July Atlantic Departure Takes Place
Great Britain departed Liverpool on another scheduled westbound voyage during July.
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Isambard Kingdom Brunel Biography and Timeline — Page 9
Follow Isambard Kingdom Brunel through 477 dated historical records for Great Britain.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
477Distinct records
9 of 12Page
1846–1850Years on this page
1846
July Service Arrives New York
Great Britain reached New York on its July voyage while still operating on the North Atlantic route.
SS Great Britain
SS Great Britain runs aground in Dundrum Bay during a transatlantic voyage.
South Devon Line Reaches Newton
The South Devon Railway extends from Teignmouth to Newton while Brunel continues preparing atmospheric traction.
Gauge War
Brunel defends the Great Western broad gauge as Parliament regulates the gauges permitted on future railways.
SS Great Britain
SS Great Britain completes two transatlantic round trips during her second season of passenger service.
Steamship Company Faces Financial Pressure
The owners faced acute financial strain in connection with the stranding of their other steamship Great Britain.
1847
First Atmospheric Piston Carriage Tested
The first piston carriage is delivered and makes an initial atmospheric test run from Exeter.
Brunel and Samuda Atmospheric Trial
Brunel and Jacob Samuda take part in an early test journey that exposes weaknesses in pumps and traction pipes.
Atmospheric Goods Train Demonstration
An atmospheric-powered train hauls eleven goods wagons on the South Devon Railway during experimental running.
SS Great Britain
SS Great Britain is refloated after remaining stranded in Dundrum Bay for nearly a year.
Atmospheric Railway
Brunel's atmospheric railway opens to Teignmouth using stationary engines and vacuum pipes for propulsion.
Public Atmospheric Service to Teignmouth
Regular passenger services begin using atmospheric propulsion between Exeter and Teignmouth.
Great Western Sold To Royal Mail
The Great Western Steamship Company sold its original paddle steamer to the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company in April 1847.
Western Reassigned To Caribbean Service
After the sale, Great Western entered Royal Mail Steam Packet Company service linking Britain with the West Indies.
1848
Atmospheric Railway
Atmospheric railway services reach Newton Abbot as Brunel continues testing the experimental system.
Atmospheric Service Extended to Newton
Atmospheric passenger working extends from Teignmouth to Newton on Brunel's South Devon system.
Entire Exeter-Newton Timetable Goes Atmospheric
All scheduled trains between Exeter and Newton temporarily operate using Brunel's atmospheric traction system.
Royal Albert Bridge
Brunel launches a survey cylinder into the River Tamar to investigate foundations for the future bridge.
Atmospheric Railway
The atmospheric railway closes after persistent leakage and high maintenance costs make it impractical.
Atmospheric Working Abandoned
Persistent leakage, unreliable equipment and high operating costs lead to abandonment of atmospheric traction on the South Devon Railway.
Fifteen-Inch Atmospheric Pipe Used
The relatively level Exeter-to-Newton section uses fifteen-inch traction pipes to propel atmospheric trains.
Ivybridge Timber Viaduct Opens
A Brunel-designed viaduct opens on the South Devon route as part of the extension toward Plymouth.
Larger Atmospheric Pipes Planned for South Devon Banks
Brunel plans larger traction pipes for the steeper section beyond Newton where greater pulling force is required.
Plymbridge Road Overbridge Completed
A Brunel-designed elliptical railway overbridge is completed for the South Devon Railway near Plympton.
Tamar Bridge Preliminary Works Begin
Early work begins on Brunel's proposed railway crossing of the River Tamar before the project is later restarted.
1849
Death of Marc Brunel
Brunel's father and engineering mentor Marc Isambard Brunel dies.
Bristol Swing Bridge Construction
Designs a wrought-iron swing bridge for Bristol Harbour.
Chepstow Rail Bridge Construction
Begins work on the railway bridge across the River Wye at Chepstow.
Chepstow Tubular Pier System Developed
Brunel develops tubular iron supports for the railway crossing of the River Wye at Chepstow.
North Entrance Lock Bridge
The bridge forms part of Brunel's improvements to the entrance locks.
Windsor Railway Bridge
Designs the wrought-iron railway bridge carrying the Windsor branch over the Thames.
Windsor Thames Bridge Bowstring Design
Brunel develops a wrought-iron bow-and-string railway crossing over the Thames for the Windsor branch.
Windsor-Slough Thames Crossing
The bow-and-string design anticipates later work at Saltash.
Wye Bridge Works Begin
The tubular design influences Brunel's later Royal Albert Bridge.
Dock Swing Bridge Design Finalised
Brunel substituted a wrought iron swing bridge for the rolling bridge originally considered for the improved entrance lock.
1850
Brunel Swivel Bridge
The Brunel Swivel Bridge is completed as part of improvements to the locks at Bristol Harbour.
Institution of Civil Engineers
Brunel becomes a vice-president of the Institution of Civil Engineers.
Swivel Bridge Completed At Docks
Brunel's swivelling iron bridge was completed over the entrance lock at Cumberland Basin during the autumn.
South Entrance Navigation Improved
The enlarged entrance and its new bridge provided more practical access for the growing steamship traffic at Bristol.
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.