Cannock Mineral Railway
Encyclopedia
The Cannock Mineral Railway ran from a junction with the South Staffordshire Railway
at Cannock
though Cannock Chase
to a junction with the London & North Western Company's Trent Valley Line
at Rugeley
. It was authorised by The Cannock Mineral Railway Act, 1855.
The line was originally authorised in 1847 as the Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Worcester Junction Railway. This line was rather longer as it would have continued from Rugeley to join the North Staffordshire Railway
close to Uttoxeter
. However it proved to be too difficult to raise the capital for this project. That was the reason that the Directors went back to Parliament in 1855 to reform the Company as the Cannock Mineral with less ambitious and so less costly plan.
Originally, the construction contract was let to Taylor R Stephenson but in 1858, before the line was complete, it was transferred to Thomas Brassey
. The heaviest engineering work on the line was at Rugeley where a stone viaduct was built over the River Trent
and a long embankment constructed across the Trent Meadows.
As soon as the Board of Trade had approved the line for opening the line was leased to the London & North Western Railway Company per the agreement between the two companies. The first trains ran on 7 November 1859.
In 1869 the Company was taken over by the London & North Western Railway. Shares in the Cannock Mineral were exchanged for shares in the London & North Western.
South Staffordshire Railway
The South Staffordshire Railway was the railway company responsible for building several lines in and around the area of Staffordshire, England.The Chief Engineer was John Robinson McClean...
at Cannock
Cannock
Cannock is the most populous of three towns in the district of Cannock Chase in the central southern part of the county of Staffordshire in the West Midlands region of England....
though Cannock Chase
Cannock Chase
Cannock Chase is a mixed area of countryside in the county of Staffordshire, England. The area has been designated as the Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Chase gives its name to the Cannock Chase local government district....
to a junction with the London & North Western Company's Trent Valley Line
Trent Valley line
The Trent Valley Line is a railway line between Rugby and Stafford in England, forming part of the West Coast Main Line.The line was electrified on 25 kV AC system during the 1960s, in the wake of the 1955 British Rail modernisation plan....
at Rugeley
Rugeley
Rugeley is a historic market town in the county of Staffordshire, England. It lies on the northern edge of Cannock Chase, and is situated roughly midway between the towns of Stafford, Cannock, Lichfield and Uttoxeter...
. It was authorised by The Cannock Mineral Railway Act, 1855.
The line was originally authorised in 1847 as the Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Worcester Junction Railway. This line was rather longer as it would have continued from Rugeley to join the North Staffordshire Railway
North Staffordshire Railway
The North Staffordshire Railway was a British railway company formed in 1845 to promote a number of lines in the Staffordshire Potteries and surrounding areas in Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Shropshire....
close to Uttoxeter
Uttoxeter
Uttoxeter is a historic market town in Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. The current population is approximately 13,711, though new developments in the town will increase this figure. Uttoxeter lies close to the River Dove and is near the cities of Stoke-on-Trent, Derby and...
. However it proved to be too difficult to raise the capital for this project. That was the reason that the Directors went back to Parliament in 1855 to reform the Company as the Cannock Mineral with less ambitious and so less costly plan.
Originally, the construction contract was let to Taylor R Stephenson but in 1858, before the line was complete, it was transferred to Thomas Brassey
Thomas Brassey
Thomas Brassey was an English civil engineering contractor and manufacturer of building materials who was responsible for building much of the world's railways in the 19th century. By 1847, he had built about one-third of the railways in Britain, and by time of his death in 1870 he had built one...
. The heaviest engineering work on the line was at Rugeley where a stone viaduct was built over the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
and a long embankment constructed across the Trent Meadows.
As soon as the Board of Trade had approved the line for opening the line was leased to the London & North Western Railway Company per the agreement between the two companies. The first trains ran on 7 November 1859.
In 1869 the Company was taken over by the London & North Western Railway. Shares in the Cannock Mineral were exchanged for shares in the London & North Western.