Category: Historical
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This is the follow up to the Crystal Palace Gliding Railway feature. Following that demonstration this officially became the Barre Sliding Railway Company. The Sliding Railway Company launched investors’ bonds to show it was a serious contender for inter-urban transit. In order to tempt the US market, a line was proposed in Paris from Place Clichy to La Villette. Four miles long with…
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Louis-Dominique Girard’s Gliding Railway, in French known as the The Chemin de Fer Glissant (later it was called the Sliding Railway) was an unusual type of train whose origins began in the late 1860s as a test line in the ground of Girard’s home near Paris. It is said Girard developed his patent from somewhat earlier attempts to build a…
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Pavement Lights The subway’s pavement lights can be seen here in Thurloe Street near the station entrance. It seems there were originally six sets of pavement lights in the subway – including two small lights in the turn from the main tunnel to the steps leading into the station. They can be seen from outside…
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The Subway’s Route The subway at the South Kensington station end where it joins the station’s ticket hall. This isn’t the original entrance but rather it was from a footbridge below which directly linked to the platforms. There seems no records of when these alterations were effected but it appears it was in the late…
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The South Kensington subway is the most heavily used foot tunnel in the UK, carrying many millions of people, and it links the tube station at South Kensington with London’s famous museums along Exhibition Road. These are the Natural History Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Science Museum. The subway is owned by…
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1863 is the year the Metropolitan Railway opened. It consisted of four miles and six through stations. Of these just three were truly underground. Gower Street (Euston Square), Portland Road (Great Portland Street) and the more famous Baker Street.The main entrance was originally at the western end of the station, and this was latterly added…
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Common knowledge: Q – When was the first full trial run on London’s Metropolitan Railway? A – 24 May 1862 Many sources use this date as being the date of the first full, official, run along the entire Metropolitan Railway. Sadly the answer is completely wrong! During recent research on the Metropolitan Railway, I set…
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Meudon is a major icon in the history of photograph and its often used as an example in the evolution of photographic composition. Not only that its a famous railway picture. The scene depicts a subject carrying a wrapped parcel (probably a painting) up Rue du Docteur Vuillieme whilst a steam engine is seen crossing the lofty…
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