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[[File:The hearth of the Old Furnace at Coalbrookdale - geograph.org.uk - 571129.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The Darby furnace at Coalbrookdale]]'''Coalbrookdale ''' is a village in the Ironbridge Gorge. It was the site of the furnace where Abraham Darby first smelted iron ore using "coking coal", a major factor in the start of the Industrial Revolution. The furnace is now preserved as part of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum.<ref name=IGT>Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust</ref>
==The Coalbrookdale Company==
<gallery mode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">
Trevithick_replica_20110531.jpg|Trevithick locomotive replica at Blists Hill Museum, Ironbridge in 2011.
Coalbrookdale_Company_5_20150110.jpg|Coalbrookdale Company No 5 at Enginuity in 2015
</gallery>
The Coalbrookdale Company was responsible for the manufacture of the ironwork of [[Victoria Bridge]] , which was built between 1859 and 1861 , and [[Albert Edward Bridge]]. It had previously produced the ironwork for [[Brooksmouth Bridge]], built in 1828, which can be seen from the SVR near [[Borle Viaduct]]. The 39ft diameter waterwheel wheel at [[Daniel's Mill]] was also cast by the Company circa 1855. <gallery mode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">VictoriaBridge5643_20090926.jpg| |Victoria BridgeAlbert_Edward_Bridge.JPG| Albert Edward BridgeBrooksmouth_Bridge_20170618.jpg | Brooksmouth BridgeDaniel's Mill - geograph.org.uk - 1491921.jpg| Daniel's Mill</gallery>
==Railways associated with Coalbrookdale==
The [[The Severn Valley Railway under GWR/BR ownership#Before construction: 1845-1858|first plans for the Severn Valley Railway]] proposed that the north end of the line should proceed towards Coalbrookdale. However following public meetings in October 1852, a route towards [[Shrewsbury]] was ultimately built instead.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Marshall (1989)]] pp. 21-22.</ref>
[[File:Coalbrookdale Station.JPG|thumb|300px|right|Coalbrookdale Station]]Consequently, it Coalbrookdale was served by a station on the GWR's [[Wellington to Craven Arms Railway|Wellington to Craven Arms Branch]] which crossed the Severn Valley Branch at [[Buildwas]]. Passenger services commenced 1 November 1864. [[Albert Edward Bridge]] provided the river crossing between Buildwas and Coalbrookdale.
Passenger services were withdrawn from 23 July 1962. The line was subsequently used by coal and other freight trains travelling to [[Ironbridge power station]] until its closure in November 2015. In 2019 the line was mooted by Network Rail (NR) to be mothballed. Telford Steam Railway have set out plans to extend southwards through the station.<ref>[https://steamingtoironbridge.co.uk/ 'Steaming to Ironbridge', Telford Steam Railway website] (Retrieved 22 October 2018)</ref>
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalbrookdale Coalbrookdale on Wikipedia]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalbrookdale_railway_station Coalbrookdale Station on Wikipedia]
*[https://www.ironbridge.org.uk/explore/coalbrookdale-museum-of-iron/ Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron page] [[Category:Featured articles]]
