tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710611656756005747.post6746879936579089972..comments2024-03-27T09:59:48.839+00:00Comments on Greenwich Industrial History: Early Pedestrian Subway at Woolwich - by Peter BoneDavid Riddlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841234446226688028noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710611656756005747.post-88138752116096457802022-10-17T15:29:27.716+01:002022-10-17T15:29:27.716+01:00Regarding Messrs Sharpe do you know their christia...Regarding Messrs Sharpe do you know their christian names? I have been researching Messrs Robert Sharpe and Sons, railway contractors. After the death of Robert Sharpe some of his sons continued as Messrs Sharpe, public works contractors.<br />They were in financial trouble having lost Sharpe vs San Paulo Railway in 1873. Often contractors were paid in shares and liquidity was a great problem. Messrs Sharpe were involved in several railway contracts in Europe which they had withdraw from due to finances. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15022614468456694925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710611656756005747.post-68091107147766067392015-07-14T14:56:57.903+01:002015-07-14T14:56:57.903+01:00Hi-interesting stuff. I understand William Fox-Haw...Hi-interesting stuff. I understand William Fox-Hawes became a Director of this company in 1877 I am researching this family-do you know anything about his role in this?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08335738649149087010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710611656756005747.post-65987694345750805242015-01-16T15:36:47.356+00:002015-01-16T15:36:47.356+00:00UPDATE
I now have some more information about prop...UPDATE<br />I now have some more information about proposals by Kearney High Speed Railways to tunnel a monorail link from North Woolwich to Beresford Square. My original report said that this seemed to be just a fleeting idea among many of Elfric Wells Chambers Kearney’s plans, but he seems to have promoted this idea over a long period and had some local backing for it.<br /><br />In July 1919, a House of Commons Select Committee investigating traffic problems in London visited Battersea to see working model of Kearney’s railway. A report in the Times (12th July) says that Kearney had plans for two lines; one from Cricklewood to Crystal Palace, and a second “from Woolwich, under the river to East Ham.” I have not been able to find any other documentation for the Woolwich to East Ham proposal.<br /><br />In January 1925 a delegation, including representatives of County Councils and London Local Authorities met a parliamentary secretary of the Minister of Transport Colonel Moore-Brabazon to petition for more tube railways in London (Times 8th January 1925). The delegation was organised by “The Kearney Society”. Elfric Kearney attended to explain the benefits of his system, which included claims that construction and operating costs would be much lower than conventional tube railways and would not require public subsidy. The delegation asked the government to provide loan guarantees and enabling legislation so that a line could be built to demonstrate the benefits of the Kearney rail system. Woolwich to North Woolwich was one of two schemes discussed as suitable for this. Mr E Radford representing the Woolwich Chamber of Trade said that the scheme for Woolwich was “an urgent necessity” and asked that it be built first. <br /> <br />Moore-Brabazon seems to have given a suitably diplomatic response. He said that more tube lines were needed , but no more money could be found to extend the current tube system, so Kearney’s ideas for a cheaper system were welcome. He expressed concern that the Kearney rail system was incompatible with other rail systems in use, but said that the Trades Facilities Committee “would probably guarantee interest on the necessary capital” for an experimental line to be built so that the benefits of wider adoption of the system could be evaluated. I have not found any later documentation of this proposal for Woolwich and it is not clear whether plans were ever fully developed. The second pilot scheme; between North and South Shields continued to be discussed occasionally for the next 10 years, but like all of Kearney’s schemes was never built. <br /><br />Peter Bone<br />16 January 2015<br />Peter Bonenoreply@blogger.com