Creator
Robert Eddington
Title
A Descriptive Plan…of a Rail-Way from London to Portsmouth
Coverage
London
Publisher
A. Topping
Date
1803
Description
One of the earliest proposals for a railway presented to Parliament in support of the war against Napoleon. This proposal was for a lengthy horse-powered railway, to help defend Portsmouth and its vital naval facilities against a feared French invasion. This proposal helps show the acceptance of the fundamentals of railroad technology well before the application of steam power to railroads.