Newcastle Carlisle Railway - An important and historical Map Dated November 1825 of the intended 62 mile Railway from the town of Newcastle upon Tyne to the canal basin near Carlisle with certain branches therefrom. This is a detailed Master Survey manuscript map in pen and ink and watercolour by the Engineer Benjamin Thompson. Mounted on cloth backed paper with green silk edging on wooden roller and stop, size 112” × 9½” (1700mm × 240mm). This most important Presentational Map of the intended Railway was drawn to be the shown as the main document to the Parliamentary Commissioners in applying for the Act of Parliament to commence constructing the railway. It was the first long distance railway in Britain and the third to receive the Act of Parliament after Stockton – Darlington 1825 and Liverpool – Manchester 1830. Originally conceived as a horse drawn wagon railway, this Newcastle and Carlisle line was backed by the by the influential gentry and industrialists of Newcastle, Benjamin Thompson, a mining, railway engineer and pit owner, became involved, and a first survey of his proposed route was started in June 1825. The present lot is the original manuscript survey map completed in November that same year. Due to problems with errors on the levels and mainly difficulties of certain landowners, construction did not begin until March 1830, with the first section opening on 9th March 1835, finally linking to Carlisle in June 1839. Printed plans of the route were not published until 1828. Benjamin Thompson (1779-1867) went on to establish an Ironworks at Wylam and build several locomotives). As the Presentational Map for the Parliamentary Commissioners in applying for the Act of Parliament thus Stockton – Darlington 1825 and Liverpool – Manchester railways are in Museums this is the only early such map available on the market for a keen railway collector.