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A railway line that in connected land but completely isolated

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Gostav

Gostav

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I have a interesting question, is there had a railway that meets the following conditions:
1. In a connected land- The British Mainland
2. Never have any physical link with other railway network.
3. It is standard gauge.
4. Not include heritage railways or tramway systems.

In my opinion Spurn & Kilnsea Railway is the only railway line can meets these conditions in the UK. The terminal at one end is Kilnsea where is a England village and it still have a few miles to the nearest railway line but never connected.
 
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Brush 4

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Holyhead did, with 2 Class 01 0-4-0 shunters. Closed in the 80's I think.
 
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randyrippley

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Were there any standard gauge temporary railways associated with major engineering projects like reservoirs? I know some had narrow gauge systems, but did any have standard gauge? If there were, they'd possibly be what the OP was after in his question
 
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etr221

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randyrippley said:
Were there any standard gauge temporary railways associated with major engineering projects like reservoirs? I know some had narrow gauge systems, but did any have standard gauge? If there were, they'd possibly be what the OP was after in his question
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While I can't quote any reference, I'm sure there must have been such, all the main contractors seem to have had the necessary material. Even if many had temporary connections to the main system. And again, I would not be surprised if there were some isolated 'conventional' industrial systems.
Brush 4 said:
Holyhead did, with 2 Class 01 0-4-0 shunters. Closed in the 80's I think.
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This was the Holyhead breakwater line - disqualified from the OP's question by not being on the British mainland.

To be somewhat controversial, may I suggest the Waterloo and City line (sometime had a lift but no running connection); and the DLR (depends if you can call it a railway in the OP's terms).
 
krus_aragon

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etr221 said:
This was the Holyhead breakwater line - disqualified from the OP's question by not being on the British mainland.
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It's arguably a "connected land": both Anglesey and Holy Island (Holyhead) itself are connected to the mainland by road and rail links.
 
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I would suggest that the West Somerset Mineral Railway met the OP's criteria, at least in a "borderline" way. It opened in 1857, to bring iron ore from mines in the Brendon Hills to the sea at Watchet West Pier, for export; also ran a fairly small-time passenger service. The line was some 12 / 13 miles long. At its opening, it was totally isolated from the national rail network. Watchet acquired a connection to the national network a few years later: the branch (eventually GWR) from Taunton, opened in 1862; its extension to Minehead opened 1874. The Taunton -- Watchet -- Minehead branch, however, was not physically linked to the Mineral Railway -- no need for such a link was seen: the ore went out by sea. The Minehead branch crossed over the mineral line on a bridge, a little way west of the two lines' respective Watchet stations.

The Mineral Railway and its intimately-linked mining enterprise prospered less than their promoters had hoped; use lessened, and financial position worsened, in the late 19th century: in 1898, the whole undertaking was wound up and the railway closed completely. Track was not lifted; and a new company tried, in the period 1907 -- 10, to revive the mines and the railway -- using a fresh locomotive (a 4-4-0T purchased from the Metropolitan Railway), and fresh, though second-hand, goods stock. This venture failed, and ceased to function in 1910. The Mineral Railway had one last burst of semi-life in 1912 -- 14, in which its track between Watchet and the first station out, at Washford, was used by a company to experiment with its projected automatic signal warning device, employing two ex-GWR locos bought for the purpose. The line saw no further use after 1914.

Brief temporary connections were put in at Watchet, to get stock in and out for the two different projects described above; but essentially, the Mineral Railway did what it did in physical splendid isolation: no reason was perceived, to have a permanent link with the GWR line (the latter now, of course, the heritage West Somerset Railway).
 
pdeaves

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In the early days of railways, many railways were built unconnected to other systems. Gradually the gaps were closed and connections made. Those that never had any link will be few and far between.

As an aside, in some cases, a change of gauge was necessary to match. The GWR's 7ft 1/4in gauge is probably the most well known but others existed. A railway in Essex (I think; precursor to today's c2c network?) had to be regauged from something like 4ft 6in.
 
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brstd4260

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If you strictly apply the criteria, I guess the standard gauge Fawley Hill Railway qualifies. It's definitely not a heritage line, being built by Sir William McAlpine in his "garden" at Fawley Hill near Henley.
 
martinsh

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Calthrop said:
I would suggest that the West Somerset Mineral Railway met the OP's criteria, at least in a "borderline" way. It opened in 1857, to bring iron ore from mines in the Brendon Hills to the sea at Watchet West Pier, for export; also ran a fairly small-time passenger service. The line was some 12 / 13 miles long. At its opening, it was totally isolated from the national rail network. Watchet acquired a connection to the national network a few years later: the branch (eventually GWR) from Taunton, opened in 1862; its extension to Minehead opened 1874. The Taunton -- Watchet -- Minehead branch, however, was not physically linked to the Mineral Railway -- no need for such a link was seen: the ore went out by sea. The Minehead branch crossed over the mineral line on a bridge, a little way west of the two lines' respective Watchet stations.
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And the GWR line was initially broad gauge I believe, so a phyiscal connection not possible !
 
Cowley

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Calthrop said:
I would suggest that the West Somerset Mineral Railway met the OP's criteria, at least in a "borderline" way. It opened in 1857, to bring iron ore from mines in the Brendon Hills to the sea at Watchet West Pier, for export; also ran a fairly small-time passenger service. The line was some 12 / 13 miles long. At its opening, it was totally isolated from the national rail network. Watchet acquired a connection to the national network a few years later: the branch (eventually GWR) from Taunton, opened in 1862; its extension to Minehead opened 1874. The Taunton -- Watchet -- Minehead branch, however, was not physically linked to the Mineral Railway -- no need for such a link was seen: the ore went out by sea. The Minehead branch crossed over the mineral line on a bridge, a little way west of the two lines' respective Watchet stations.

