Follow the development of rail infrastructure from the wooden railways of the 18th century to 21st century technology, including track, signs and lineside equipment.
Railway Infrastructure
Footbridge; North Eastern Railway; Cast Iron; ex Percy Main station
1838
Station Gates, London & Birmingham Railway. Gates from 'Doric Arch' of Euston Station. Heavy wrought iron with ornamental locks bearing L & BR crest.
1849
Memorial plaque, stone, to commemorate those killed during the construction of the Arthington (Bramhope) Tunnel, Leeds & Thirsk Railway, 1845-1849, erected by James Bray, Contractor, 1849, from Otley churchyard.
Signal box nameboard, Masons Arms Crossing.
Stone rail from the Hay Tor Tramway, Dartmoor, Devon, c. 1826.
1855
Cast metal bridge plaque with laurel wreaths surrounding the date "1855", from Great Howard Street railway bridge in Liverpool, originally mounted with a bronze bust of the deputy chairman of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, William Stuart.
Bronze bust of Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Deputy Chairman William Stuart, by Edward Davis, 1855. The bust was mounted on Great Howard Street bridge in Liverpool.
Notice, wooden, Shrub Hill Road Level Crossing - Rules.
1842
Keystone from a decorative arch at South Stockton station on the Stockton & Darlington Railway, about 1842. The face of the stone depicts the head of an old, bearded man surrounded by vines and ivy, probably a Green Man or perhaps the Greek and Roman god Dionysus/Bacchus. On the reverse of the stone are bunches of grapes and vine leaves.
1930 - 1960
A City of York Council sign for 'Railway Street', removed when it was renamed 'George Hudson Street' in 1971.
1745-1755
Section of track, section of track consisting of 2 wooden rails and 2 wooden sleepers from Groverake coal mine near Blanchland, Co Durham, c1750, 18'' narrow gauge.
Cast iron sign, London & North Eastern Railway, England/Scotland border sign from Deadwater, red letters supported by a white beam, a rose and a thistle, a pike or halberd separates the 2 names at the border, dimensions: 100"H x 179" 15/16 W x 7" 3/8 D, 2450H x4750W x187Dmm.
Gate post plaque, Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, cast iron plaque mounted on wood, from gate post of Exchange Station, Liverpool, L & YR picked out in gold on black background, mounted on wood. Overall: 620 mm x 307 mm x 45 mm.
1850
Railway bridge section, portion of rivetted girder from Britannia Bridge, Menai Straits, with painted inscription LAST RIVET / MARCH 5 1850 / R.STEPHENSON.
c.1904-1914
Stained glass window, Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, ex Manchester Victoria Station, by George Wragge, 'The Crafts', London & Manchester, c. 1909, depicting arms of York and white rose, with vignette of Hughes 4-6-0 No. 1510, built Horwich 1906, superheated in 1921 and withdrawn in 1935. 75 x 50 in.
Notice, wooden, "ENGINE ASHES ONLY", black on white.
Notice, wooden, "Passengers must not cross the line except by road", white on red.
1985-1988
11 plaques, cast aluminium, duplicates of examples mounted on ECML overhead electrification masts, each commemorating milestones in the ECML electrification project, 1985-1988, on wooden panel, 1625mm x 810mm.
1897
Stained glass panel, Manchester Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway, ex Gorton Works boardroom, Manchester, 1895, illustrating the coats-of-arms of Southport.
1865
Bridge plaque, London Brighton & South Coast Railway, cast iron, 1865, bearing crest of LB&SCR, Queenstown Road Bridge, Battersea, London. Diameter: x 45 in ( x 1143 mm).
Gable, wooden, from Brandling Junction Railway station offices, Felling-on-Tyne, 1842.
Tiled mural, North Staffordshire Railway, tiled mural depicting Bridge Inn at Hanley, NSR loop line train 1897, blue tiles with brown border.
Stained glass panel, Manchester Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway, ex Gorton Works boardroom, Manchester, 1895, illustrating the coats-of-arms of Loughborough.
