A transport system from London to Portsmouth was needed, either a canal or a tramway. The engineer William Jessop, recommended a tramway. He was given the job to build the first phase, from the Thames at the Ram Brewery in Wandsworth to Croydon, closely following the River Wandle which was already heavily industrialised. This began in 1801 and was completed together with the Wandsworth Basin so it was opended 1803. An extension to Godstone was authorised but only actually reached Mestham. This operated from 1805, making the entire route 18 miles long. Portsmouth was never reached. This early rail-way consisted of the rails on which carriages were pulled by horses. The rails meant that a single horse could pull much more than its usual load so the system was very efficient, but not as good as steam locomotive railways and the SIR closed in 1846. The Croydon Tramlink today uses much of the old SIR route. The SIR was the first public railway in the world not connected with a canal.
This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Surrey Iron Railway Company
Commemorated ati
Surrey Iron Railway Company - Croydon
Surrey Iron Railway Company 1801 {At the centre is an image of a draped femal...
Surrey Iron Railway Company - Wandsworth
Surrey Iron Railway Company 1801 {At the centre is an image of a draped femal...
Other Subjects
Dr. Francis Alexander Barton
Co-pilot of the first British public airmail flight. He was a G.P. in Beckenham and had been obsessed with anything aeronautical from an early age. He was awarded a grant of £500 by the Alexandra P...
National Maritime Museum
One of a trio of museums, the others being the Royal Observatory and the Queen's House.
Group, Armed Forces, History, Museums / Libraries, Transport
Network Rail
Government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain. It superseded Railtrack P.L.C.
LEP Transport Ltd
From COSGB: "LEP Transport was a freight company established in 1910 in London. The company name was derived from the initials of the three founding partners; Longstaff, Ehrenberg and Pollack." Mo...
North South Route in Haringey
Alan Stanton, suitably impressed with this important plaque, informs that the North South route is now called Watermead Way. Somewhere there must be a plaque commemorating that name change. Please ...