Day One: The Train Station

I have always wanted to see England during the Industrial Revolution in the 1850s, so I got into my time machine and was instantly transported back in time. Once I got off my time machine, I decided to take a locomotive train to my next destination, which was the Cotton Mills in Manchester. Therefore, I went to the Liverpool Train Station and bought a ticket. The train station air smelled of coal and hot steam emanating from the train as it pulled into the station. As it arrived, the train came to a screeching halt, and a distinct “hissing” sound echoed from it as it laid force on the brakes. Extremely crowded, the station was full of people rushing to get onto the train, pushing past me, in order to find the best seat. A worker on the train whistled and yelled, "All aboard, who's coming aboard!” being the last call before the train would depart. So, I knew I had to hurry before it departed from the station. The distance from Liverpool to Manchester was 29 miles, and it would take around 2.5 hours (Taylor 41).  

As the train started to take off, the platform shook, so I quickly took a seat in a wooden passenger carriage. I sat in second class, and therefore in a bare wooden seat without a roof. In addition, the specific locomotive I was riding was called the Rocket, the winning locomotive of the Industrial Revolution, capable of reaching 30mph (Cartwright). After some time had passed, the station was a speck in the distance, and I found myself in the countryside. During the ride, I could hear the carriage rattle. As I sat with nothing to do except enjoy the view of the countryside, I overheard the passengers behind me talking about the wide range of goods this train transports. From coal and cotton to fuel factories, to food, the train I was travelling on seemed to carry everything. I arrived in Manchester later than expected, and I decided I would see the cotton mills in the morning.   


"Liverpool and Manchester Railway", Mechanics' Magazine, October 16, 1830, vol. 14, no. 375, p.113


Works Cited


Cartwright, Mark. “The Railways in the British Industrial Revolution.” World History Encyclopedia, World History Encyclopedia, 10 Feb. 2023, www.worldhistory.org/article/2167/the-railways-in-the-british-industrial-revolution/.


“Railways; Sept. 1830-Feb. 1831.” HathiTrust, 2024, pp.113. babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=chi.083696911&seq=35.


Taylor, Thomas. “A History and Description of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway.” 1832. Google Books, books.google.com/books?id=G6JVAAAAcAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false.



 

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