The age of steam brought such businesses to a sudden halt. Coal brought down by ship from Newcastle had long been a rival to more local wood and charcoal, but the price difference had not been so great as to give coal the edge. The advent of steam operated railways made coal much cheaper to transport from mine to market. There was a sudden collapse in charcoal and firewood sales to London. As the railways pushed out into Surrey itself, coal became much cheaper across the county. The charcoal business came to a sudden end.

In the later decades of the 19th century, mined coal grew to be the main source of heat in all domestic properties across Surrey. The transport of coal for domestic heating and cooking ranges was to be one of the most profitable aspects of the steam railways for much of their existence. When most homes switched to electricity and gas, the demand for coal slumped and with it profits for the railways with far reaching consequences.

Chapter 4

The Leisure Lines

Although the vast majority of railway lines in the age of steam were built for sound commercial reasons based on industry, agriculture or trade, there were a few that were built for rather more frivolous reasons. Surrey has quite a few of these lines that were built not for trade or industry, but for pleasure.

The first was the LSWR line to Hampton Court. The great Tudor palace of Hampton Court actually stands on the north bank of the Thames, in Middlesex, but there is a road bridge just west of the palace that links it to Surrey. The reason for the interest of the LSWR in Hampton Court was that in 1838 Queen Victoria had opened the grounds and state rooms to the public. The proximity to London made the palace a popular day out for urban folk. An estimated 180,000 people were coming each year, and the LSWR management wanted to get some of the business transporting them.

The company chairman, W.J. Chapman, however, was unconvinced. He did not think that a line dedicated to passengers only would make much of a profit. He was eventually convinced to give the go ahead when persuaded that the line would improve the reputation of the company by providing “a fresh means of cheap and legitimate recreation for the poorer classes.”

It was decided to begin the branch line from the main line just west of what is now Surbiton. The branch line then ran along an embankment over the flat land for almost two miles until it came down to ground level on the south bank of the Thames adjacent to the road bridge. Because the line was facing a royal palace, and because it was intended almost exclusively for passengers, the company decided to spend rather more than was usual on the station. The architect Sir William Tite was brought in to design the terminal. He constructed a handsome two-story building in red brick with white stone quoining and ornamental gable ends — all to blend in with the mighty palace over the river. The engine shed was given a similarly ornate facade, though the sides and rear were severely plain. There were two platforms, one shorter than the other.