DOCSLIB.ORG

World's Oldest Roundhouse

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
World's Oldest Roundhouse World’s oldest roundhouse Curzon Street Station March 2020 Stephenson’s roundhouse revealed Archaeological excavations for the new HS2 Birmingham Curzon Street Station have unearthed the remains of the world’s oldest locomotive roundhouse, part of the station’s 19th century predecessor. Few 19th century roundhouses have survived in their original form, so the dig has provided a rare opportunity for archaeologists to investigate the full footprint of a major early railway terminus. Following on from the Iron Road blog, this post explores what has been uncovered… When it opened in 1838, railway engineer Robert Stephenson’s London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR) made headlines as the first of its kind in the world. The Birmingham Curzon St terminus’ roundhouse engine shed – also a world first – began freight services from November 1837: its southern sister built ten years later is now better known as the world-renowned Roundhouse music venue in Camden. These impressive circular structures contained turntables allowing locomotives to be turned around and sent back down the line, as well as space for storing and servicing vehicles. Historical illustration of the L&BR locomotive roundhouse, Birmingham, Credit: Historic Images/Alamy Stock Photo. Curzon Street’s role as a passenger station was short-lived, and the roundhouse quickly become obsolete with locomotives rapidly became bigger and heavier, outgrowing its bays. By 1854, Curzon Street was superseded by the construction of New Street station, a better-connected mainline hub. The roundhouse and various structures were demolished in 1860, and the crowds of commuters were replaced by pallets wagons and boxes, as the station made way for goods depot. This operated until its eventual closure in the 1960s, following the merger of the London & Birmingham Railway with the Grand Junction Railway to form the London & Northwestern Railway in 1846. Uncovering the Roundhouse The roundhouse remains took a team of more than ten archaeologists nearly three months to excavate. By analysing sketch plans and maps of the site from the 1840s, the team were able to predict the location of the roundhouse remains within a few metres but were surprised to find them so well preserved. Given that the structure was demolished in 1860 to allow expansion of the station goods yard, and that the site had been covered by eight inches of reinforced concrete since the 1970s, it was unclear how much would remain. Excavations uncovered the base of the roundhouse turntable, including its central pit and external wall (which survived to above knee height). Radiating from this were the remains of locomotive bays, as well as the foundations of inspection pits that would have allowed engineers to access the engines from below. In the area around the roundhouse, several long culverts (a structure that allows water to flow) built from curved bricks were uncovered, which would have drained water away from the structure, essential for a structure built on low land near a canal. Engine shed and roundhouse revealed (credit: Nodrog) The future of Curzon Street As the archaeological works conclude, the Curzon Street site is soon to once again become part of a functioning railway network as Birmingham Curzon Street Station. The arrival of HS2 will see the site become home to the first brand new intercity terminus station built in Britain since the 19th century. Birmingham Curzon Street station will be at the heart of the country’s new high-speed railway network, providing seven platforms, a new public space, and be integrated with an extended tram network. Click here to keep up to date with the development of Birmingham Curzon Street . Birmingham Curzon Street station (credit: HS2 Ltd) The archaeological programme at Curzon Station Yard is being carried out by experts from Headland Archaeology with DJV (WSP UK), on behalf of LM. To find out more about the programme, visit www.hs2.org.uk or for information on what is going in your local area, head to Birmingham’s Commonplace. .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Carrying Trade and the First Railways in England, C1750-C1850
    The Carrying Trade and the First Railways in England, c1750-c1850 Carolyn Dougherty PhD University of York Railway Studies November 2018 Abstract Transport and economic historians generally consider the change from moving goods principally on roads, inland waterways and coastal ships to moving them principally on railways as inevitable, unproblematic, and the result of technological improvements. While the benefits of rail travel were so clear that most other modes of passenger transport disappeared once rail service was introduced, railway goods transport did not offer as obvious an improvement over the existing goods transport network, known as the carrying trade. Initially most railways were open to the carrying trade, but by the 1840s railway companies began to provide goods carriage and exclude carriers from their lines. The resulting conflict over how, and by whom, goods would be transported on railways, known as the carrying question, lasted more than a decade, and railway companies did not come to dominate domestic goods carriage until the 1850s. In this study I develop a fuller picture of the carrying trade than currently exists, highlighting its multimodal collaborative structure and setting it within the ‘sociable economy’ of late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century England. I contrast this economy with the business model of joint-stock companies, including railway companies, and investigate responses to the business practices of these companies. I analyse the debate over railway company goods carriage, and identify changes in goods transport resulting from its introduction. Finally, I describe the development and outcome of the carrying question, showing that railway companies faced resistance to their attempts to control goods carriage on rail lines not only from the carrying trade but also from customers of goods transport, the government and the general public.
