The Cornwall Railway was a 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) broad gauge railway from Plymouth in Devon to Falmouth in Cornwall, England, built in the second half of the nineteenth century. It was constantly beset with shortage of capital for the construction, and was eventually forced to sell its line to the dominant Great Western Railway.
The Cornwall Railway was famous for building the majestic Royal Albert Bridge over the River Tamar and, because of the difficult terrain it traversed, it had a large number of viaducts, built as timber trestles because of the shortage of money. They proved to be iconic structures, but were a source of heavy maintenance costs, eventually needing to be reconstructed in more durable materials.
Its main line was the key route to many of the holiday destinations of Cornwall, and in the first half of the 20th century it carried holidaymakers in summer, as well as vegetables, fish and cut flowers from Cornwall to markets in London and elsewhere in England. The section from Truro to Falmouth, originally part of its main line, never fulfilled its potential and soon became a branch line. Nonetheless the entire route (with some minor modifications) remains open, forming part of the Cornish Main Line from Plymouth to Penzance. The Truro to Falmouth branch continues: the passenger service on it is branded the Maritime Line.
1859May, 4
The Cornwall Railway opens across the Royal Albert Bridge linking Devon and Cornwall in England.
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Events on 1859
- 31May
Big Ben
The clock tower at the Houses of Parliament, which houses Big Ben, starts keeping time. - 30Jun
Niagara Falls
French acrobat Charles Blondin crosses Niagara Falls on a tightrope. - 8Jul
Union between Sweden and Norway
King Charles XV & IV accedes to the throne of Sweden-Norway. - 16Oct
John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry
John Brown leads a raid on Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. - 24Nov
On the Origin of Species
Charles Darwin publishes On the Origin of Species.