Everything about The Surrey Iron Railway totally explained
The
Surrey Iron Railway (SIR) was a 4 ft 2 in
narrow gauge railway that linked the
Surrey towns of
Wandsworth and
Croydon via
Mitcham (all now in south
London). It was constructed in the early years of the
19th century, opening on
26 July 1803.
Origins
Short publicly subscribed plateways, like that to the
Caldon Low quarries and the
Little Eaton Gangway, had already been built. However, they were all part of canal projects. The original plan, first mooted in
1799, had been for a canal, but to take the necessary water from the streams in the area would have deprived the many water-powered mills and factories. This was the world's first railway to be
publicly subscribed by Act of Parliament as a
railway throughout.
Operation
It was
horse-drawn, dedicated to goods. It was essentially a form of turnpike as users had to provide their own wagons and horses, paying a fee for use of the plateway (tramroad). This is remarkably similar to the modern arrangement under which a
Train operating company pays track access charges to
Network Rail.
Route
The nine-mile route followed the shallow valley of the
River Wandle, then heavily industrialised with numerous factories and mills, from the
River Thames at Wandsworth southwards to Croydon. A short branch also ran from Mitcham to
Hackbridge. The line was subsequently extended as the
Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Railway through
Purley and
Coulsdon to serve quarries near
Merstham, opened
1805, closed
1838.
History
William Jessop was chief engineer of the latter venture only and the flat alignment of his route proved more long-lasting than the railway. The advent of faster and more powerful steam
locomotives spelled the end for horse-drawn railways. In 1823, William James, a powerful shareholder in the SIR, tried to persuade
George Stephenson to supply a locomotive for the line. However Stephenson realised that the cast-iron plateway couldn't support the weight of a steam locomotive and declined the offer. The SIR closed in
1846. Part of the route was reopened in
1855 by the
Wimbledon & Croydon Railway, which was later absorbed by the
London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. Much of the route remains in use by
Croydon Tramlink.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Surrey Iron Railway'.
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