Weymouth harbour branch
Discussion
I will never forget when I was a small boy and the train came through the strange feeling of standing in the road right next to it and looking up at the wooden plank bit I typically looked down on and stepped on to get on the train at the station back home. It was way above my head! It just seemed so tall.
If ever there was an image that summed up this board: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:D6535_and_Conco...
The only time I saw it working there was a pannier tank pulling the train.
Back in 1970 or so I was a guard working out of Newport Ebbw junction. We were above Pontllanfraith pushing the train with the guards van (remember them?) Next to the engine. At about 15 mph we rounded a bend to find that we had hit an Austin Cambridge which had been parked with the rear overhanging the track. Driver appeared and was most upset!
Back in 1970 or so I was a guard working out of Newport Ebbw junction. We were above Pontllanfraith pushing the train with the guards van (remember them?) Next to the engine. At about 15 mph we rounded a bend to find that we had hit an Austin Cambridge which had been parked with the rear overhanging the track. Driver appeared and was most upset!
My Dad used to drive this line (possibly my gramp too, would have to check), amazing sight when I was a kid, back when it was ok to sit up in the cab with him as well. He's just about to hit 45 years of driving so has a few stories!
There is somewhere else on the south coast with a line through town if memory serves correctly.
There is somewhere else on the south coast with a line through town if memory serves correctly.
Yertis said:
Was the harbour branch an LSWR or GWR operation, or both? I've only seen boat trains hauled by big Southern engines, but GWR engines doing the harbour bit.
It was owned by the GWR: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weymouth_Harbour_Tra...In steam days, there were tank engines kept at Weymouth to operate the line and the various port-related sidings in the area. From about 1934 there were three of the GWR 1366 class kept there for the work, one of which has been preserved https://www.flickr.com/photos/70023venus2009/95052...
These three were displaced in 1962 by Rustin and Hornsby 204hp diesel shunters, one of which is working the train in my Flickr photo further up the thread. The steam tanks then went to Wadebridge to replace the Beattie Well Tanks on the Wenfordbridge china clay traffic.
The main line engines were detached at Weymouth Melcombe Regis and replaced with the shunters for the train's last few hundred yards to the Harbour station. Later on (late 60s/ early 70s - can't remember exactly) the class 33 diesels were cleared for use over the branch, and they appear in photographs heading most of the trains through to the end of the regular passenger service.
ralphrj said:
According to the wikipedia page regular services stopped in 1987. After that it looks like there were only a handful of special trains until the final one in May 1999.
I went to see either the last scheduled service, or an early special by the look of the dates. I remember there being a bit of a crowd.Remember the old coaches where they told you not to use the loo while in a station? Same should have applied to the Weymouth Harbour branch, as after the train went by there was a poo wrapped in loo roll in the middle of the track, with this big crowd there.
It's funny what memories stay with you.
Spotted this on youtube, Weymouth might not have the trains any more but they still go down the streets of LaGrange Kentucky USA.
https://youtu.be/TVWvt-bpoCI?t=55
No problems with parked cars there. But you might have to wait a while to be able to pull away.
and in Tampa Florida, past the office buildings - https://youtu.be/9iG0xOAgWMI?t=44
https://youtu.be/TVWvt-bpoCI?t=55
No problems with parked cars there. But you might have to wait a while to be able to pull away.
and in Tampa Florida, past the office buildings - https://youtu.be/9iG0xOAgWMI?t=44
FourWheelDrift said:
Spotted this on youtube, Weymouth might not have the trains any more but they still go down the streets of LaGrange Kentucky USA.
https://youtu.be/TVWvt-bpoCI?t=55
No problems with parked cars there. But you might have to wait a while to be able to pull away.
and in Tampa Florida, past the office buildings - https://youtu.be/9iG0xOAgWMI?t=44
I thought I would look that up on Google Maps and mistakenly looked up La Grange, Texas. That also has a street running section of track going down a main road. https://youtu.be/TVWvt-bpoCI?t=55
No problems with parked cars there. But you might have to wait a while to be able to pull away.
and in Tampa Florida, past the office buildings - https://youtu.be/9iG0xOAgWMI?t=44
but wow, 10 minutes for that train to pass, I wonder how frequent that is? Must be regular enough to keep the track, but not so regular to make it worth re-routing to a dedicated section. Though I guess, it would still have level crossings etc that would get closed off for the same length of time but if it was segregated, could the train go at a higher speed?
Steve_D said:
Shakermaker said:
.....but wow, 10 minutes for that train to pass, I wonder how frequent that is? ........
Write up said 4 trains in the day filmed.Steve
Impressive. Cumulatively, less time closed than the level crossing near my house throughout a day I reckon then, as that probably closes for 3-4 minutes at least 15 times a day. But time it wrong when you want to finish work or just dash over the road to get your lunch and I guess you could get caught short!
Seem to be quite a few places that still have trains run through towns although not quite the single line with parked cars up the high street like LaGrange.
But here's another one, driver takes the wrong turn and despite police on the scene they can't get the train to stop (perhaps it just can't) and it wipes out the empty car - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pi-nmUFLV8
But here's another one, driver takes the wrong turn and despite police on the scene they can't get the train to stop (perhaps it just can't) and it wipes out the empty car - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pi-nmUFLV8
FourWheelDrift said:
Seem to be quite a few places that still have trains run through towns although not quite the single line with parked cars up the high street like LaGrange.
But here's another one, driver takes the wrong turn and despite police on the scene they can't get the train to stop (perhaps it just can't) and it wipes out the empty car - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pi-nmUFLV8
It does stop, just not in time; clearly needs quite a bit of distance to stop that given how long one assumes the train would be to have to need 2 engines pulling all those double stacked containers!But here's another one, driver takes the wrong turn and despite police on the scene they can't get the train to stop (perhaps it just can't) and it wipes out the empty car - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pi-nmUFLV8
Dogwatch said:
Now we know what pwig stands for!
Apparently there was a colour light signal protecting a level crossing, I think the one near B&Q, which was still shining down the line until quite recently even though there hadn't been a train for years!
It's still lit up, annoys me every time I go past it!Apparently there was a colour light signal protecting a level crossing, I think the one near B&Q, which was still shining down the line until quite recently even though there hadn't been a train for years!
My Aunt and Uncle used to take my younger sister and I to Weymouth on hols when we were kids.
I remember the train heading down to the Ferry to the Channel Islands.
About 10 years ago, I popped into a museum when I was down there and saw a picture, and asked the person if they still ran this service.
"No dear, it stopped in the mid 70's"
That's when middle ages set in.
I remember the train heading down to the Ferry to the Channel Islands.
About 10 years ago, I popped into a museum when I was down there and saw a picture, and asked the person if they still ran this service.
"No dear, it stopped in the mid 70's"
That's when middle ages set in.
Trevatanus said:
My Aunt and Uncle used to take my younger sister and I to Weymouth on hols when we were kids.
I remember the train heading down to the Ferry to the Channel Islands.
About 10 years ago, I popped into a museum when I was down there and saw a picture, and asked the person if they still ran this service.
"No dear, it stopped in the mid 70's"
That's when middle ages set in.
Regular passenger services stopped in 1987 and it stopped completely in 1999.I remember the train heading down to the Ferry to the Channel Islands.
About 10 years ago, I popped into a museum when I was down there and saw a picture, and asked the person if they still ran this service.
"No dear, it stopped in the mid 70's"
That's when middle ages set in.
1999 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJbv5me0pRQ
Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff