The industrial revolution brought unexpected difficulties to Derby in the late 18th century. Several mill owners along the River Derwent constructed dams to regulate the supply of water to their mills, which combined with the dry season caused the river to become unnavigable.
The solution was the Derby Canal which opened in 1796 and ran for 14 miles from the Trent and Mersey Canal at Swarkestone to Derby and Little Eaton. The complementary Little Eaton Gangway was a tramway that linked Little Eaton to Derby, mainly carrying coal.
The Little Eaton Gangway and Derby Canal is a detailed history of this short tramway and its relationship with the Derby Canal. Chapters cover the early history, rolling stock, the route, closure and revival of the canal. Various appendices provide further historical information.
This book was first published in 1973 with a second edition in 1993. The author, David Ripley, prepared a third edition in 1997 which included much new information, but this was not published at the time. This 2021-published version contains all the 1997 revisions and has been redesigned and produced to modern production standards. 80 pages and 69 illustrations including photographs, maps and charts.