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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 4, Issue 6 (October 1, 1929)

Difficulties of Early Railway Construction

Difficulties of Early Railway Construction.

The countryside between Liverpool and Manchester is, for the most part, flat, but included in the route to be covered was the treacherous waste known as Chat Moss—a huge stretch of bog containing millions of tons of spongy vegetable deposits. This marshland, four miles in extent, had to be drained and levelled, and at one point an embankment of moss was formed, stretching fully a mile in length, and varying in height from ten to twenty feet. Sand and gravel were laid over the moss, and upon this was placed a roadbed of broken stone, supporting the wooden sleepers upon which the rails rested. As the work proceeded the weight of the material pressed down the surface of the marsh, and thousands of cubic yards of filling disappeared in a night.
The Father Of Railways.George Stephenson.

The Father Of Railways.
George Stephenson.

Despite these difficulties, the engineers doggedly stuck to their task, and, after some 520,000 cubic yards of filling had been employed, the moss was consolidated and a firm roadbed secured. A great deal of tunnelling had to be accomplished beneath the city of Liverpool, and the terminal at this end was reached by the aid of an incline, up and down which wagons were moved by an endless rope, operated by stationary engines. In all, the Liverpool and Manchester Railway was thirty-two miles in length. The greater part of the line was remarkably free from curves. There were sixty-three bridges, and the rails forming the track were of wrought iron, in lengths of five yards each, two inches broad, and one inch thick weighing 35lbs. per yard. The rails were supported by cast-iron chairs at three-foot intervals.