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Senate House Library, University of London

London and Birmingham Railway, 1830-1832


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0096 MS 504

Held at: Senate House Library, University of London

Title: London and Birmingham Railway, 1830-1832

Date(s): 1830-1832

Level of description: Collection (fonds)

Extent: 3 items

Name of creator(s): London and Birmingham Railway

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

The London and Birmingham Railway was sanctioned in 1833, and the Company appointed Robert Stephenson as chief engineer. Its construction was dogged by much opposition. The 112 mile long London to Birmingham line took 20,000 men nearly five years to build. The total cost of building the railway was £5,500,000 (£50,000 a mile). The railway was opened in stages and finally completed on 17 September 1838. The line started at Birmingham's Curzon Street Station and finished at Euston Station in London.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Manuscript items relating to the proposed London and Birmingham Railway, 1830-1833, as follows.
1. Copy of an estimate by John Sinclair, civil engineer of Hartshill, Atherstone, of a railway between Coventry and Birmingham, dated 21 March 1832. (2 leaves. 12¾" x 8").
2. Notes on the projected route of the London and Birmingham Railway, from a plan 'deposited with the Clerk of the Peace', 1830. (4 leaves. 9" x 8").
3. List of cuttings, tunnels and other works on the railway line between London and Birmingham, [1830]. (2 leaves. 10" x 7¾").

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

Conditions governing access:

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Uncatalogued material may not be seen. Please contact the University Archivist for details.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.

Physical characteristics:

As given in the Scope and Content.

Finding aids:

Collection level description.

Detailed catalogue

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

These three items are numbered 7, 9 and 10 respectively in a Goldsmiths' Library volume lettered 'London and Birmingham Railway', which also contains printed material.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

Related material:

University of London MS 940 also relates to the London and Birmingham Railway.

Further material relating to the London and Birmingham Railway Company may be found at the Public Record Office, London, Salford University Library, Bristol University Library and the National Railway Museum at York.

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Archivist's note: Compiled by Sarah Aitchison as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project.

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: Aug 2001


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Railway transport | Transport
Transport infrastructure

Personal names
Sinclair | John | fl 1830-1832 | civil engineer

Corporate names
London and Birmingham Railway

Places
Birmingham | Warwickshire | England | UK | Western Europe | Europe
London | England | UK | Western Europe | Europe