General view of section of standard gauge railway

Description General view of section of standard gauge railway

Date 1890

Collection Records of Bedford Lemere and Company, photographers, London, England

Catalogue Number SC 730407

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of BL 10346/8

Scope and Content Section of Railway Line, Greenock to Gourock Railway, Greenock, Inverclyde The Greenock to Gourock Railway, built by the Caledonian Railway Company in order to connect their rail terminal at Greenock with their new railway steamer interchange at Gourock Pier, Kempock Point, was completed in 1889. The architectural photographer, Harry Bedford Lemere, was commissioned to photograph the line in 1890. This section of standard gauge railway track runs between stone retaining walls, built to prevent earth from sliding onto the line. The drainage ditch (left) helped to drain excess rainwater from the track. The road is carried over the line by an arched stone bridge, and lit by a Victorian gas standard lamp (right). The age of the railways began in the early 1800s when steam engines first ran on rails. In 1825 the first railway opened in England, and by the late Victorian era, railway systems stretched across the country, with steam engines capable of reaching speeds of over 160 km/h. The standard gauge track, measuring 1.44m (4ft 8½ins), is said to be based on the axle width of a Roman chariot. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

External Reference BL 10346/8

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/730407

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap