Place    From 1844  To 1847

Croydon atmospheric railway

Categories: Transport

An experiment by the London and Croydon Railway. Pumping stations were built which created a vacuum in a pipe laid between the rails. Each carriage had a piston that entered a slot in the tube, sealed by a leather seal. As air was sucked from the tube the carriages were drawn along the track.

As part of the construction works, the world's first railway viaduct was built, carrying the railway over the conventional steam line below. After the experiment was abandoned, the stationary engine-house at Forest Hill railway station was largely demolished and an electricity sub-station built on the site. This image shows the viaduct above the conventional steam railway.

Wikipedia for further reading.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Croydon atmospheric railway

Commemorated ati

Forest Hill mural

{Panel 1:} A Brief Local History In medieval times this area was known as The...

Read More

Other Subjects

Bull and Mouth Inn

Bull and Mouth Inn

A coaching inn. From British History: "Burnt in the {1666 Great} Fire and rebuilt. Rebuilt about 1830-1 as the Queen's Hotel. Demolished 1887. The inn is said to have derived its name from the sign...

Building, Commerce, Food & Drink, Transport

2 memorials
Great Eastern Street

Great Eastern Street

Constructed 1872-6 by The Metropolitan Board of Works. Opened in 1876. Improved in 1880-2.

Place, Engineering, Transport

1 memorial
Malcolm Campbell

Malcolm Campbell

Holder of land and water speed records. Born Chislehurst, Kent. He broke the land speed record for the first time in 1924 and went on to break it a further nine times (five at Daytona Beach, Florid...

Person, Sport / Games, Transport, USA

2 memorials
Nine Elms Motive Power

Nine Elms Motive Power

This depot was responsible for the locomotives working out of Waterloo. Locomotive, carriage and wagon workshops were built in 1839 in Vauxhall at the end of Nine Elms Lane. Rebuilt following an 18...

Group, Engineering, Transport

2 memorials
South End Road bridge reconstruction

South End Road bridge reconstruction

Reconstructed & widened in 1969 replacing a 28 ft. wide cast iron bridge built in 1864.

Event, Engineering, Transport

1 memorial