It's easy to take for granted the awesome endeavours of 19th Century railway pioneers which thread us through, round or over the nation's natural barriers. It was an age of speculative adventure, built on innovation, will power and elbow grease.
But many magnificent creations were abandoned during the industrial vandalism of the Fifties and Sixties. Forgotten Relics of an Enterprising Age celebrates some of them.
Goldielea's ten arches, recently refurbished, looks out proudly over a mansion and estate which were acquired by the Goldie family in the late 18th Century.
This impressive tunnel buries beneath countryside to the south of Sheffield. It was absorbed into the Great Central's empire shortly after construction.
As David Gilks' photos prove, nine million bricks can be fashioned into a fabulous piece of engineering. Welcome to the 59 arches of Fledborough viaduct.
You can reach pages about these relics by clicking on their name.
Across the site, new content is identified by a symbol whilst updated pages have a .
Main site areas
The site has stories about some of our more notable railway relics, with a hike through their history and reminiscences from those who worked there. You'll also find galleries showing dozens of bridges, viaducts, tunnels, earthworks, stations and junctions.
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