Crystal Palace pneumatic railway
Encyclopedia
The Crystal Palace pneumatic railway (also known as the Crystal Palace atmospheric railway) was an experimental atmospheric railway
constructed near Crystal Palace Park in South London c.1864.
, who had previously built an atmospheric railway
for the London Pneumatic Despatch Company
to convey letters along vacuum-driven tunnels in large wagons. A similar principle was applied to this railway, by which a carriage, which had been fitted with a large collar of bristles, would be sucked along an airtight tunnel that measured 10 feet (3 m) by 9 feet (2.7 m).
The power was provided by a large fan, some 22 feet (6.7 m) in diameter, that was probably powered by a steam engine. On return journeys, the fan was reversed to create a vacuum to suck the carriage backwards, whilst the carriage itself needed to use its own brakes to come to a stop.
and Penge
entrances to the park, and had to negotiate a difficult bend along the line. Tickets cost sixpence each. Trains ran between 1pm and 6pm and the journey-time as a whole took a mere 50 seconds.
.
It has been rumoured that the site of the railway is haunted, which was a popular urban legend
of the 1930s partially connected with stories surrounding Crystal Palace railway station
.
In 1978, a woman claimed to have found the tunnel and to have seen within it an old railway carriage filled with skeletons in Victorian
outfits. The tunnel was not found, and some believed that the tunnel may have been destroyed by construction work for the Festival of Empire
celebrations in 1911.
Atmospheric railway
An atmospheric railway uses air pressure to provide power for propulsion. In one plan a pneumatic tube is laid between the rails, with a piston running in it suspended from the train through a sealable slot in the top of the tube. Alternatively, the whole tunnel may be the pneumatic tube with the...
constructed near Crystal Palace Park in South London c.1864.
History
The railway was designed by Thomas Webster RammellThomas Webster Rammell
Thomas Webster Rammell was born in Dent de Lyon on the Isle of Thanet, Kent, United Kingdom. He became an engineer, working for the Metropolitan Board of Health...
, who had previously built an atmospheric railway
Atmospheric railway
An atmospheric railway uses air pressure to provide power for propulsion. In one plan a pneumatic tube is laid between the rails, with a piston running in it suspended from the train through a sealable slot in the top of the tube. Alternatively, the whole tunnel may be the pneumatic tube with the...
for the London Pneumatic Despatch Company
London Pneumatic Despatch Company
The London Pneumatic Despatch Company was formed on 30 June 1859, to design, build and operate an underground railway system for the carrying of mail, parcels and light freight between locations in London...
to convey letters along vacuum-driven tunnels in large wagons. A similar principle was applied to this railway, by which a carriage, which had been fitted with a large collar of bristles, would be sucked along an airtight tunnel that measured 10 feet (3 m) by 9 feet (2.7 m).
The power was provided by a large fan, some 22 feet (6.7 m) in diameter, that was probably powered by a steam engine. On return journeys, the fan was reversed to create a vacuum to suck the carriage backwards, whilst the carriage itself needed to use its own brakes to come to a stop.
Operations
The tunnel ran for 600 yards (548.6 m) between the SydenhamSydenham
Sydenham is an area and electoral ward in the London Borough of Lewisham; although some streets towards Crystal Palace Park, Forest Hill and Penge are outside the ward and in the London Borough of Bromley, and some streets off Sydenham Hill are in the London Borough of Southwark. Sydenham was in...
and Penge
Penge
Penge is a suburb of London in the London Borough of Bromley. It is located south east of Charing Cross.-History:Penge was once a small town, which was recorded under the name Penceat in a Saxon deed dating from 957...
entrances to the park, and had to negotiate a difficult bend along the line. Tickets cost sixpence each. Trains ran between 1pm and 6pm and the journey-time as a whole took a mere 50 seconds.
Legacy
It is unclear what became of the line, as records do not state when it ceased to operate, although it has been suggested that Rammell had originally constructed the small line as a test for a larger atmospheric railway that was to run between Waterloo and WhitehallWaterloo and Whitehall Railway
The Waterloo and Whitehall Railway was a proposed and partly constructed 19th century Rammell pneumatic railway in central London intended to run under the River Thames from Waterloo station to the Whitehall end of Great Scotland Yard...
.
It has been rumoured that the site of the railway is haunted, which was a popular urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
of the 1930s partially connected with stories surrounding Crystal Palace railway station
Crystal Palace (High Level) railway station
Crystal Palace railway station was a station in the London Borough of Southwark in south London. It was one of two stations built to serve the site of the 1851 exhibition building, the so-called Crystal Palace, when it was moved from Hyde Park to Sydenham Hill after 1851.-History:The Crystal...
.
In 1978, a woman claimed to have found the tunnel and to have seen within it an old railway carriage filled with skeletons in Victorian
Victorian fashion
Victorian fashion comprises the various fashions and trends in British culture that emerged and grew in province throughout the Victorian era and the reign of Queen Victoria, a period which would last from June 1837 to January 1901. Covering nearly two thirds of the 19th century, the 63 year reign...
outfits. The tunnel was not found, and some believed that the tunnel may have been destroyed by construction work for the Festival of Empire
Festival of Empire
The Festival of Empire or Festival of the Empire was held at The Crystal Palace in London in 1911, to celebrate the coronation of King George V...
celebrations in 1911.