast of England, with central London. In London the line has two branches, out of London Victoria and London Bridge stations respectively, which join up in Croydon and continue towards Brighton as one line. The line is electrified throughout using the third rail system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forest Hill railway station</span> National rail station in London, England

Forest Hill railway station serves Forest Hill in the London Borough of Lewisham, south London. The station adjoins a road which serves as part of the A205 South Circular Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydenham railway station (London)</span> National rail station in London, England

Sydenham is a railway station in Sydenham in the London Borough of Lewisham, South London. Originally opened in 1839, the station is located on the former Croydon Canal, which is now a branch of the Brighton Main Line, often known as the Sydenham Corridor. Sydenham falls within Travelcard Zone 3 and is served by London Overground and Southern. The station is 6 miles 32 chains down the line from London Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anerley railway station</span> National rail station in London, England

Anerley railway station is in the London Borough of Bromley in south London. The station is operated by London Overground, with Overground and Southern trains serving the station. It is 7 miles 47 chains down the line from London Bridge, in Travelcard Zone 4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norwood Junction railway station</span> National rail station in London, England

Norwood Junction railway station is a National Rail station in South Norwood in the London Borough of Croydon, south London, and is in Travelcard Zone 4. It is 8 miles 55 chains down the line from London Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strood railway station</span> Railway station in Kent, England

Strood railway station serves the town of Strood in Medway, England. It is on the North Kent Line and is also a terminus of the Medway Valley Line. It is 31 miles 11 chains (50.1 km) down the line from London Charing Cross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redhill railway station</span> Railway station in Surrey, England

Redhill railway station serves the town of Redhill, Surrey, England. The station is a major interchange point on the Brighton Main Line, 22 miles 40 chains (36.2 km) measured from London Charing Cross. It is managed by Southern, and is also served by Thameslink and GWR.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London and Greenwich Railway</span> United Kingdom legislation

The London and Greenwich Railway (L&GR) was opened in London between 1836 and 1838. It was the first steam railway in the capital, the first to be built specifically for passengers, and the first entirely elevated railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anerley</span> Human settlement in England

Anerley is an area of south east London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is located 7 miles (11 km) south south-east of Charing Cross, to the south of Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, west of Penge, north of Elmers End and South Norwood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Bridge – Greenwich Railway Viaduct</span>

The London Bridge – Greenwich Railway Viaduct consists of a series of nineteen brick railway viaducts linked by road bridges between London Bridge railway station and Deptford Creek, which together make a single structure 3.45 miles (5.55 km) in length. The structure carries the former London and Greenwich Railway line and consists of 851 semi-circular arches and 27 skew arches or road bridges. It is the longest run of arches in Britain, It is also one of the oldest railway viaducts in the world, and the earliest example of an entirely elevated railway line. It was built between 1834 and 1836. The original viaduct had been widened for 1.95 miles (3.14 km) of its length between Corbett's Lane and London Bridge on the south side to accommodate the trains of the London and Croydon Railway and London and Brighton Railway, in 1842 and also for 2.65 miles (4.26 km) on the north side to accommodate the South Eastern Railway main line in 1850. It is a Grade II listed structure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bricklayers Arms railway station</span> Disused railway station in England

Bricklayers Arms was a railway station in Southwark opened by the London and Croydon Railway and the South Eastern Railway in 1844 as an alternative to the London and Greenwich Railway's terminus at London Bridge. The station was at the end of a short branch line from the main line to London Bridge and served as a passenger terminus for a few years before being converted to a goods station and engineering facility. The goods station closed in 1981.

References

Further reading