Surrender to Nothing

Navvies -Rail workers who built the tracks.

Railway Mania -When the country went mad for the railways and trains, companies investing wherever they could, lines of track were built just because they could.
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Track. Thousands of meters, spreading across the country. Well, at least that’s what was in the process. It was 1843 and railway mania was lurking not so far ahead in the foggy distance. Thousands of healthy, strong men were being drafted into the rural areas of the country, where they would construct a steady railway track running from Liverpool to the heart of Manchester.

Many farmers had obliged, as it was their land that was going to be trampled on. Their land was being taken from them by the government so the country could build one of its first public railways. Locomotives were already in the process of being made, so a line from the middle of the UK up to the north seemed like a great step to take. It would throw the country into an early industrial revolution.

Millions would benefit, the navvies would receive tones of well paid work, farmers would be able to transport their goods quicker (although they didn’t realize this) and the public would be able to use the new craze in order to improve their quality of life.

And so the navvies were drafted, thousands of men littered the country sides. Leaving their families, leaving their broken homes in order to work. Some, they jumped at the chance to leave their dead end town, wanting a change of scene as they had nothing to stay in that part of town for. Nobody blamed them; it was good money, but risky work.

Clad in their scratchy, bland coloured clothes men wandered around the sides of the roads, some smoking, some crying, some just happy to be getting away. The carts littered the busy road, all lined up, one after the other. Waiting, waiting to take the men to a better place, at least that was what they thought.

As the workers climbed aboard the carts that would be taking them from their homes to their temporary home, some were still crying, some smiling at the thought of getting away from the already polluted towns, the steam and the coal becoming too much for their weakened lungs. Others didn’t want to leave but simply needed the money to provide food for their young ones back at home.

Men were pushed into the carts, some were crowded, others got the better end of the bargain, arriving early and choosing their seats. As their eyes glazed over, all they could think about was the money they would be receiving. That’s really all they could muster, some just couldn’t bare to think of the families they abandoned to work, but most, most eyes were glazed over as they could already see the pound signs rolling in…

It was going to be tough work, but would be bearable for most, they were promised good hours, good pay and comfy living conditions. They were promised a safe environment.

If only that was what they found.