London’s
Dock Railways Part 1 – The
Isle of Dogs and Tilbury
by Dave Marden
The
railways in and around London's docks were arteries to the national railway
system at a time when all heavy goods were moved by rail. As well as freight, the Port of London moved
vast numbers of people by train around its domain – not just ships’ passengers
but also dock workers, who were transported from their city dwellings to a host
of dockside locations. This book
describes the dawn of the major rail-served docks, and
traces the evolution of the capital’s quayside railways and their locomotives
from the days of the early dock companies through to what became the Port of
London Authority’s huge undertaking.
Over
two volumes, we see the growth of the dock company railways from simple sidings
to a vast network under the Port of London Authority, together with full
histories of over 100 locomotives that worked the various quays and sheds. Part 1 looks at the systems operating in and
around the Isle of Dogs at the Millwall and India Docks, and includes various
other railway wharves in the area. Also
featured is Tilbury Docks which, although remote, were closely associated
through company ownership and became part of the PLA network. London’s Dock Railways Part 2 chronicles the Royal Docks and their associated tracks.
The
absorbing story of these industrial lines and locomotives is traced from their
humble origins to what became one of the largest private railways in the
country, but which are now nothing more than a memory that serves to remind us
of one of the foremost periods in Britain’s industrial history.
Softback: 120 pages with approximately 120 photographs and maps
273 x 215mm
978-1-905505-27-2
£15.95
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