Brighton Gazette February 4 1841

Engineer's report.

To the directors of the London and Brighton railway company,

Gentlemen, since my last report the buildings and other works at the station at Croydon have been progressing rapidly, and are now in a very forward state, and will be finished by the end of April.

Contracts numbers 1 and 2. – Works on these contracts may be said to be finished, there only remaining the dressing up of the cuttings on the slopes, and laying down a small portion of the permanent rails, all which can be completed in six weeks.

Contract number 3. – The works up to the Star Inn are completed.Those from the Star Inn up to the mouth of the Merstham tunnel are nearly so, the cleaning out the cutting and laying the centre culvert being the principal works remaining, and can easily be finished by the beginning of May.

Contract number 4, - Merstham tunnel. – This tunnel will be open throughout in March next; both ends are opened out to the cutting, and five of the spaces between the shafts have to be finished, which can easily be accomplished by the second week in March. There will then only remain the second centre culvert, and the laying the rails, which will occupy six weeks, so that the tunnel will be ready for the traffic by the first week in May.

Contract number 5. – The whole of the works, with the exception of the embankment on Earlswood Common, may be said to be finished. This embankment, which is a work of no ordinary kind, has received my most anxious exertions and attention, and is now proceeding satisfactorily, as I am enabled to form it of excellent sand, which I could not do heretofore. The permanent way will be laid by the middle of April, and will be ready for opening by the first week in May.

Contract number 6. – All the works upon this contract are finished, and the permanent way might have been laid some time since, but I thought it more advisable to let the embankment thoroughly settle.

Contract number 7. – The works upon this contract may also be said to be completed, with the exception of the bottoming up of about 200 yards of the cutting, at the north end of Balcombe tunnel, and the dressing and soiling the slopes, and the erecting the fences. One line of permanent rails has been laid over the whole of it within 200 yards of the tunnel, and 1/2 of the second line of rails has also been laid, and the remainder of the works can easily be completed in two months or less. There is an uninterrupted run for a locomotive engine of 9 miles on this and the preceding contract.

Contract number 8, Balcombe Tunnel. – The whole of this tunnel is thirled (1), except about 8 yards at the north entrance, and there is now a clear road all through it. The centre culvert (2) is being made, and the permanent way will be shortly laid down, and everything completed for opening by the middle of March.

Contract number 9. – The principal works on this contract are finished. Those remaining are the joining of one embankment, bottoming up the cuttings through Kemp’s farm, and at the north end of the Ouse Viaduct (3); the dressing off the slopes, and the laying the rails, which can easily be completed by the middle of March next.

Contract number 10, Ouse Viaduct. – The whole of the arches have been turned and keyed in two months. Immediately the weather permits, parapets will be built and the stone cornice completed. This can all be accomplished, and rails laid, by the first week in May.

Contract number 11. – The principal works to be completed in this contract, up to the station at Haywards Heath, are they making good the embankment at the south end of the Ouse Viaduct, and at Turners Mill, and a cutting at Haywards Heath and bottoming up the cutting at Copyhold Hill.

These will all be finished by the end of March, and the permanent way laid by the first week in May.

It will therefore be seen that the whole of the railway from its junction with the Croydon railway to the station at Haywards Heath within 15 miles of Brighton, will be completed, and ready for the traffic, by the beginning of May next; and I may here mention, that all the contracts upon this portion of the line, with the exception of the Merstham tunnel, and the embankment at Earlswood Common, might have been much expedited, but I have refrained from doing so in consequence of this tunnel and embankment not being completed without which it was impossible to have open the railway to Haywards Heath, but there can now be no doubt of this portion of the line being ready for opening in the month of May next.

The tunnel of 200 yards in length upon this contract on the Brighton side of the station at Haywards Heath, will also be completed by the beginning of May.

Contract Number 12. – The chief work still remaining unfinished here are the cuttings at Haywards Heath, Folly Hill, and Burgess Hill, and the embankment on the south side of Valepool viaduct, and at Ley Lane, which I expect will be complete by the end of June.

Contact number 13. – The embankment at the north of Hassocks gate, and the laying of the rails of the permanent way only remain on this contract, which I expect to be completed by the end of June, and as this embankment and the work remaining to be done on the last contract are the heaviest between Haywards Heath and Brighton, I shall urge the contractor to use the utmost expedition to complete them; but there is no doubt of there being finished by that time.

Contract number 14, - Clayton Tunnel. – The tunnel is thirled between three of the shafts and as the greatest distance to thirl between the remainder of the shaft is 20 lengths, and as four lengths have been regularly thirled every month, the tunnel will be completed by the end of May; and as the culvert is being made and the rails laid simultaneously, I have no doubt the whole will be ready for the traffic by the end of June. The works in this tunnel have proceeded so regularly, that I can calculate the time of completion almost to a certainty.

Contract number 15. – The excavations on this contract are nearly complete. A large portion of the rails are laid, and the tunnel through Major Paine’s grounds, will be completed by the end of May.

Contact number 16. – The works here are in a forward state, two embankments have to be completed, and the slopes dressed up and soiled, and the permanent way to be laid. These can all easily be accomplished by the end of May, or earlier if required.

Contract number 17 – the Shoreham branch has been in work for several months.

Contract number 18, the Brighton Station. – The works are progressing very rapidly. The booking office and passengers sheds will be finished early in the spring, and everything necessary for the opening of the line throughout, will be ready by the time required. The coal station will be finished for the reception of that traffic in two months.

In conclusion I beg to state, that the intermediate stations upon the line are all in hand, and I have no doubt whatever that the railway may be opened to Haywards Heath in the month of May, and throughout to Brighton by the month of August; and I assure you, no exertions shall be wanting on my part to ensure the opening of the railway at those periods.

I have the honour to be, gentlemen,

Your obedient servant,

John U. Rastrick.

London, January 21, 1841

For more information on the Haywards Heath Railway construction please follow the links:-

https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/historical-weekend-to-mark-175th-anniversary-of-railway-coming-to-haywards-heath-812435

(1) 'thirled' - drilled

(2) 'culvert' - a tunnel carrying a stream or open drain under a road or railway.

(3) 'Ouse Viaduct' - also known as the Balcombe viaduct