Introduction

Transport before the Railways

There was a 'Transport Revolution' of sorts in the 18th Century – there were significant developments in both road transport (see Source 1) and canal-building (Source 2).

However, the state of road transport can be summed up by the wager between the road-builder Blind Jack Metcalfe and the MP Colonel Liddell that he could walk faster from London to Harrogate than the Colonel could get there by coach ... and he won!  In 1750 it took five days to travel from London to Manchester, and you had a 50:50 chance of incident (accident, breakdown or highwayman).

Transport might be changing, but – because it was dependent on muscle power – it was inadequate to the increasing needs of the Industrial Revolution.  If the Industrial Revolution was to be sustained, a mechanical, powered system of transport was needed.

The Railways  

James Watt had discovered how to turn the up-and-down movement of a steam engine's piston into rotary movement. It was only a matter of time before someone put wheels on a steam engine and got it to move by itself.

Richard Trevithick built the first locomotive, which he called 'Catch-me-who-can'.  In 1808, he took it to London, put it on a circular track with a high fence round it, and charged people 5p to see it.

In the collieries of the north of England, engineers such as George Stephenson developed the idea.  The Stockton and Darlington Railway (Source 3), the world's first steam-hauled public railway, held its grand opening day on 27 September 1825; it was copied all over the world.  Railway mania (a craze for building railways) swept Britain in the 1840s.  In 1830, only 70 miles of railway line existed; by 1870, in Britain, 423 million passengers travelled on 16,000 miles of line.  

The Railways changed Britain (Source 4).  If there is an argument that Britain in 1850 was not much different to Britain in 1750, there is no argument that Britain in 1850 was not utterly changed by 1900 ... and it was the Railways which made the difference.

After you have studied this webpage, answer the question sheet by clicking on the 'Time to Work' icon at the top of the page.

Interrogating the cartoon:

This cartoon of 1785 is by Thomas Rowlandson.

Study the cartoon, pointing out the key features, and what they suggest about road transport in the 18th century – in particular:

• How was the coach powered?

• What has happened to it?

• What does it say on the coach door?

• Why is there a guard carrying guns?

• What elements of humour can you see in the cartoon – is it a reliable source to tell us about the problems of road transport in the 18th Century?

1   Better Roads – key milestones

• Turnpike Trusts were private companies set up to improve main roads, for which they charged a toll; by 1836 22,000 miles of road had been improved by the Turnpike Trusts.

• Thomas Telford and John Macadam developed better roads, with firm foundations, drainage and a smooth surface.

• Waggons became lighter and faster, but road transport remained slow, unreliable, and mainly for light goods.

• Mail coach routes were established in 1784.

• The 1835 Highways Act gave Parish Councils the right to raise money to maintain the roads.

2   The Canals – key developments

• The Bridgewater Canal was built by the Duke of Bridgewater in 1761.

• Famous canal-builders include James Brindley and Thomas Telford.

• The canal-engineers built amazing locks and aqueducts (such as Brindley's Barton aqueduct above, which carried the Bridgewater Canal over the River Irwell).

• In the 1790s, there was an intense period of canal building – 'Canal Mania'.

• By 1850, the canal network covered 4,000 miles.

• The canals allowed cheap, bulk transport, but were slow and expensive.

3   Seal of the Stockton & Darliangton Railway, adopted 1821

The S&DR was set up at a meeting on 12 May 1821; its seal (the Latin inscription means: "Private Risk; Public Usefulness") gives an idea of the hopes of the founders.

On the opening day, 27 September 1825, the S&DR Chairman, Thomas Meynell, expanded:

"The prospects of the Company are now most flattering; there are now the strongest grounds to effect a much larger tonnage [of coal] to pass on their road than was originally anticipated.  An export trade [to London] is now certain ... which alone will more than pay 4% on their whole expenditure.  The shares are now valued at £40 each.  Plenty of purchasers [of shares in the Company], but no sellers."

Interrogating the cartoon:

• What is the building in the background?

• Where is it located?

• What is in the chaldron wagons?

• How are the wagons being pulled?

• Where is it going?

• What can we learn from the seal and Meynell's speech about the aspirations of the directors of the S&DR?

• To what extent were their aspirations fulfilled?

 Click here for the answer

4   Ten Benefits of the Railways

1 Speed of transport

In 1750 it took five days to get from London to Manchester; in 1880 it took four and a quarter hours.  The world 'shrank'.  Food (especially milk and fish) got to market faster – and fresher.

2 Speed of communications

Letters arrived much quicker on the mail trains.  The speed at which business was done increased so the economy could grow more quickly.

3 Cost of transporting goods

It was cheaper to carry goods on the railways than on canals or roads.

4 Weight of freight

A horse could pull half a ton.  Trains could pull hundre of tons.  Industries such as coal and iron could never have grown without freight trains.

5 Wages

In 1847, around 257,000 employees worked on the railways.  Their wages helped the economy grow.

6 Railway demand

The railways needed bricks, stone, cement, wooden sleepers, iron and coal in vast quantities; these industries grew.  The engineering industry grew up to make the precision parts needed.  The telegraph was invented to help communication and safety on the railways.

7 Passenger transport

In 1844, a new law required every railway company to provide cheap train fares.  For the first time, poor people could afford to go to the seaside.

8 Finance

Money was needed to build the railways (£44 million 1847 alone).  This led to the development of stock exchanges (where shares are sold).

9 Time

In 1800, every village kept its own time.  Noon in Bristol was half an hour after noon in London.  After 1880, 'railway time' established a common standard time across Britain.

10 Public Health

Many of the worst slums were knocked down to build the railway lines and the stations in the cities.