Different Ways To Find Key Construction Dates

As always, I'm trying to find key dates for the construction of a certain railway line.

After trying the obvious search words such as railway, bridge, cutting, one of these newspaper searches revealed an article about fossils being found whilst the foundations were being dug for one of the bridges needed to carry the railway line over a lane. The date was a surprise as it's only four months after the contractor won the contract to build this section of line.

Armed with that word - Fossil, I searched again and found another fossil find late 1872 / early 1873 during the one and only cutting dig at this town. So now I had two key dates.

Another piece of information confirmed when the station in this town was under construction, I found this again by chance when the local Horticultural and Agricultural show mentions (1872-1874 inclusive), that the show was to be held in the field adjoining the proposed railway station. However, the next year (1875), they state in the field adjoining the new station.

Sadly, accidents and deaths also play a part, a report on the station's opening to passengers (September 1876) goes on to say there will be a large goods shed but it's not complete yet. I since found out that in May 1875 at 40 year old carpenter was killed as he fell from the roof of the goods shed, and confirms that the shed was already being built one year before the newspaper report.

Another accident confirms the building of a new road bridge over a river connecting the town with the station's new approach road. I knew this bridge was completed in 1875 as there are photos of the inscription on the bridge with the year, however one Saturday in July a young man only 18 years old was swept of the scaffolding of this bridge during a flood. So I have to conclude from this the bridge wasn't too far off completion, and it opened later that same year.

I have to say, searching for accidents and deaths regarding a railway's construction always leaves me with mixed emotions...

Going back to fossil finds, presumably this was more common that I had thought?
Would a labourer really be looking out for fossils?

I thought I'd post this because it's not always the obvious that can help with railway research for key dates!

My understanding is that the contract would not be awarded until the all powers had been received, the route surveyed and all the land acquired. As there might well be bonuses for prompt completion or penalties for late completion, the contractor would usually get on with the work without delay.

A navvy might not know much about fossils, but he might well know that some people were interested in them and if he spotted one, he might get a reward of five bob for finding it. This might be general navvy experience or somebody might have spread the word at this site.

Gloster said:

A navvy might not know much about fossils, but he might well know that some people were interested in them and if he spotted one, he might get a reward of five bob for finding it. This might be general navvy experience or somebody might have spread the word at this site.

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A very good point, better than slipping it in your pocket and getting caught.

More indirect ways - Drink, Trees, Stealing and Devilment:

Drunk - Several men working on a certain section decide to spend their wages going round pubs one Saturday night. They come up with the bright idea of messing about in the local gas works and of course get charged. 1871.

Trees - August 1872 no less than 29 lots of Scottish Fir timber is advertised for auction at one of the woods the line has to go through, that's a lot of trees. Clearly the way is being cleared for the line. Another specific date and specific location.

Devilment - Two lads one Sunday decide to set a wagon free and roll it down an embankment causing damage to the wagon, they also get charged. 1875.

Stealing - Two men, one described as a Navvy and the other a labourer are charged with stealing some of the contractor's spades at another specific location. 1875.

Thomas Stone, the contractor now close to completion of the line now looks for his next project and wins the tender for the Wigan Junction Railway line. August 1876.

The point of the above is that they confirm dates and locations where work is proceeding which fits the line's construction and what the contractor was going to work on next.

It seems anywhere you get a large influx of workers, you get the above!

One thing that still surprises me is that there seems to be almost a news blackout on the line's construction? yes, I know it's only a short branch line and not building the S&C, but still, I'd expect to see some progress reports in the newspapers?

Andy873 said:

Going back to fossil finds, presumably this was more common that I had thought?
Would a labourer really be looking out for fossils?

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They found a Roman villa in Droitwich while constructing the third side of the triangle (which barely got used and was already half-lifted by the mid-1880s). Quite a variety of interesting things have been discovered by some random navvy digging them up and being curious about them.

In a similar vein, a Roman coin was found on 15th June 1866 when the one-time Mellis to Eye branch line in Suffolk was in the process of being constructed. Location was near to (just East of) Yaxley Halt / Duke's Bridge, as can be seen on the 1920s OS map linked below. The two mile branch line opened a few months later.


So, Friday 15th June 1866 perhaps not a key date in railway history but the Roman coin find quite likely of historic interest!

Mcr Warrior said:

So, Friday 15th June 1866 perhaps not a key date in railway history but the Roman coin find quite likely of historic interest!

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Interesting find there. It might not be a key railway date to most, but if you are researching that line it does tell you work was being carried out at that location on that date.