Plank ways
The earliest use of a railway track seems to have been in connection with mining in Germany in the 12th century. Mine passageways were … See more

Sleepers
Timber sleepers, that is transverse beams supporting the two rails that form the track, replaced the individual stone blocks formerly used. This … See more

1900 to 1945
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the form of British track had converged on the use of wrought iron bullhead rails supported in cast … See more

Cast iron strips could be laid on top of timber rails, and the use of such materials probably occurred in 1738, but there are claims that this technology went back to 1716. In 1767, See more

The breakthrough came when John Birkinshaw of Bedlington Ironworks in Northumberland developed rolled wrought iron rails in 1820 in 15 feet (4.6 m) lengths, as used for the Stockton and Darlington Railway. This was strong enough to bear the weight of a … See more

Early track gauges
The early railways were almost exclusively local concerns involved with conveying minerals to some … See more

As stated, the general track gauge in Britain was 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm). In the later 1950s, general track maintenance standards deteriorated rapidly due to labour shortages and, on some routes, faster freight train speeds. Freight trains consisted almost … See more