[1]1
London & North Western Railway
District Superintendent’s Office,
New Street Station,
Birmingham.
11/51904
Dear Mr. Girdlestone2,
I have only now got complete confirmation regarding the London & Birmingham opening. I am now sure of it, [2]3as I have got it from two sources[.] The enclosed gives the information: you will notice that from Sep Jan[uar]y 1st to Ap[ri]l 9th 1838 the line ran from London to Tring only & [3] that from Ap[ri]l 9th 1838 to Sep[tember] 17th 1838 which was the day of the complete route’s opening there was a gap from Denbigh Hall to Rugby between [4] which coaches plied[.]
I shall be delighted to get any further information[.]
With kindest regards to Mrs Girdlestone4 & [1 word illeg.]
Y[ou]rs very sincerely | Cumberland Lowndes5 [signature]
Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP6418.7418)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
First portion of the line viz between London and Tring — 31½ miles was opened on January 1st 1838.
On the 9th of the following April this portion was opened as far as Denbigh Hall, and the portion between Birmingham and Rugby was opened the same day, the passengers between the two being conveyed by vehicle.
The line was opened throughout on September 17th 1838.
Mr Grew, the first District Superintendent at Birmingham, who was at the time clerk at Curzon Street, issued the first through ticket from Birmingham to London.
[A hand-drawn diagram of the route from Curzon Street to Euston appears here]1
| Miles | |
| London to Tring | 31½ |
| London to Denbigh Hall | 47½ |
| London to Rugby | 82½ |
| London to Birmingham | 112½ |
Status: Draft transcription [Enclosure (WCP6418.7419)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
Please cite as “WCP6418,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 30 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP6418