Chris M
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Post by Chris M on Apr 8, 2011 13:22:38 GMT
I was browsing a book that contained, as an aside, two pictures of failed transport proposals for London. One was a plan for a hanging monorail down Regent Street in the late 1960s. The other was this picture of the "Thames Viaduct Railway". The only information about it was that below the picture - "The Thames viaduct railway plan, designed by James Samuel and John M Heppel Date: 1864". This is equally the only information about it, at least by this name, that I've been able to find on the internet today. Does anyone know any more about it - was it seriously proposed? Was it going to be a passenger, goods or mixed traffic railway? Obviously it would have cost a fortune to construct and have been a serious impediment to shipping, but that sort of thing didn't stop many other schemes being proposed (then or now!). |
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Post by oe on Apr 8, 2011 14:41:44 GMT
I don't have it handy so I'll check tonight when I get home but there is a section on this in a book called " London as it might have been" published about 20 years ago. There is a whole chapter on 19th century railway proposals, some of which are well known and others less so. I sourced it second hand on Amazon. I'll post again when I've found out more.
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Post by younglulnerd on Apr 8, 2011 17:22:19 GMT
I know nothing, but seen that picture and it looks really cool!  I'd love to go down that on a summers day... But we wouldn't have got that whale in the thames though... :/ |
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Post by oe on Apr 9, 2011 10:33:12 GMT
Yes it has a 2 paragraph entry in the book cited above. it was published in 1982 and was written Felix Barker and Ralph Hyde. I'm not sure where we stand with reproducing excerpts so if it is feasible I will transcribe it here later if not you can PM me to discuss access!
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SE13
In memoriam
RIP 23-Oct-2013
Glorious Gooner
Posts: 9,737
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Post by SE13 on Apr 9, 2011 13:00:47 GMT
You can fairly quote exerts, but they must be credited to the author and it's source, and obviously not too much.
For lifting info from the web, in theory it should be in quotes, © symbol and a link to the source, again small exerts only.
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Post by oe on Apr 9, 2011 19:47:57 GMT
This is an extract from "London. As it might have been" Ch11- Railway Mania p140.Written by Felix Barker and Ralph Hyde. Talking about the 1864 Parliamentary session where 55 new proposals were put forward:
" The most sensational railway proposal...was that of James Samuel and John M Heppel" (They) "combined.... to remove one great obstacle to all new railways- compensation for demolition. Their solution was to build where no building existed. The Thames viaduct Railway marched like a stilted giant down the centre of the Thames"
" Samuel and Heppel admitted that their Thames Viaduct looked somewhat novel, but maintained that there would be 'intelligent support' once the many advantages were appreciated An obstruction to navigation? No. By keeping down the centre of the river, it was less of a menace to shipping than bridges. Ugly? Not at all. Of lighter and more ornamental design than Hungerford Bridge, the viaducts appearance would be enhanced by elevation and length.
Trains running by day and night between London Bridge and Westminster would make the whole journey in five minutes (express) and ten minutes (stopping at each bridge and intermediary stations). Fares: First Class,2d; Second Class,1d."
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Chris M
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Post by Chris M on Apr 9, 2011 21:31:49 GMT
Cheers for that oe, "novel" would indeed be a way to describe it!
I've been trying to think if there were any railways similar to this that did get built anywhere, and the closest I can come is the Wuppertal Schwebebahn. This does follow the route of a river (although not navigable by ships afaik) but hangs above it rather than having supports in the river.
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Post by phillw48 on Apr 9, 2011 21:59:52 GMT
In a way it was built. The District runs under the Embankment which was built on the Thames foreshore.
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I'd love to go down that on a summers day...
