The Surrey Iron Railway (SIR) was a 4 ft 2 in narrow gauge railway that linked the Surrey towns of Wandsworth and Croydon via Mitcham (all now in south London). England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the two parallel rails that make up a railway track. A narrow gauge railway (or narrow gauge railroad) is a Railway that has a Track gauge narrower than the of Standard gauge railways Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. This article refers only to the town of Wandsworth For the wider area generally referred to as Wandsworth see the separate article on London Borough of Wandsworth. Croydon is a large town and major commercial centre in South London, and the principal settlement of the London Borough of Croydon. Mitcham is a multiethnic town in South London, just south of Streatham, and situated in the London Borough of Merton. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. It was constructed in the early years of the 19th century, opening on 26 July 1803. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Events 657 - Battle of Siffin. 811 - Battle of Pliska; Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus 1803 ( MDCCCIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a

Plaque in Rotary Field, Purley, commemorating the Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Railway

Origins

Short publicly subscribed plateways, like that to the Caldon Low quarries and the Little Eaton Gangway, had already been built. The Little Eaton Gangway or to give it its official title the Derby Canal Railway was a narrow gauge industrial Plateway serving the However, they were all part of canal projects. The original plan, first mooted in 1799, had been for a canal, but to take the necessary water from the streams in the area would have deprived the many water-powered mills and factories. Year 1799 ( MDCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a This was the world's first railway to be publicly subscribed by Act of Parliament as a railway throughout. Public is of or pertaining to the people relating to or affecting a nation state or community opposed to private; as the public treasury a road or lake "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation.

Operation

It was horse-drawn, dedicated to goods. The horse ( Equus caballus) is a hoofed ( Ungulate) Mammal, one of eight living species of the family Equidae. It was essentially a form of turnpike as users had to provide their own wagons and horses, paying a fee for use of the plateway (tramroad). This is remarkably similar to the modern arrangement under which a Train operating company pays track access charges to Network Rail. The term train operating company (abbreviated to TOC is used in the United Kingdom to describe the various businesses operating passenger trains on the railway Network Rail is a British "not for dividend" Company limited by guarantee whose principal asset is Network Rail Infrastructure Limited a company limited

Route

The nine-mile route followed the shallow valley of the River Wandle, then heavily industrialised with numerous factories and mills, from the River Thames at Wandsworth southwards to Croydon. The River Wandle is a River in southeast England. It runs through southwest London and is approximately 9 miles (14 km long The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. A short branch also ran from Mitcham to Hackbridge. Hackbridge in the London Borough of Sutton is a suburb and Railway station in south-west London with services to London Victoria and Blackfriars The line was subsequently extended as the Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Railway through Purley and Coulsdon to serve quarries near Merstham, opened 1805, closed 1838. Purley is a place in the London Borough of Croydon. It is a suburban development situated 11 Coulsdon is a town in the London Borough of Croydon on the Brighton Road ( A23) Merstham is a village in the Reigate and Banstead borough of Surrey, England, in the London commuter belt. Year 1805 ( MDCCCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or Year 1838 ( MDCCCXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common

History

William Jessop was chief engineer of the latter venture only and the flat alignment of his route proved more long-lasting than the railway. William Jessop ( 23 January 1745 - 18 November 1814) was a noted English Civil engineer, particularly famed for his work The advent of faster and more powerful steam locomotives spelled the end for horse-drawn railways. A locomotive is a railway Vehicle that provides the motive power for a Train. In 1823, William James, a powerful shareholder in the SIR, tried to persuade George Stephenson to supply a locomotive for the line. George Stephenson ( 9 June 1781 &ndash 12 August 1848) was an English Civil engineer and mechanical engineer However Stephenson realised that the cast-iron plateway could not support the weight of a steam locomotive and declined the offer. ^[1] The SIR closed in 1846. For the game see 1846 (board game. Year 1846 ( MDCCCXLVI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display Part of the route was reopened in 1855 by the Wimbledon & Croydon Railway, which was later absorbed by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. Year 1855 ( MDCCCLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year The London Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR (commonly known as "the Brighton line" was a Railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1923 Much of the route remains in use by Croydon Tramlink. Tramlink (initially known as Croydon Tramlink) is a Tramway system serving the South London area of United Kingdom.

See also

• Timeline of railway history
• Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr Railway

References

External links

• 200th anniversary commemoration
• Tramlink and the Surrey Iron Railway
• Recent photos and information relating to the SIR