“A failed railway technology? The atmospheric railway and its successors.”
- Date
- 25 Feb 2025
- Start time
- 7:00 PM
- Venue
- Tempest Anderson Hall
- Speaker
- Roger Backhouse
“A failed railway technology? The atmospheric railway and its successors.”
Roger Backhouse, Writer and Librarian
“Railway 200” theme
In this lecture we will look at the atmospheric railway used by Brunel for the South Devon Railway in the 1840’s. (previously used in Ireland, London and later in Paris) Atmospheric railways worked by exhausting air from a cylinder between the rails those hauling a piston attached to a carriage along.
The railway world became excited by atmospheric railways, many were proposed as they offered greater reliability than steam locomotives of the day, and didn’t inflict smoke and smuts on the passengers. The then Prime Minister Robert Peel was enthusiastic.
Although considered a failure the four lines built converted to steam locomotive traction for reasons other than the limitations of the atmospheric system. Railway politics etc played a role. George Hudson was opposed. Two of the systems lasted 10 years. It was revived in the late 20th century with a line in Brazil (A promotional film survives) though it appears that has ceased operation. History repeating itself..,
The technology still exists as Lampson tubes often used in hospitals to transport samples etc. It’s also used in supermarkets to carry money from tills to cash offices. You may remember it used in shops – replaced the older fashioned overhead wire transport to cash offices.
7pm in the Tempest Anderson Lecture Theatre in the Yorkshire Museum on Tuesday 25 February 2025.
Image: Arriving at Kingstown on the Dalkey Atmospheric Railway in 1844. (Creative Commons)
2025 celebrates the 200th anniversary of the modern railway. Events list at:
YPS Members free, non members £5.