Railway Plater
Moderator: Global Moderators
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conniejane
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 6:33 pm
Railway Plater
I have someone working as a railway plater in the early/mid 1800s. does anyone know anything about the history of the railways and its workers at this time? thank you
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Currie
- Posts: 3924
- Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:20 am
- Location: Australia
Hello Connie,
That would be a very big history filling many volumes. I’m assuming that you’re interested in a particular individual and his employment on the Railway. If you like you could let us know the towns in which he lived and during which time periods. Maybe there’s some history available specific to those particular areas. You never know your luck.
A Plater working for a Railway Company could perhaps be a Boilermaker, someone who uses steel plates to make repairs to Steam Engine boilers or other plate-work on Steam Trains that is capable of being done in their own workshops.
A Railway Plater is possibly a Plate Layer. In the very early days of railways the vehicle, possibly horse drawn, sometimes ran on a road made up from a series of short cast-iron plates. These wore better, carried more weight, and offered less rolling resistance etc than wooden rails. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plateway
Later the plates were replaced by the modern type of rail on sleepers. The Plate-way became the Railway but the name of the worker who built and maintained track, sleepers, rails etc., wasn’t changed. I would say that a Railway would employ many more Plate Layers than it would of the other variety.
Alan
That would be a very big history filling many volumes. I’m assuming that you’re interested in a particular individual and his employment on the Railway. If you like you could let us know the towns in which he lived and during which time periods. Maybe there’s some history available specific to those particular areas. You never know your luck.
A Plater working for a Railway Company could perhaps be a Boilermaker, someone who uses steel plates to make repairs to Steam Engine boilers or other plate-work on Steam Trains that is capable of being done in their own workshops.
A Railway Plater is possibly a Plate Layer. In the very early days of railways the vehicle, possibly horse drawn, sometimes ran on a road made up from a series of short cast-iron plates. These wore better, carried more weight, and offered less rolling resistance etc than wooden rails. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plateway
Later the plates were replaced by the modern type of rail on sleepers. The Plate-way became the Railway but the name of the worker who built and maintained track, sleepers, rails etc., wasn’t changed. I would say that a Railway would employ many more Plate Layers than it would of the other variety.
Alan
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Jack
- Posts: 1808
- Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2004 5:34 pm
- Location: Paisley
Re: Railway Plater
Hi Connie and Alan,
Ewan Crawford's Railscot page may be of some interest.
http://www.railbrit.co.uk/index.htm
The A to Z tab has many useful articles.
(but the Chronology links don't seem to be working at present)
The Companies tab has a long list of the old railway companies.
--
Jack
Ewan Crawford's Railscot page may be of some interest.
http://www.railbrit.co.uk/index.htm
The A to Z tab has many useful articles.
(but the Chronology links don't seem to be working at present)
The Companies tab has a long list of the old railway companies.
--
Jack
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Currie
- Posts: 3924
- Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:20 am
- Location: Australia
-
Currie
- Posts: 3924
- Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:20 am
- Location: Australia
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conniejane
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 6:33 pm
thanks for the info.......and connie is fine by me!
its good to know what a plate layer was. mine was born about1795 in reay, caithness. found him in kirkintilloch?? in 1851, working on the railway and he died in edinburgh. I am wondering if he just 'moved along' as the railway did. I think the railways were pretty much in their infancy at that time?
its really great of people to offer up info so quickly many thanks.
jane....or connie.....take your pick.
its good to know what a plate layer was. mine was born about1795 in reay, caithness. found him in kirkintilloch?? in 1851, working on the railway and he died in edinburgh. I am wondering if he just 'moved along' as the railway did. I think the railways were pretty much in their infancy at that time?
its really great of people to offer up info so quickly many thanks.
jane....or connie.....take your pick.