    [Show full text]
  • Railways List
    A guide and list to a collection of Historic Railway Documents www.railarchive.org.uk to e mail click here December 2017 1 Since July 1971, this private collection of printed railway documents from pre grouping and pre nationalisation railway companies based in the UK; has sought to expand it‟s collection with the aim of obtaining a printed sample from each independent railway company which operated (or obtained it‟s act of parliament and started construction). There were over 1,500 such companies and to date the Rail Archive has sourced samples from over 800 of these companies. Early in 2001 the collection needed to be assessed for insurance purposes to identify a suitable premium. The premium cost was significant enough to warrant a more secure and sustainable future for the collection. In 2002 The Rail Archive was set up with the following objectives: secure an on-going future for the collection in a public institution reduce the insurance premium continue to add to the collection add a private collection of railway photographs from 1970‟s onwards provide a public access facility promote the collection ensure that the collection remains together in perpetuity where practical ensure that sufficient finances were in place to achieve to above objectives The archive is now retained by The Bodleian Library in Oxford to deliver the above objectives. This guide which gives details of paperwork in the collection and a list of railway companies from which material is wanted. The aim is to collect an item of printed paperwork from each UK railway company ever opened.
    [Show full text]
  • Publications Robert Stephenson – Engineer & Scientist
    The Robert Stephenson Trust – Publications Robert Stephenson – Engineer & Scientist – The Making of a Prodigy by Victoria Haworth 185 x 285 90pp ISBN 0 9535 1621 0 Softback £9.95 postage & packing £1.50 The work of Robert Stephenson has always been overshadowed by that of his father George and the author attempts to lay to rest the confusion that various myths have created. The book highlights Robert’s formative years and his major contribution to the development of the steam locomotive design, including notable locomotives such as Rocket, Planet and Patentee . The factory in Newcastle, which bears his name, not only produced these machines but trained talents in abundance, changing the face of civilisation. Also included is a chronology of the main events in his life. Robert Stephenson: Railway Engineer by John Addyman & Victoria Haworth A4 195pp ISBN 1 873513 60 7 Hardback £19.95 postage & packing £5.00 This biography seeks to return Robert Stephenson to his rightful position as the pre-eminent engineer of the Railway Age. The book surveys the whole range of his railway work and aims to correct the imbalance due to Smiles who credited most of Robert’s early work to his father George. All aspects of his work are covered, from very important locomotive development to railway building and consultancy around the world. Fully referenced primary sources and well reproduced lithographs, drawings and other art work complement this essential reference book. The High Level Bridge and Newcastle Central Station by John Addyman and Bill Fawcett A4 152pp ISBN 1 873513 28 3 Softback £9.95 postage & packing £3.00 This book recognises the 150 th anniversaries of the opening of the High Level Bridge and the Central Station.
    [Show full text]
  • Lesson Plan Created by Tina Corri on Behalf of Sunderland Culture
    Lesson plan created by Tina Corri on behalf of Sunderland Culture STEAM Teachers Notes and Lesson Plans for KS2/KS3 Teachers STEAM Teachers Notes and Lesson Plans for KS2/KS3 Teachers Welcome to Sunderland Culture’s Cultural Toolkit for STEAM activities! This resource contains notes and lesson plans linking to STEAM education. They are created for KS2 and KS3 teachers, and are editable. They are designed to be easy to use, adaptable and creative - ready to plug in and play. The activities have been developed in partnership with teachers, and take Sunderland’s people and places as their inspiration. Teacher Notes - Introduction to STEAM What is STEAM? STEAM stands for Science, TechnologyWelcome, Engineering to Sunderland, Art and Maths. By placing art at theCulture’s heart of STEM Cultural Toolkit education, it recognises the vitalfor role STEAM of the arts activities!and This resource contains notes and lesson plans linking creativity in scientific discoveries,to STEAM inno education.vative design, They are createdand for KS2 and KS3 ground-breaking engineering. teachers, and are editable. They are designed to be easy to use, adaptable and creative - ready to plug in and play. The activities STEAM education explores whahavet happens been developed when in ypartnershipou combine with teachers,these different subjects together and take Sunderland’s people and places as their as a way to explore real-world situainspiration.tions and challenges. It is an approach which encourages invention and curiosity throughTeacher creative, Noteshands-on - Introductionand experimen tot STEAMal learning. At the core of STEAM education are two key concepts: What is STEAM? STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths.