Passimeter office, London & North Eastern Railway, ex Winchmore Hill, wooden and glass four-sided structure with ticket desk
Ornamental carving, Taff Vale & Barry Jt Rly, oak carving of eagle attacking a young deer, from Pontypridd Station Refreshment Rooms.
1852
Bridge link, Great Western Railway, from Chepstow suspension bridge over the River Wye, wrought iron, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, built 1852, rebuilt 1962.
1839
Section of bridge, Newcastle & North Shields Railway, laminated timber, designed by John and Benjamin Green, Engineers, from bridge over the Borough Road, North Shields, built 1839, demolished 1937.
Weather Vane, Chester & Birkenhead Railway, depicting first locomotive on Chester and Birkenhead Rly 1841, ex Birkenhead.
Sign, enamel, London Midland & Scottish Railway, "LMS CAR PARK", yellow arrow with blue lettering.
1835-1984
Wall plaque, Works Managers, Shildon 1835-1984.
Notice, Cheshire Lines Committee, white letters on black background. "These closets are intended for the convenience of passengers only, workmen, cabmen, fishporters and idlers are not permitted to use them. By order."
1895
Notice, enamel, Dinorwic Quarries Railway, Rules Regulations & Conditions, 1895, in English and Welsh.
Notice, wooden, "None but Company's horses allowed to drink at this trough", ex Camden Goods Depot.
1904-1914
Stained glass window, Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, ex Manchester Victoria Station, by George Wragge, 'The Crafts', London & Manchester, c. 1909, depicting arms Lancaster and red rose with vignette of TS Irwell (1040 tons) built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson in 1906 for the Goole-Rotterdam service, broken up in 1954. 75 x 50 in.
Ball bearing, London & North Western Railway, brass expansion bearing in housing, from Britannia Tubular Bridge, in perspex case.
Ornamental casting, Midland Railway, ornamental cast iron Wyvern from spandrel, no provenance.
1888; 1984
Rivet, Forth Bridge Railway Co. Iron rivet with round head, mounted on wood base, from Forth Bridge, 1888 (removed 1984). Overall: 60 mm x 122 mm x 70 mm; rivet: 83 mm 41 mm.
1823-1825
Bridge, Stockton & Darlington Railway, cast iron bridge reputed to be the first iron railway bridge, used to span the River Gaunless at West Auckland, designed by George Stephenson, built by John & Isaac Burrell, Newcastle upon Tyne between 1823-1825.
Cast iron notice, Great Southern & Western Railway, Pursuant to section 38 of the Great Southern & Western Railway Act 1903 the public are hereby warned not to Trespass upon this railway.
Cast iron sign, LNW & LYR, Notice regarding mechanically driven capstans, white letters on black background
1948-1970
Enamel station sign, British Railways (London Midland Region), Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (the longest station name in the world) white letters on maroon, in 3 pieces, each piece 77"x12".
Cast iron notice, Any person who omits to shut and fasten this gate is liable to a penalty not exceeding forty shillings, black letters on white background
Rail chair, Great Northern Railway, cast iron rail chair for double-headed rail, ex Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire. Dimensions, 343x117x138mm, Marked "GNR", "G&_", "_nsid_".
Bridge plate, Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway, 114 M&GN, cast iron, oval, white on black.
1875
Bridge notice, Midland Railway, signed James Williams, 1875, white letters on red
Cast iron notice, North Eastern Railway, public warning not to trespass, white letters on black background.
Notice, cast iron, Midland Railway, Bridge weight limits, signed by James Williams, April 28th 1875, black letters on white background
1810-1835
Sleeper, cast iron, for approximately 17'' gauge track, convex with hollow base, double flanged web along top edge rising to form two chairs, embossed 'A DER 1848', 35'' in length.
Bridge plate, London & North Western Railway & Great Western Railway Joint Lines, L&NWR & GW Joint Lines 1, cast iron, oval.
Totem, aluminium, British Rail (London Midland Railway), Leeds City, Dimensions: overall: 460 mm x 1217 mm x 15 mm.
