Tuesday 3 November 2015

Museum Railways


Today was the first of three half days at the museum.  The usual Tuesday went in the way of the usual Tuesday, busy one minute, quiet the next.  All went reasonably well until a teacher of a visiting school asked a question about a question on the paperwork the kids were going through.  The question asked 'When did the railway arrive here?' but the notice with the answer has gone! I began scribbling a notice to erect in a noticeable place but instead fell asleep as I often do in the late afternoon.  '1848' is the answer you are looking for by the way.  The railways were the reason the UK expanded during the 19th century, with such improved traffic factories could send their goods directly into towns, foodstuffs arrived in towns and cities within hours rather than days improving peoples health as the vegetables were fresher, coal was transported by rail to home and factory ensuring improved production and warmth, and goods were taken direct to the docks for forwarding around the world.  The economy grew because of the railways as did peoples time off, one day holidays took folks to the seaside for a new outlook or a hedonistic few hours, seaside resorts became popular and more so as holiday times lengthened.  Our railway station still has an hourly service to Liverpool Street and this ought to be improved in many folks minds, whether it will be is a question however.
The fact that we have a beautifully made model of a 'Britannia' Class 700014 'Iron Duke' shows that railways were important, even if that engine never ran near here, it would be too big in any case, but the leaflet I made for it is wrong anyway!  I mentioned it occasionally ran as the 'Golden Arrow' and for some reason wrote 'Green Arrow,' naturally rail buffs have pointed this out!  That needs rewritten also. 



The steam engine and two carriages seen in this 1955 film is typical of the type of train that trundled along our local lines for many years.  The connection to the main line brought local people within an hour or two of the big city or slightly less of the coast.   

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4 comments:

Lee said...

The old steam engines/trains....beautiful reminders of our history. They were a part of my early childhood...we'd go from Gympie to Mackay by train and so often would get flecks of coal dust in our eyes...but it never seemed to worry us as we rattled along the rail lines moving in rhythm to the melody of the carriages being pulled along by the chug-chug-chugging steam engine..

the fly in the web said...

I remember reading history of my area in France where a tramway ran from the late nineteenth century until just before the war...not only were farmers independent of local markets and the higglers' prices for produce but people started marrying people who were further than a bicycle ride from their village.
Mark you that brief period of liberty had not been enough to do much damage to the local inbreeding...when you met someone you were safe with 'Bonjour' but daren't put a name to the person as they all looked alike...

Jenny Woolf said...

I don't know what it is about steam trains, they sometimes seem more like big animals than bits of technology. When we talk about the internet I always think about the Victorians and the railways - that must have affected everyday life just as much.

Adullamite said...

Lee, Ah yes the specks in the eye still comes with these trains.

Fly, Ah yes trains did enable folks to get about but some do like to keep thinsg in the family...

Jenny, I agree, the railways made the country in the 19th century.