Railways: the John Dickinson Connection

The growth of a small company into a world leader is often closely linked to the transport system available. Initially drawn to the area by availability of water power to drive the mill wheels, and making use of the canal for transportation, the growth of this important part of the country’s Industrial Revolution came to depend on coal. As the railway system developed, so opportunities arose for the industry to benefit from rail links. We now know this to have been only a temporary phase, but within these pages you will find traced, the many ways in which railways contributed to the company developments.