2009

TF4707 : Chapel Lane junction with Outwell Road (A1101)

taken 15 years ago, near to Elm, Cambridgeshire, England

Chapel Lane junction with Outwell Road (A1101)
Chapel Lane junction with Outwell Road (A1101)
The Wisbech and Upwell tramway ran past here. The view was taken in westerly direction.
The Wisbech and Upwell Tramway

When during the 13th century the estuary silted up, the fens surrounding the market town and port of Wisbech were reclaimed for agricultural use. The new agricultural prosperity soon attracted railways such as the Eastern Counties Railway which opened a branch in 1847. In 1848 the East Anglian Railway built a branch from Watlington. A third line was built by the Peterborough, Wisbech & Sutton Bridge Railway (later the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway) which opened a station on the other side of the River Nene in 1866. The trains carried fruit and vegetables to markets as far afield as London. In addition, the construction of a tramway line connecting the villages Upwell and Outwell with Wisbech commenced in 1882. Board of Trade's tram restrictions resulted in the unusual-looking locomotives which not only had speed restrictions but controls at both ends and wooden cowcatchers and skirts over the wheels. Six trams a day in each direction provided passenger services, with the full one way journey taking one hour. By October 1884 traffic had grown to 3000 passengers per week, with peaks of 2000 in a day for fetes and other special events. The tram competed with a canal that ran between Wisbech and Upwell and with the canal being in a poor financial condition the tram eventually finished it off. When motor omnibuses started to appear, however, passenger numbers declined drastically and passenger services were withdrawn in 1927, whereas freight traffic continued to flourish. With the introduction of two Drewry Shunters (BR Class 04) in 1952, Wisbech & Upwell became Britain's first all-diesel line. The line closed in March 1966. LinkExternal link


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Evelyn Simak and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
This photo is linked from: Automatic Clusters: · Chapel Lane [9] ·
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
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TF4707, 51 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Evelyn Simak   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Wednesday, 22 April, 2009   (more nearby)
Submitted
Thursday, 23 April, 2009
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! TF 475 074 [100m precision]
WGS84: 52:38.6892N 0:10.7552E
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! TF 476 074
View Direction
WEST (about 270 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Geograph
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