    [Show full text]
  • Scottish Railways: Sources
    Scottish Railways: Sources How to use this list of sources This is a list of some of the collections that may provide a useful starting point when researching this subject. It gives the collection reference and a brief description of the kinds of records held in the collections. More detailed lists are available in the searchroom and from our online catalogue. Enquiries should be directed to the Duty Archivist, see contact details at the end of this source list. Beardmore & Co (GUAS Ref: UGD 100) GUAS Ref: UGD 100/1/17/1-2 Locomotive: GA diesel electric locomotive GUAS Ref: UGD 100/1/17/3 Outline and weight diagram diesel electric locomotive Dunbar, A G; Railway Trade Union Collection (GUAS Ref: UGD 47) 1949-67 GUAS Ref: UGD 47/1/6 Dumbarton & Balloch Joint Railway 1897-1909 GUAS Ref: UGD 47/1/3 Dunbar, A G, Railway Trade Union Collection 1869-1890 GUAS Ref: UGD 47/3 Dunbar, A G, Railway Trade Union Collection 1891-1892 GUAS Ref: UGD 47/2 London & North Eastern Railway 1922-49 Mowat, James; Collection (GUAS Ref: UGD 137) GUAS Ref: UGD 137/4/3/2 London & North Western Railway not dated Neilson Reid & Co (GUAS Ref: UGD 10) 1890 North British Locomotive Co (GUAS Ref: UGD 11) GUAS Ref: UGD 11/22/41 Correspondence and costs for L100 contract 1963 Pickering, R Y & Co Ltd (GUAS Ref: UGD 12) not dated Scottish Railway Collection, The (GUAS Ref: UGD 8) Scottish Railways GUAS Ref: UGD 8/10 Airdrie, Coatbridge & Wishaw Junction Railway 1866-67 GUAS Ref: UGD 8/39 Airdrie, Coatbridge & Wishaw Junction Railway 1867 GUAS Ref: UGD 8/40 Airdrie, Coatbridge
    [Show full text]
  • S Oldest Railway Roundhouse at Curzon Street Archaeological Site
    HS2 uncovers world’s oldest railway roundhouse at Curzon Street archaeological site March 11, 2020 HS2 Ltd has unearthed what is thought to be the world’s oldest railway roundhouse at the construction site of its Birmingham Curzon Street station. The roundhouse was situated adjacent to the old Curzon Street station, which was the first railway terminus serving the centre of Birmingham and built during a period of great significance and growth for the city. Built to a design by the 19th century engineer Robert Stephenson, the roundhouse was operational on 12 November 1837 – meaning the recently discovered building is likely to predate the current titleholder of ‘world’s oldest’ in Derby by almost two years. HS2’s initial programme of trial trenching at Curzon Street revealed the remains of the station’s roundhouse, exposed toward the south-eastern corner of the site. The surviving remains include evidence of the base of the central turntable, the exterior wall and the 3ft deep radial inspection pits which surrounded the turntable. The 19th century station at Curzon Street is among the very earliest examples of mainline railway termini and the limited later development of the site means that any surviving remains of the early station represents a unique opportunity to investigate a major early railway terminus in its entirety. As the HS2 project heads towards Main Works Civils, the final archaeological excavations on the site are about to take place. HS2 will see the site become home to the first brand new intercity terminus station built in Britain since the since the 19th century.
