Document to show the cost of the Liverpool to Manchester Railway as estimated by its engineer and designer, George Stephenson. The railway was opened in 1830, but building had started in the 1820s. It was the first railway to completely run on steam power and have a signalling system, (Catalogue ref: RAIL 1148/1/f6) February 1825.
Transcript
Estimate of the Expense of the proposed Rail Road from the Port of Liverpool to the Town of Manchester
| Forming Excavation & embankments | 37,599 | 2 | 5 |
| Bridges & other masonry | 16,920 | ||
| Stone Blocks at ¼ each | 15,957 | 6 | 8 |
| Chairs or pedestals 10lbs each at 15 £ per ton | 16,028 | 12 | 6 |
| Rail, 4 lines of 35lbs per yard for 34 miles at £16.10 per ton | 61,710 | ||
| Laying Rails & forming Road for 34 miles at 5/- per yard | 14,960 | ||
| Fencing the Road | 5,129 | 8- | |
| Gates 400 @ £1. 10 shillings each | 600 | ||
| Waggons for making the Road | 4,000 | ||
| Locomotive Engine 20@ 600 £each | 12,000 | ||
| Boilers on the Road | 1,500 | ||
| Cranes & machinery at the wharfs | 2,000 | ||
| Warehouses & Offices | 25,000 | ||
| Land | 100,000 | ||
| Surveys & Act of Parliament | 10,000 | ||
| Contingencies during the performance of the work | 26,595 | 10 | 5 |
| £400,000 | |||
George Stephenson
February 5th 1825