London and Blackwall Railway - Timetable/Operating times

[keriz]

Hi,

First post, please be gentle. I wasn't certain if the DLR board was the best place for this thread, but seemed like a good punt given re-use of infrastructure relative to my topic. If it is misplaced I'm sure admin will move it?  

I'm trying to find out some information about the former London and Blackwall Railway, specifically any details (with sources) of timetables/operating hours for passenger services between the years 1888 - 1891. It's a long shot I'm sure, but seems like this would be the forum to find answers on.

Thanks,

Keriz

[Chris M]

Welcome to the forum.
I've moved the thread to the Historical as that's where people who have the information you are looking for (not me, unfortunately) are most likely to see it.

[revupminster]

1881 and the London & Blackwell only existed in name only (until 1921) being absorbed into the Great Eastern Railway in 1862 which itself came from the Eastern Counties Railway.

Some booklets The London, Tilbury & Southend Railway by H.D. Welch (Oakwood Press)
The Blackwall and Millwall Extension Railways by Geoffrey Body (An Avon Anglia Production)
The London Tilbury & Southend Railway volume 1 by and published by Peter Kay.

[theblackferret]

Mar 10, 2024 12:56:23 GMT keriz said:

Hi,

First post, please be gentle. I wasn't certain if the DLR board was the best place for this thread, but seemed like a good punt given re-use of infrastructure relative to my topic. If it is misplaced I'm sure admin will move it?  

I'm trying to find out some information about the former London and Blackwall Railway, specifically any details (with sources) of timetables/operating hours for passenger services between the years 1888 - 1891. It's a long shot I'm sure, but seems like this would be the forum to find answers on.

Thanks,

Keriz

Amazingly, I was reading about Fenchurch Street last night in Alan A Jackson's London's Termini(David & Charles) 1969-revised edition(mine) 1985.

First off, the Sunday service to Blackwall ceased in 1908. The weekday service (that included Saturday) is quoted in 1872 as 15-minute interval services all day, and that still appertained at the turn of the century. Around the same time as Sunday trains went(October 1908), Mr Jackson tells us the 4 trains an hour was reduced to three.

On that basis, my 1910 Bradshaw's facsimile(David & Charles 1968),gives:

Fenchurch Street--->Blackwall first train dep 05:27 arr 05.41;last train dep 23:40 arr 23:56-my use of 24-hr clock,not Bradshaw's throughout)

Blackwall----> Fenchurch Street first train dep 05:20 arr 05:36;last train dep 23:48 arr 00:04.


Wow-16 minutes with steam locos & with 8 intermediate stops!!

Mr Jackson, in his London's Local Railways(David & Charles 1979) mentions the Sunday service went out to half-hourly instead of 15-minute intervals from 1883 & that the weekday 20-minute service in fact started in 1902, so he may have found more evidence since the earlier book to quote that.

I hope that helps frame the likely level of service in the years you wanted & the times of service-I can't believe the latter would have changed by 1910. I don't have a 1888-1891 Bradshaw's to clinch the deal-maybe Michael Portillo does?

[roythebus]

Remember the Metropolitan District Railway managed 43 trains per hour a at Mansion house back in the steam days, and each train had to uncouple loco, couple anothe loco on the other end, incoming loco to spur etc. all with semaphore signalling as well. Those old steam crews worked for their money.