    [Show full text]
  • NATURE 19 the Map Was Drawn, and So the Omission of the Name of Tion Set In, Due to Errors Introduced by Repeated Copying, St
    NATURE 19 the map was drawn, and so the omission of the name of tion set in, due to errors introduced by repeated copying, St. Gilles can be accounted for. Vesconte knew that uncontrolled by any check. there was no longer a port of St. Gilles, if he knew that From the evidence outlined above we may reconstruct there ever had been, and, being of no interest to those the history of St. Gilles as a seaport. In Roman times for whom the map was made, it was omitted, but the it was an inland town, of no great importance, past topography he took, directly or indirectly, from the which one of the branches of the Rhone flowed, as at older map. If this map is compared with a restoration the present day, but, instead of turning southwards, of the twelfth century topography, as deduced from the river flowed on to the west, in a valley cut out of the modern maps of the region, upraised alluvium, to where the etang de Mauguio now the agreement, as regards stands. Then came the subsidence in the Dark Ages, the eastern end of the inlet, the lower part of this valley became submerged, and an is so close, that his repre­ inlet of the sea was formed, with sufficient depth of sentation of the western por­ water to enable ships to reach St. Gilles, which, by 108o, tion, where direct restoration had become so well established that it was selected Fw. 3·-Coast between Cette is more uncertain, may be as the most appropriatelanding-place for a princess of and Cap Couronne, from the map by Petrus Vesconte, dated taken as corroboration of the Sicily, on her way to the Court of France.
    [Show full text]
  • The Development of the Railway Network in Britain 1825-19111 Leigh Shaw-Taylor and Xuesheng You 1
    The development of the railway network in Britain 1825-19111 Leigh Shaw-Taylor and Xuesheng You 1. Introduction This chapter describes the development of the British railway network during the nineteenth century and indicates some of its effects. It is intended to be a general introduction to the subject and takes advantage of new GIS (Geographical Information System) maps to chart the development of the railway network over time much more accurately and completely than has hitherto been possible. The GIS dataset stems from collaboration by researchers at the University of Cambridge and a Spanish team, led by Professor Jordi Marti-Henneberg, at the University of Lleida. Our GIS dataset derives ultimately from the late Michael Cobb’s definitive work ‘The Railways of Great Britain. A Historical Atlas’. Our account of the development of the British railway system makes no pretence at originality, but the chapter does present some new findings on the economic impact of the railways that results from a project at the University of Cambridge in collaboration with Professor Dan Bogart at the University of California at Irvine.2 Data on railway developments in Scotland are included but we do not discuss these in depth as they fell outside the geographical scope of the research project that underpins this chapter. Also, we focus on the period up to 1911, when the railway network grew close to its maximal extent, because this was the end date of our research project. The organisation of the chapter is as follows. The next section describes the key characteristics of the British transport system before the coming of the railways in the nineteenth century.
    [Show full text]
  • The 1825 Stockton & Darlington Railway
    The 1825 S&DR: Preparing for 2025; Significance & Management. The 1825 Stockton & Darlington Railway: Historic Environment Audit Volume 1: Significance & Management October 2016 Archaeo-Environment for Durham County Council, Darlington Borough Council and Stockton on Tees Borough Council. Archaeo-Environment Ltd for Durham County Council, Darlington Borough Council and Stockton Borough Council 1 The 1825 S&DR: Preparing for 2025; Significance & Management. Executive Summary The ‘greatest idea of modern times’ (Jeans 1974, 74). This report arises from a project jointly commissioned by the three local authorities of Darlington Borough Council, Durham County Council and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council which have within their boundaries the remains of the Stockton & Darlington Railway (S&DR) which was formally opened on the 27th September 1825. The report identifies why the S&DR was important in the history of railways and sets out its significance and unique selling point. This builds upon the work already undertaken as part of the Friends of Stockton and Darlington Railway Conference in June 2015 and in particular the paper given by Andy Guy on the significance of the 1825 S&DR line (Guy 2015). This report provides an action plan and makes recommendations for the conservation, interpretation and management of this world class heritage so that it can take centre stage in a programme of heritage led economic and social regeneration by 2025 and the bicentenary of the opening of the line. More specifically, the brief for this Heritage Trackbed Audit comprised a number of distinct outputs and the results are summarised as follows: A. Identify why the S&DR was important in the history of railways and clearly articulate its significance and unique selling point.
