Editing Brighton Main Line (section)

===London and Croydon Railway (1834{{endash}}1846)===
[[File:S_E_London_railways_1840.jpg|thumb|right|The junction between the [[London and Greenwich Railway]] and the [[London and Croydon Railway]] to the east of {{rws|London Bridge}} in 1840]]
The first part of the Brighton Main Line to be constructed was the section between London Bridge and Croydon. It was proposed in 1834 by the [[London and Croydon Railway]] (L&CR) company.<ref>{{cite news |title= London and Croydon Railway |date= 16 November 1834 |work= The Observer |page= 4 }}</ref> Much of the route, surveyed by [[Joseph Gibbs (engineer)|Joseph Gibbs]], followed the course of the [[Croydon Canal]], the southern terminus of which would be used for Croydon station (now {{rws|West Croydon}}).{{sfn|Turner|1977|pp=26-27}}{{efn|The [[Croydon Canal]] closed on 22 August 1836. Its route was followed by the [[London and Croydon Railway]] (L&CR) between New Cross and West Croydon.{{sfn|Baker|1989|pp=23-24}}{{sfn|Oppitz|1987|p=8}} Only the southernmost part of the line was directly laid over the course of the former canal. For the remainder, the L&CR followed the general corridor of the waterway.{{sfn|Turner|1977|p=53}} Several sections of canal that were not built over were deliberately retained (some were even stocked with fish) in the hope that they would attract potential residents to new housing developments.{{sfn|Turner|1977|pp=47-48}}}} The line would diverge from the [[London and Greenwich Railway]] (L&GR) around {{cvt|1.75|mi}} east of London Bridge station and the L&CR would have running powers into the terminus.{{sfn|Turner|1977|pp=26-27}}{{sfn|Baker|1989|pp=23-24}}

Passenger trains began running on the L&GR between {{rws|Deptford}} and its temporary London terminus at {{rws|Spa Road}} on 8 February 1835. London Bridge station, the first permanent terminus in the capital, opened on 14 December the following year.{{sfn|Turner|1977|p=28}}{{sfn|Baker|1989|p=20}} The L&CR was authorised by act of parliament on 12 June 1835{{sfn|Turner|1977|pp=23-24}} and a second act, permitting the company to build its own terminus at London Bridge, was given royal assent on 14 July 1836.{{sfn|Turner|1977|pp=30-31}}{{efn|The [[London and Croydon Railway]]'s London Bridge terminus was to the north of that of the [[London and Greenwich Railway]]. The two companies swapped stations in 1844.{{sfn|Oppitz|1988|pp=14-15}}}} The line between the capital and Croydon was built by the engineer, [[William Cubitt]], and construction began in 1838.{{sfn|Turner|1977|pp=47-48}}{{sfn|Baker|1989|pp=25-26}} The cost of the line was originally estimated to be around £400,000, but difficulties encountered during the excavation of the [[cut (earthworks)|cutting]] at New Cross, meant that an additional £216,000 was required.{{sfn|Baker|1989|pp=25-26}} The route originally surveyed by Gibbs was also modified to ease curves and to reduce the maximum gradient from 1 in 80 to 1 in 100.{{sfn|Turner|1977|pp=47-48}}

[[File:JollySailor.jpg|thumb|right|Jolly Sailor station (now {{rws|Norwood Junction}}) in 1845]]
The official opening ceremony for the L&CR took place on 1 June 1839, although passenger trains for the general public did not start until four days later.{{sfn|Baker|1989|pp=25-26}}<ref name=Clarke_2020>{{cite magazine |last= Clarke |first= Jeremy |date= April 2020  |title= The 'Croydon Tangle'  |magazine= Southern Way  |issue= 50  |pages= 61–78 |publisher= Crécy Publishing Ltd |location= Manchester |isbn= 978-1-90-932895-2 }}</ref> Since the area between New Cross and Croydon was sparsely populated and largely undeveloped countryside, the majority of passenger journeys on the line were between the two termini. Nevertheless, when the line opened, intermediate stations were provided at New Cross (now New Cross Gate), Dartmouth Arms (now Forest Hill), Sydenham, Penge (now Penge West), Anerley Bridge (now Anerley) and Jolly Sailor (now Norwood Junction).{{sfn|Turner|1977|p=151}} Initially nine steam locomotives operated on the line: five [[Sharp, Stewart and Company|Sharp, Roberts and Co.]] and two [[J. and G. Rennie]] [[2-2-2]] engines were used to haul trains and two [[0-4-2]] locomotives were used as [[bank engine|banking engines]] for the steep climb to New Cross from the junction with the L&GR.{{sfn|Baker|1989|pp=25-26}}