Construction
The consultant engineer was William Cubitt. The line proved to be expensive to build, costing £615,000 rather than the estimated £180,000, due to large cuttings at New Cross and London. The only severe gradient was 1:100 (1%) for 2.75 miles (4.43 km) from New Cross to Forest Hill. In addition to the viaduct where it joined the L&GR, there were 18 bridges, and three level road crossings, each attended by a "policeman".
The track was laid to the standard Stephenson 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) gauge, although during the construction the directors were undecided and ordered extra-long 9 ft (2,743 mm) sleepers with a view to conversion to 7 ft 0 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) broad gauge, which never happened. The line used "Vignoles" flat bottomed rail, broader in the base and lower than modern rail. These were mounted on longitudinal timbers with cross sleepers.
A new station was built at London Bridge for the Croydon trains, on the north side of the L&GR one, with track shared as far as Corbetts Lane. There were six intermediate stations, at New Cross Gate (then New Cross), Forest Hill (then Dartmouth Arms), Sydenham, Penge, Anerley Bridge, and Norwood (Jolly-sailor near Beulah Spa until 1846). The terminus was at London Road in Croydon.
Because of the planned additional traffic following the opening of the L&BR and the SER, the L&CR sought powers to widen the viaduct from Corbett's Lane to London Bridge in 1840. Parliament decided that the widening should be undertaken by the existing owners, the L&GR. This work was completed by 1842. By this time the L&CR had joined the newly opened SER and L&BR to form a committee, and agreement was reached with the L&GR to exchange their stations at London Bridge in 1843 in order to avoid their trains crossing over at Corbetts Junction.
Read more about this topic: London And Croydon Railway
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