The Surrey Iron Railway (SIR) linked Wandsworth in south London and Croydon in Surrey via Mitcham. It was constructed in the early years of the 19th century, opening on 26 July 1803. Wandsworth is a place in the London Borough of Wandsworth by the River Thames in south London. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... Croydon is a major suburban town and commercial centre situated 9. ... Jump to: navigation, search Surrey is a county in southern England, part of the South East England region and one of the Home Counties. ... Jump to: navigation, search Mitcham is now a town in the London Borough of Merton in south London. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search July 26 is the 207th day (208th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 158 days remaining. ... 1803 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

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

Short publicly subscribed plateways, like that to the Caldon Low quarries, and the Little Eaton Gangway, had been built in the past. However, they were all part of canal projects. The original plan, first mooted in 1709 had, in fact, 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. This, then, was the world's first railway to be publicly subscribed by Act of Parliament, as a railway throughout. It was horse-drawn and entirely dedicated to bulk freight. Jump to: navigation, search ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1726x1466, 819 KB) Summary Plaque in the Rotary Field, Purley, London Borough of Croydon, commemorating the Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Iron Railway. ... Jump to: navigation, search ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1726x1466, 819 KB) Summary Plaque in the Rotary Field, Purley, London Borough of Croydon, commemorating the Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Iron Railway. ... The Little Eaton Gangway by the Little Eaton Branch of the Derby Canal Following authorisation by Parliament, work began on the construction of the Derby Canal with Benjamin Outram as the Consulting Engineer. ... Jump to: navigation, search // Events January 12 - Two-month freezing period begins in France - The coast of the Atlantic and Seine River freeze, crops fail and at least 24. ... Jump to: navigation, search Public is of or pertaining to the people; belonging to the people; relating to, or affecting, a nation, state, or community; opposed to private; as, the public treasury, a road or lake. ... Jump to: navigation, search Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The Horse (Equus caballus) is a sizeable ungulate mammal, one of the seven modern species of the genus Equus. ...

The nine-mile route followed the shallow valley of the River Wandle, then heavily industrialised with numerous factories and mills, running from the River Thames in the north southwards to Croydon (a short branch also ran from Mitcham to Hackbridge). The line was subsequently extended through Purley and Coulsdon to serve quarries near Godstone and Merstham (known as the Croydon Merstham and Godstone Railway: opened 1805, closed 1838). Carshalton Pond The River Wandle is a river in England about 14 km long. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Thames (pronounced /temz/) is a river flowing through southern England and connecting London with the sea. ... For other places called Purley see Purley (disambiguation). ... Grid reference: TQ298596 Coulsdon is a place in the London Borough of Croydon on the Brighton Road (A23). ... Jump to: navigation, search Godstone is a village in the county of Surrey, England. ... Merstham is a village in the Reigate and Banstead borough of Surrey, England and is part of the London commuter belt. ... 1805 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1838 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Engineer William Jessop was chief engineer and the flat alignment of his route proved more long-lasting than the Surrey Iron Railway itself. The advent of faster and more powerful steam locomotives spelled the end for horse-drawn railways, and the SIR closed in 1846. The route, however, was reopened in 1855 by the Wimbledon & Croydon Railway, which was later absorbed by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. Much of the route remains in use, largely by the Croydon Tramlink service. William Jessop (23 January 1745 - 18 November 1814) was a noted English civil engineer, particularly famed for his work on canals, harbours and early railways in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. ... Jump to: navigation, search A locomotive (from lat. ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The LB&SCRs coat of arms, displayed above the entrance to Gipsy Hill railway station. ... a Tramlink Tram Tramlink (until recently known as Croydon Tramlink) is a public transport system in south London, operated by FirstGroup on behalf of Transport for London. ...

See also

• Timeline of railway history

Jump to: navigation, search This is a timeline of rail transport history. ...

External links

• 200th anniversary commemoration
• Tramlink and the Surrey Iron Railway