Roger Farnworth Railways

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Swanscombe Cement Works
The featured image for this article is Aveling & Porter 0-4-0WTG Reliance seen at Swanscombe in 1921. Only one end of the axles was geared. This is the non-geared side of the locomotive. Swanscombe Works employed a range of unusual industrial locomotives! (Locomotive Publishing Co.), © Public Domain. [30: p48]

Possibly as early as 1825, an extensive horse-drawn tramway network served the works.

The tramway was laid to 3ft 5.5in. “The gauge was measured to the outside of the railheads as the wheels had flanges outside of the rails. … They were the earliest railways in the area. … It is said that outside flanges were used so that the space between the rails could be built up into a firm level path for the horses. Fallen lumps of chalk could then be easily kicked clear of the rails.” [1: p4]

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