Eastern Counties Railway
Encyclopedia
The Eastern Counties Railway (ECR) was an early English
railway company incorporated in 1836. It was intended to link London with Ipswich via Colchester, and then on to Norwich and Yarmouth. Construction began in late March 1837 on the first nine miles, at the London end of the line.
Construction was beset by engineering and other problems, leading to severe financial difficulties. As a result the scope of the project was truncated in April 1839 to Colchester.
The railway began operating on 20 June 1839 with a train service running from a temporary terminus at in Mile End
to Romford
, now part of the Great Eastern Main Line
. On 1 July 1840 the line was extended to Brentwood
and a new London terminus at Shoreditch (renamed Bishopsgate
in 1846). The line was subsequently extended, opening on 7 March 1843 to cover the 51 miles between London and Colchester
.
The ECR tracks were originally set to a gauge
of five feet but between September and October 1844 the gauge was converted to standard gauge
(4′8½″). At the same time the associated Northern & Eastern Railway was also converted.
The line was extended from Colchester to Ipswich
in 1846, and to Norwich
in 1849, but via the separate Eastern Union Railway
, with which the ECR made an end-on connection. Eventually, in 1862, the two companies amalgamated along with a number of other East Anglia
n railways to form the Great Eastern Railway
.
The ECR is notable as the first company to utilise a two-wheel pony truck
in 1859, using the design of American inventor Levi Bissell.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
railway company incorporated in 1836. It was intended to link London with Ipswich via Colchester, and then on to Norwich and Yarmouth. Construction began in late March 1837 on the first nine miles, at the London end of the line.
Construction was beset by engineering and other problems, leading to severe financial difficulties. As a result the scope of the project was truncated in April 1839 to Colchester.
The railway began operating on 20 June 1839 with a train service running from a temporary terminus at in Mile End
Mile End
Mile End is an area within the East End of London, England, and part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross...
to Romford
Romford
Romford is a large suburban town in north east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Havering. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan...
, now part of the Great Eastern Main Line
Great Eastern Main Line
The Great Eastern Main Line is a 212 Kilometre major railway line of the British railway system, which connects Liverpool Street in the City of London with destinations in east London and the East of England, including Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich and several coastal resorts such as...
. On 1 July 1840 the line was extended to Brentwood
Brentwood, Essex
Brentwood is a town and the principal settlement of the Borough of Brentwood, in the county of Essex in the east of England. It is located in the London commuter belt, 20 miles east north-east of Charing Cross in London, and near the M25 motorway....
and a new London terminus at Shoreditch (renamed Bishopsgate
Bishopsgate railway station
Bishopsgate station was a railway station located on the eastern side of Shoreditch High Street in the modern London Borough of Tower Hamlets; the western edge of the East End. It was in use from 1840 to 1964 when it was destroyed by fire...
in 1846). The line was subsequently extended, opening on 7 March 1843 to cover the 51 miles between London and Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
.
The ECR tracks were originally set to a gauge
Rail gauge
Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers...
of five feet but between September and October 1844 the gauge was converted to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
(4′8½″). At the same time the associated Northern & Eastern Railway was also converted.
The line was extended from Colchester to Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
in 1846, and to Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
in 1849, but via the separate Eastern Union Railway
Eastern Union Railway
The Eastern Union Railway was an early English railway, initially sanctioned by Act of Parliament on 19 July 1844, with authorised capital of £200,000 to build from Ipswich to Colchester. Further Acts of 21 July 1845 and 26 June 1846 authorised further increases in capital of £50,000 and £20,000...
, with which the ECR made an end-on connection. Eventually, in 1862, the two companies amalgamated along with a number of other East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
n railways to form the Great Eastern Railway
Great Eastern Railway
The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...
.
The ECR is notable as the first company to utilise a two-wheel pony truck
Pony truck
A pony truck, in railway terminology, is a leading truck with only two wheels.Its invention is generally credited to Levi Bissell, who devised one in 1857 and patented it the following year. Hence the term Bissel bogie or axle is used in continental Europe...
in 1859, using the design of American inventor Levi Bissell.