Images Dated 15th September 2015

Crewe Station started service on 4 July 1837 with the opening of the Grand Junction Railway

Crewe Station started service on 4 July 1837 with the opening of the Grand Junction Railway. The purpose of this railway was to link the four largest cities of England by joining the existing Liverpool and Manchester Railway with the projected London and Birmingham railway. The line, which was the first long-distance railway in the world, ran from Curzon Street railway station in Birmingham to Dallam in Warrington, Cheshire, where it made an end-on junction with the Warrington and Newton Railway, a branch of the L&M.
At the time of opening Crewe only had 70 residents

© TopFoto.co.uk

Chat Moss threatened the completion of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, until

Chat Moss threatened the completion of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, until George Stephenson succeeded in constructing a railway line through it in 1829; his solution was to "float" the line on a bed of bound heather and branches topped with tar and covered with rubble stone.
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway (LMR) was the world's first twin-track inter-urban passenger railway in which all the trains were timetabled and ticketed. Trains were hauled by company steam locomotives between the two towns, though private waggons and carriages were allowed. The line opened on 15 September 1830 and ran between the towns of Liverpool and Manchester in North West England in the United Kingdom

© TopFoto.co.uk

Paymasters car at Blue Creek Station. From 250 in 1865 the construction forces grew to 10

Paymasters car at Blue Creek Station. From 250 in 1865 the construction forces grew to 10, 000 by completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869. About one in four were track layers. The others were graders, teamsters, herdsmen, cooks, bakers, blacksmiths bridge builders carpenters masons and clerks. On the average they made $3 a day. Many were Irish and most were veterans of the Civil War. Payday arrived and the money was passed out by the two clerks standing in the doorway.
Russell photo

© 2004 Topham Picturepoint