    [Show full text]
  • Hackworth Family Archive
    Hackworth Family Archive A cataloguing project made possible by the National Cataloguing Grants Programme for Archives Science Museum Group 1 Description of Entire Archive: HACK (fonds level description) Title Hackworth Family Archive Fonds reference code GB 0756 HACK Dates 1810’s-1980’s Extent & Medium of the unit of the 1036 letters with accompanying letters and associated documents, 151 pieces of printed material and printed images, unit of description 13 volumes, 6 drawings, 4 large items Name of creator s Hackworth Family Administrative/Biographical Hackworth, Timothy (b 1786 – d 1850), Railway Engineer was an early railway pioneer who worked for the Stockton History and Darlington Railway Company and had his own engineering works Soho Works, in Shildon, County Durham. He married and had eight children and was a converted Wesleyan Methodist. He manufactured and designed locomotives and other engines and worked with other significant railway individuals of the time, for example George and Robert Stephenson. He was responsible for manufacturing the first locomotive for Russia and British North America. It has been debated historically up to the present day whether Hackworth gained enough recognition for his work. Proponents of Hackworth have suggested that he invented of the ‘blast pipe’ which led to the success of locomotives over other forms of rail transport. His sons other relatives went on to be engineers. His eldest son, John Wesley Hackworth did a lot of work to promote his fathers memory after he died. His daughters, friends, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and ancestors to this day have worked to try and gain him a prominent place in railway history.
    [Show full text]
  • Locomotion No.1 Positive Discussions Between , , and Darlington Borough Council
    Locomotion No.1 Positive discussions between , , and Darlington Borough Council (DBC) over the autumn. As a result, SMG offered Memorandum of Understanding which included offer of future short-term loans of Locomotion No.1 back to DBC during the period 2025-2030 (including 50:50 share during 20205). DBC have rejected the MOU as it stands and want us to commit to loan of the vehicle beyond 2030 We believe our MOU offer to be very generous for an SMG owned vehicle. It goes far beyond any arrangements we have with other lenders. We cannot tie the hands of the Museum that far into the future. The current loan expires at the end of March. Just before Christmas we wrote to DBC to confirm that we will be collecting Locomotion No.1 w/c 22 February. DBC have replied that it will not be possible to collect Locomotion No1 whilst pandemic restrictions are in place; and seeking to extend the current loan for another year. This is the first indication from DBC that they may not cooperate with collection. Our legal advice is that the pandemic does not change the position in relation to 31 March loan expiration. We have further meetings with DBC later this week, after which we hope they will cooperate with collection. The administration of loans is critical business as usual work which we continue to progress across the group. Locomotion No.1 – briefing note A. Timeline of NRM and Darlington Borough Council (DBC) discussions 2015 [For context, not to be shared: DBC consider brewery proposal to turn museum space into brewery-restaurant.
    [Show full text]
  • Lines to Take on NRM Masterplan for York • NRM Is at the Heart of York
    Lines to take on NRM Masterplan for York • NRM is at the heart of York Central, one of Europe’s most ambitious city centre regeneration projects. Through the redevelopment of the museum NRM will become the cultural centre of this new community bringing benefits to new residents and driving the uptake of new commercial opportunities. • The York Central scheme will divert Leeman Road to improve the road network for an existing residential area (Salisbury Island). This will enable NRM to unite the two halves of their split site for the first time since the museum opened in 1975. • A new Central Hall will unite the historically important Great Hall and Station Hall creating space for new visitor facilities and gallery space and ensuring level access and a better visitor experience for everyone. • The museum is not being demolished: the only building that will be demolished is the single storey entrance built in 2012 which currently houses the visitor entrance and the museum shop. The depot, a temporary structure erected in 2000, will also be taken down. All other buildings are being retained. • Through the Cultural Development Fund DCMS are contributing £18.6m towards the £55.3m cost of the NRM scheme. NRM will fundraise to secure the balance of investment. Background notes 2025: Stockton & Darlington Railway bicentenary The Stockton & Darlington Railway (S&DR) was the world’s first steam traction public passenger railway. Its first passenger train left Shildon on 27th September 1825 hauled by Locomotion No.1. 2025 will see the 200th year anniversary of this occasion and offers an exciting opportunity for the region and the rest of the country to celebrate this world changing event.
    [Show full text]