Yorath Lewis Archive: "Never Stop Railway": collection of drawings, photographs, lantern slides, films, literature and correspondence of the Wembley & Southend Railways. Material on proposed London Underground schemes etc.

These papers relate to the career of William Yorath Lewis, most famous for his partnership with Benjamin Ratcliffe Adkins, which resulted in the invention of the Adkins-Lewis System of Continuous Rapid Transportation. This system received its greatest recognition when it was adapted in the 1920’s and repackaged as the “Never-Stop” Railway, which ran at the British Empire Exhibition held at Wembley Park in 1924 and 1925.

The collection contains materials ranging from the initial invention of the Adkins-Lewis System in the 1900’s and its possible applications; to its manifestation at Kursaal Gardens, Southend-on-Sea and the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley as the “Never-Stop” Railway. The collection culminates with materials from the 1950’s relating to the “repackaging” of the Adkins-Lewis System and its potential applications in, for example London and New York passenger transportation. The materials include business correspondence, publications from Lewis relating to his system, technical drawings and blueprints, photographs and ephemera; this includes materials relating to Lewis’ various business activities as well as personal items collected by Lewis throughout the course of his life. Box listing, list of technical drawings and introduction available.