Guide to the Records of the British Transport Commission
RAIL
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Created: 2018
Collection Summary
- Creator
- British Transport Commission: Great Britain
- Title
- Records of the British Transport Commission (as filmed by AJCP)
- Date Range
- 1854 - 1873
- Collection Number
- RAIL
- Extent
- 3 items
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- Australian Joint Copying Project
- Sponsor
- The Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP) online portal was created with the assistance of the Australian Public Service Modernisation Fund, 2017-2020. The National Library of Australia gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the other foundation AJCP partners, the State Library of New South Wales and The National Archives of the UK, and all other organisations which supported the work of the AJCP, the world's most extensive collaborative copying project, operating from 1948 to 1997.
Introduction
Scope and Contents
British Transport historical records, including records of the Great Western Railway Company. The Australian Joint Copying Project copied select items from Series 1008 - Various transport undertakings: correspondence and papers.
Conditions Governing Access
Available for Access.
Conditions Governing Use
Many of the records digitised as part of the AJCP are still in copyright. Readers wishing to publish or reproduce documents should seek permission, in the first instance, from the National Archives of the UK. Further advice is available from: The National Archives of the UK. Copyright (http://nationalarchives.gov.uk/legal/copyright/)
Preferred Citation
Acknowledgement of use of this material should refer to the location of the original material (The National Archives of the UK) and to the Australian Joint Copying Project.
Citation of items from this collection should include references to the location of the original material at the National Archives of the UK and to the AJCP nla.obj number, which serves as the online identifier for the digital copy.
Example: TNA Series: CO 201/429, New South Wales. Original Correspondence. Despatches May-June 1850 (AJCP ref: http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1234)
Further information on citation guidelines is available at The National Archives of the UK (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/citing-documents-national-archives/ ).
Archival History
Material selectively filmed as part of the Australian Joint Copying Project. AJCP Reel: 6798.
Original microfilm digitised as part of the AJCP Online Delivery Project, 2017-2020.
Existence and Location of Originals
The National Archives of the UK (TNA).
Collection Reference: RAIL. For further information, see RAIL at TNA (http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C241)
Existence and Location of Copies
The original AJCP microfilm of the records filmed from this collection is available at the National Library of Australia https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn574350 as well as other institutions holding AJCP microfilm.
Finding Aid Note
Dates used in the this finding aid refer to those of the records selected for filming by the Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP) rather than to the date range of the original Series or File.
This online finding aid, published by the National Library of Australia in 2018, is a revised version of the original paper handbooks:
Australian Joint Copying Project. Handbook. Part 6. Public Record Group: Air Ministry, Board of Trade, Exchequer and Audit Department, Treasury and other Record Groups, Second Edition, pp xvii, 66, National Library of Australia, 1995.
Subjects
Great Britain: British Transport Commission
Bibliography
This revised finding-aid was originally published as:
Australian Joint Copying Project. Handbook. Part 6. Public Record Group: Air Ministry, Board of Trade, Exchequer and Audit Department, Treasury and other Record Groups, Second Edition, pp xvi, 62-64, National Library of Australia, 1995.
Administrative History
In 1921 the various British railway companies were amalgamated into four groups. In 1939, with the outbreak of war, the British Government took over control of railways and in 1947 the four companies were nationalised. Railways then became one of the responsibilities of the British Transport Commission and were administered by the Railway Executive.
In 1962 the Commission was abolished and railways were placed under the control of the British Railways Board. At the time of nationalisation the Commission inherited the records of the four private railways, which in turn had taken over the records of other companies in 1921, and following earlier amalgamations.
Item Descriptions
Series RAIL 1008. Various Transport Undertakings: Correspondence and Papers, 1854 - 1873
3 itemsItems selected for filming by the Austraian Joint Copying Project (AJCP) include: papers concerning English and Australian Steam Navigation Co. Ltd, Anglo-Australian Steam Navigation Co. Ltd, and equipment of Geelong and Melbourne Railways.
Existence and Location of Originals
The National Archives of the UK (TNA).
Series Reference: RAIL 1008. For further information, see RAIL 1008 at TNA.
Existence and Location of Copies
The original AJCP microfilm of the records filmed from this collection is available at the National Library of Australia [https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn558280] as well as other institutions holding AJCP microfilm.
Subjects
Gooch, Sir Daniel (1816-1889); English and Australian Steam Navigation Co; Anglo-Australian Steam Navigation Co; Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company; Engineers; Steamboats; Steamboat lines; Railroads: Victoria
Biographical / Historical
Sir Daniel Gooch was Locomotive Superintendent of the Company (1837-64) and was Consulting Engineer for the Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company which began construction in 1853.
Subseries RAIL 1008. Great Western Railway Company Collection, 1854 - 1873
3 itemsSubseries RAIL 1008. Papers of Sir Daniel Gooch, 1854 - 1873
3 itemsBiographical / Historical
Biographical
Sir Daniel Gooch (1816-1889), 1st Baronet (created 1866). Inventor and engineer. Locomotive superintendent for Great Western Railway Company, 1837-64. Supervised construction of telegraph line between America and Britain 1864-66. Chairman of Great Western Railway Company 1865-89. Chairman of Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company 1865-89. M.P. 1865-85.
Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company
The Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company was one of the earliest railway enterprises in Australia. It was incorporated in 1853 and the first sod was turned at Geelong on 20 September 1853. The railway from Geelong to Williamstown was opened in June 1857 and the line to Melbourne was opened in January 1859. The assets of the Company were taken over by the Victorian Government in 1860.
English and Australian Steam Navigation Co. Ltd, August 1873 - September 1873 (File 22. AJCP Reel No:6798)
Consists of memoranda and articles of association, letter of G. Clements (London) to Sir Daniel Gooch (29 Aug. 1873) concerning articles of association, and specification of iron screw steamships. (117pp).
Anglo-Australian Steam Navigation Co. Ltd, 1873 (File 23. AJCP Reel No:6798)
The records comprise the memorandum and articles of association (1873), prospectus and application for shares, and a financial statement. (36pp).
Biographical / Historical
The Company, of which Sir Daniel Gooch was a director, was founded under the auspices of Gibbs, Bright and Co. to establish a line of steamers between Britain and Australia via the Cape of Good Hope.
Equipment of Geelong and Melbourne Railway, 1854 - 1856 (File 28. AJCP Reel No:6798)
The records comprise specifications and correspondence with S. Cook (London), Larnach and Walker (London), E. Slaughter (Bristol), T. Crook (Bolton, R. Stephenson & Co. (Newcastle upon Tyne), E. Snell (Geelong) and others (434pp). Also included are 30 drawings.
Archival History
Thirty drawings (MFQ 372) were originally extracted from RAIL 1008/28.
Biographical / Historical
Daniel Gooch was a Consulting Engineer for the Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company and took an active part in compiling specifications and negotiating for the purchase of locomotives, rolling stock and other equipment from railway companies, ironworks and manufactures in Britain.