DerekC
Established Member
Does anyone know, or can recommend the best source of information about the services initially operated by the London & Birmingham Railway in 1838?
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Sorry, it is only the first issue reprint which I have, and that as I said does not contain the lines in the midlands or south. As far as I know, the second issue of Bradshaw has never been reprinted.Thanks all, that already contains some really helpful information and I am following up on the leads suggested.
@Senex - the Wikipedia article on the subject suggests that passenger trains fell into two categories. Faster trains calling at "first class stations" only (Watford, Tring, Leighton, Wolverton, Blisworth, Weedon, Rugby and Coventry) and slower trains calling at all eighteen intermediate stations. The "Sun" extract you posted indicates "First" and "Mixed" trains - do you think these classes were the fasts and slows?
@S&CLER - a rough idea of services from the 25/10/1839 Bradshaw would be very helpful.
Faster trains calling at first-class stations only and other trains calling at all stations was pretty normal practice at the time (with, on some lines, trains stoping at places other than "normal" stations too). The usage both in the L&B ads and the Grand Junction ads of the period does indeed suggest that "First" meant trains conveying first- and mail-class vehicles only, and that "Mixed" didn;t have its later passenger and goods meaning but referred to trains including second-class accommodation for passengers. I too would strongly recomment Malcolm Reed's book, along with the contemporaty Whishaw (available via Internet Archive). And it's also well worth looking at "Osborne's London and Bimringham Railway Guide 1840", also available on the Internet Archive. Here's another departures-list, for the summer of 1839, from Aris's Birmingham Gazette, 17 June 1839. Incidentally, it's many years since I looked at the L&B minute-books, but I've got notes to the effect that back in 1831/2 there was some debate touching on whether to go for four tracks throughout, or at least to buy the land for four tracks. Neither happened, of course (though the late rLNW might have been very happy indeed if that had been done!).Thanks all, that already contains some really helpful information and I am following up on the leads suggested.
@Senex - the Wikipedia article on the subject suggests that passenger trains fell into two categories. Faster trains calling at "first class stations" only (Watford, Tring, Leighton, Wolverton, Blisworth, Weedon, Rugby and Coventry) and slower trains calling at all eighteen intermediate stations. The "Sun" extract you posted indicates "First" and "Mixed" trains - do you think these classes were the fasts and slows?
@S&CLER - a rough idea of services from the 25/10/1839 Bradshaw would be very helpful.
Notice also the lack of arrival times, very much a case of if we don't say when due to arrive then no-one can complain if lateRemember that these early timetables quoted local times, as there was not yet a standard national time. Birmingham time was 7 mins 30 secs behind London time, Harrow 1 minute.