The Impact of Railways Preexisting methods of transportation

The Impact of Railways

Pre-existing methods of transportation • Roads were still emerging from the medieval mud and were in no state to provide the transportation required to move vast amounts of industrial materials & food • During the earliest phase of the Industrial Revolution canals were the most useful method of transporting large quantities of materials.

Problems with roads & canals Roads before 1830 • In 1750 it took over 2 weeks to travel from Edinburgh to London by coach • Most people didn’t travel far from home because road was so difficult • Roads were of little use for transporting heavy, or fragile, or perishable goods Canals before 1830 • They were cheaper than coach travel but very slow • They carried goods but not passengers because they were so slow • Canals were built to carry heavy goods produced by industry

THE STEAM TRAIN!!!

The 3 main inventions responsible for the arrival of railway • Use of iron rails instead wooden rails • Invention of the Watt Steam Engine • George Stephenson’s Locomotion Number 1 – a. k. a. The Rocket!

The Steam Engine… • invented by James Watt (1736 -1819) – Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer – Watt’s Steam Engine assisted the creation of the railways…

Stephenson’s Rocket • Stephenson’s Rocket was used for the first passenger railway in the world – the Liverpool to Manchester Railway which opened in 1830 • His new engine was called the Locomotive Number 1 and soon carried 1, 000 passengers a day

Railway Mania • Railways were seen as a way of making a fortune • 1843 – 1848, nearly 7, 000 miles of track was built connecting London to most of Britain’s major cities • The first line in Scotland was the GLASGOW to GARNKIRK RAILWAY which opened in 1831

Quick Questions • Where were railways first used? • How did the railway industry finally get underway? • Which was the first steam-driven railway in the world? • In your own words, describe what was meant by RAILWAY MANIA • Name the first passenger railway line in Scotland

People were able to travel greater distances for leisure & to work Turnpike Trusts, canals & stage coach companies could not compete & went bankrupt. Townspeople were able to receive meat, fish, milk and vegetables brought in whilst they were still fresh by the railways. Fish & Chips! Seaside towns developed; the railways made cheap day trips possible Social & Economic Impact of the Railways Industry grew, because the railways needed coal & iron; railways in turn allowed factories to transport their goods to markets. Newspapers could be sent from London all over the country. People became more interested in politics & this led to the growth of political parties Railway engineering towns grew up, E. g. Crewe & Doncaster. The Post was speeded up First Class Mail

Economic Changes Railways cut the cost of transporting goods How many horses would be needed to transport 40 tons by road?

How did railways create more jobs? Goods can now be sold for less. More people can afford to buy these goods Railways make the moving of goods cheaper. This is called the Cycle of More people with jobs means … Prosperity More goods are sold & so more need to be produced. Businessmen employ more workers.

Who benefited from these new jobs? ?

Social Changes GMT?

Cultural Changes What is this woman doing? Which famous books did Charles Dickens write?

Environmental Changes Impact on the landscape?

Should the Liverpool and Manchester railway be built? Plan a campaign, with posters, leaflets and a speech, for or against the railway

Campaign Task • Start by gathering evidence ‘for’ or ‘against’ the railway • Write a speech/presentation of no longer than 5 minutes • Make up a poster and/or leaflets