South Devon Railway, later Great Western Railway

South Devon Railway, later Great Western Railway (GWR) at Dawlish. It shows the track of Isambard Kingdom Brunel's (1806-1859) atmospheric railway with engine house (right middle distance). A daily service of four trains began between Exeter and Teignmouth in September 1847, and was extended to Newton Abbot in January 1848. By June 1848 the difficulties with the tube made conversion to conventional steam trains inevitable. The engine house provided power to exhaust the tube. Samuel Clegg Jnr (1814-1856) and Joseph Samuda (1813-1885) system. Illustration by George Townsend for Views of Devon and Cornwall by Henry Besley. (Exeter, circa 1860). Engraving

1806-1859 1847 Abbot Besley Brunels Clegg Conventional Conversion Dawlish Difficulties Exeter Exhaust Extended Inevitable Isambard Provided Samuda Teignmouth Townsend

Features In These Collections

> Contributors > WHA