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Construction of the Kilsby Tunnel on the London & Birmingham Railway, 8 July 1839. Artist: John Cooke Bourne
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Construction of the Kilsby Tunnel on the London & Birmingham Railway, 8 July 1839. Artist: John Cooke Bourne
Construction of the Kilsby Tunnel on the London & Birmingham Railway, 8 July 1837 (1839). Robert Stephenson (1803-1859) was appointed chief engineer of the London & Birmingham Railway (LBR), the first railway into London. Running between Curzon Street Station, Birmingham, and Euston Station, London, the 112 mile long line took 20, 000 men nearly five years to build, at a cost of five and a half million pounds. The excavation of the tunnel at Kilsby, Northamptonshire was one of the greatest engineering challenges on the LBR, due to problems with quicksand. The LBR opened on 17 September 1838. From Drawings of the London and Birmingham Railway by J Bourne, 1839
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Media ID 14863939
© Oxford Science Archive / Heritage-Images
Bourne Civil Engineering Construction Industrial Revolution John Cooke Northamptonshire Oxford Science Archive Railway Track Railway Tunnel Robert Stephenson Shaft Stephenson Tunnel Underground
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This print captures the monumental construction of the Kilsby Tunnel on the London & Birmingham Railway, a significant milestone in the history of transportation and civil engineering. Created by artist John Cooke Bourne in 1839, this image showcases the remarkable efforts undertaken by Robert Stephenson and his team to build the first railway into London. The London & Birmingham Railway spanned an impressive 112 miles between Curzon Street Station in Birmingham and Euston Station in London. It took nearly five years and a workforce of 20,000 men to complete this ambitious project at a cost of five and a half million pounds. The excavation of the Kilsby Tunnel proved to be one of the most challenging tasks during construction due to treacherous quicksand conditions. However, through determination and ingenuity, Stephenson's team overcame these obstacles. In this print, we witness horses diligently pulling carts filled with materials while workers laboriously dig deep underground. The tunnel's shafts allow glimpses of light that illuminate their arduous task. This image not only represents an important event in industrial revolution-era England but also highlights the pivotal role played by railways in transforming transportation. The vibrant colors bring life to this nineteenth-century scene, transporting us back in time to witness firsthand how human perseverance shaped our modern world.
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