30/08/2026
There are many, a great many, questions about early track. In particular, about the wheel: rail interface; about switches and crossings; and curves.
We know archaeologically how curves were laid out with a stone block railway - curves were polygonal, using staggered joints to try and create the inner and out radii. Staggered joints would, of course, help prevent 'track creep.'
But there's nothing in archive sources saying how they were built, and as far as I am aware, only one example of a stone block and cast-iron rail curve which has been examined archaeologically.
Wrought iron and stone block curves? Again, no idea. Likewise there's nothing describing how these railways were actually constructed. We know the stone blocks were pre-drilled before coming to site. But how was gauge measured? It's not like marking up a wooden sleeper to be able to drill it. Was one line of rails laid and that used as a datum to drag over another set of rails already mounted on their blocks? Because the blocks were irregular you couldn't use them as a datum point. Likewise the rebate and holes for the chair couldn't be used - there was no easy, standard point of measure. How was it done?
Wooden railways? We know how they were built - rather like a modern sleepered railway today. But how did they do curves? Were they like the cast-iron railways, polygonal? Very likely. It's very very doubtful the rails would have been steamed to shape, and unlikely sufficient crooked or naturally bent timber was available either. So it's likely curves were polygonal, or perhaps even avoided?
What about switches and crossings? The late Dr Michael Lewis in his paper presented at ER6 outlined the sum-total of knowledge about switches pre-1830. It's in fact very little. He presents three known archaeological examples of wooden switches, but crucially none of them have any moving parts, or none were recorded. So we don't know how they functioned. Archival sources? Basically nothing.
Iron and stone block points? Maybe on firmer ground from a documentary point of view, but from an archaeological point of view? Very little to go on. Some components survive, but it's piecing it all back together that's the problem.
So, in light of all of this, next week the 1722 Waggonway Project is going to try an ambitious piece of experimental archaeology. The group is going to extend their existing length of wooden track, and also build a switch. It is derived from as much data as can be gathered from archaeological reports and academic papers. It will have a single moving blade and a chord of 1:10. Once completed, the opportunity will be taken to run a replica waggon along the track to examine both the wheel: rail interface as well as how the waggon manages with turning through the switch in the facing and trailing direction. If there is time, the wheels of the waggon may be turned to cone their tread to explore the difference between a cylindrical wheel on a square rail and a coned wheel on a square rail.
Beamish did a very limited piece of experimental work with their wooden waggonway over a decade ago, but the results were not properly recorded or reported.
So... watch this space.
