Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 8:48 pm Post subject: The Start of the line.
The line was promoted by Eastern Counties and the London & Blackwall Railways, with the Act authorising the construction of a railway line firstly to Tilbury, then to Southend, receiving Royal Assent in 1852. This new line was to leave the Eastern Counties main line approximately half a mile from Forest Gate, with a then estimated cost of some £400,000. Even today, to many this is a large sum of money, but nowhere near what it would cost to lay the line from new.
It wasn't until early 1854, that the line opened between Forest Gate and Tilbury along with stations at Barking, Rainham, Purfleet, Grays and Tilbury Fort. Trains for the line, departed from both Bishopsgate and Fenchurch Street and both being owned by the two different companies, but joining up together at Stratford.
Later that same year, the line was then extended through to Stanford-le-Hope, with the section to Pitsea, Benfleet and Leigh-on-Sea the following year. The section through to Southend-on-Sea was then brought into use in 1856.
Following an Act of 1856, another line from what is known as Gas Factory Junction, Stepney, through to Little Ilford, near Barking, then opened in 1858. This was when trains stopped using Bishopsgate or the route via Stratford by running direct from Fenchurch Street, which was the starting point of my true interest in Railways.
It was May 1862 that London, Tilbury & Southend Railway Company was 'born' so to speak, after powers that had been granted earlier, were then transferred to this new Company. It has been stated that certain other lines have been leased to the Great Eastern Railway for 999 years, but as we know, they no longer exist, so what happened to this lease I wonder?
Following an Act in 1882, the direct line was then built from Barking and through to Pitsea, passing Dagenham, Hornchurch, Upminster, East Horndon - now named West Horndon and Laindon - where I was found, with an extention of the line to Shoeburyness. While this extention opened in 1884, the line to Upminster opened in 1885, to East Horndon in 1886 and the final section through Laindon to Pitsea then following in 1888.
July 1892 saw the section between Upminster and Grays opened and the section between Upminster and Romford in 1893. I have travelled from Upminster to Romford over the last few years, but the last time I travelled over the Upminster to Grays section, they had Steam Loco's running. I do keep saying I will travel over this section again as I know there is now an extra station along here named Chafford One Hundred. As I get a certain amount of FREE travel on the Network, I suppose I have no real excuse not to do it again. I would also like to visit and get photographs of these same stations as they are rarely seen in any Railway publications.
Come 1962 and we saw the very sad demise of Steam hauled trains along the line for the Class 302 EMU's being introduced at a cost of some £25M.
While the line is now known as c2c, I will always refer to it as the LT&SR, WITH NO WISH to offend anybody. _________________ Once the misery line, but now passed on to another.
See www.bramleyline.org.uk where one day we just might see an Ex-LT&SR Standard 4 steaming along as a Guest loco.
Yesterday, my Partner and I received a copy of St. Nicholas Church Laindon April edition of their Parish magazine and their local historian has written a superb article about the line and in particular, Laindon station that was built and opened 150 years ago in July.
In the article there is also a b&w picture of 4-4-2 Tilbury Tank number 23 'Laindon' that was buily in January 1885. I am now hoping I can persuade the historian to join the forum and post on here, including his wonderful article.
_________________ Once the misery line, but now passed on to another.
See www.bramleyline.org.uk where one day we just might see an Ex-LT&SR Standard 4 steaming along as a Guest loco.
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