View Single Post
  #16   Report Post  
Old November 3rd 04, 07:31 AM posted to uk.transport.london, uk.railway
MartinM MartinM is offline
external usenet poster
 
First recorded activity at LondonBanter: Nov 2004
Posts: 16
Default What is the oldest object or construction in the world...


Richard J. wrote:
kevin smith wrote:
"MartinM" wrote in message
...

"Henry Law" wrote in message
.. .
Chris Cook wrote:
"Matthew Church" wrote in message
om...

...built for a public railway which is still in-situ and still
performing the service for which it was built?

Clue: it lies within the M25.

Beddington Lane level crossing - age about 200 years
(Surrey Iron Rly/LBSCR/SR/BR/Tramlink)

Isn't the main line north of Redhill on the line of the Surrey
Iron Railway? But is it the original line or the Quarry line?

The Surrey Iron Railway served the stone quarries (underground) at
Quarry Dean, Merstham; remains of one of the bridges may be seen
by the Happy Eater cafe at Hooley just N of the M23, above the old
main line tunnel (not the Quarry line). There is some original SIR
rail on the corner of the A23 by the Feathers pub in Merstham.


if you are talking in the country then i Believe causey arch is the
oldest surviving "raiL" bridge in the world


But surely it's not "still performing the service for which it was
built", i.e. as a railway bridge?


I was responding to Henry's question about the SIR. BTW I don't think
the stone quarries were ever served by the SIR, it was lime works,
which were still served by a branch from the Northbound Redhill line
over the Quarry line just S of the tunnel (track is still there
between the two sets of lines but the bridge has gone.