The Mineral Railway and its intimately-linked mining enterprise prospered less than their promoters had hoped; use lessened, and financial position worsened, in the late 19th century: in 1898, the whole undertaking was wound up and the railway closed completely. Track was not lifted; and a new company tried, in the period 1907 -- 10, to revive the mines and the railway -- using a fresh locomotive (a 4-4-0T purchased from the Metropolitan Railway), and fresh, though second-hand, goods stock. This venture failed, and ceased to function in 1910. The Mineral Railway had one last burst of semi-life in 1912 -- 14, in which its track between Watchet and the first station out, at Washford, was used by a company to experiment with its projected automatic signal warning device, employing two ex-GWR locos bought for the purpose. The line saw no further use after 1914.

Brief temporary connections were put in at Watchet, to get stock in and out for the two different projects described above; but essentially, the Mineral Railway did what it did in physical splendid isolation: no reason was perceived, to have a permanent link with the GWR line (the latter now, of course, the heritage West Somerset Railway).
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I always found this line fascinating, and you can still see some pretty good traces of it where the West Somerset crosses over the top of the old bridge.
I didn't realise that there was a temporary link built at the end of its life though. You learn something new.
 
CarltonA

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"2. Never have any physical link". The following does not HAVE a physical link but HAD a few years ago:

https://www.bing.com/search?q=brackmills+industrial+estate+companies&FORM=QSRE1

Possibly one of the shortest independent railway systems in the UK but once part of Midland route between Bedford and Northampton. It is now severed at Burryport Road level crossing and the track lifted back to Bridge Street.
 
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pdeaves said:
In the early days of railways, many railways were built unconnected to other systems. Gradually the gaps were closed and connections made. Those that never had any link will be few and far between.

As an aside, in some cases, a change of gauge was necessary to match. The GWR's 7ft 1/4in gauge is probably the most well known but others existed. A railway in Essex (I think; precursor to today's c2c network?) had to be regauged from something like 4ft 6in.
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I don't know of a 4ft 6in railway in south Essex but the London and Blackwall (west of Bow Creek so in Middlesex) was originally 5ft 0.5in and converted to standard gauge when it switched from cable to locomotive haulage.
 
pdeaves

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PeterC said:
I don't know of a 4ft 6in railway in south Essex but the London and Blackwall (west of Bow Creek so in Middlesex) was originally 5ft 0.5in and converted to standard gauge when it switched from cable to locomotive haulage.
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That's probably what I was trying to think of, thanks.
 
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@martinsh -- thoughts generated here: if the GWR line had been built to standard gauge, one reckons that it could have been thought, "we might as well put in a connection between the two lines". It's "figurable" that by the time the GWR line was converted to standard gauge, the Mineral Railway was moribund, and making a connection was not seen as worth doing.
 
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Swansea and Mumbles was a standard gauge line and with no connection to any other. Shame it never made it into preservation!
 
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pdeaves said:
I'm not sure that's right. I believe goods traffic (the odd wagon, most likely!) was exchanged with the LNWR and/or GWR so there must have been a connection.
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I accept you are correct - there were indeed connections at Mumbles and at Swansea; I'd looked at a general map of railways in the area which didn't show these connections. But a look at the 6" to 1 mile maps on the National Library of Scotland maps website shows them quite clearly. So that's out.
 
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randyrippley said:
Were there any standard gauge temporary railways associated with major engineering projects like reservoirs? I know some had narrow gauge systems, but did any have standard gauge? If there were, they'd possibly be what the OP was after in his question
Click to expand...
The Nidderdale reservoirs (Bouthwaite, Angram and Scar house) built for Bradford Corporation had a railway. Bit I think they dont qualify as they were connected to the 'proper' railway at Pateley Bridge
Used to walk from Pateley Bridge along the old track with my parents when I was a kid, also from Lofthouse to Scar house resr.
 
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Ken H said:
The Nidderdale reservoirs (Bouthwaite, Angram and Scar house) built for Bradford Corporation had a railway. Bit I think they dont qualify as they were connected to the 'proper' railway at Pateley Bridge
Used to walk from Pateley Bridge along the old track with my parents when I was a kid, also from Lofthouse to Scar house resr.
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The 'Nidd Valley Light Railway' did link to the NER Nidd Valley line at Pateley Bridge but was only used for goods traffic. Passengers had to walk from one side of Pateley Bridge to the other to catch trains on the other line. Some years ago the Water Board opened up the road from Lofthouse to Scar House Reservoir to the public and it is a very interesting drive.
By the way, it is Gouthwaite reservoir - that was built by 1901, before the railway was constructed.
 
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brstd4260 said:
If you strictly apply the criteria, I guess the standard gauge Fawley Hill Railway qualifies. It's definitely not a heritage line, being built by Sir William McAlpine in his "garden" at Fawley Hill near Henley.
Click to expand...

In the same vein, I would nominate the mile or so of track at Mangapps Farm in Essex. Built by a farmer where there had never been a railway before, therefore not “heritage”, but now part of a museum.
 
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Ken H said:
The Nidderdale reservoirs (Bouthwaite, Angram and Scar house) built for Bradford Corporation had a railway. Bit I think they dont qualify as they were connected to the 'proper' railway at Pateley Bridge
Used to walk from Pateley Bridge along the old track with my parents when I was a kid, also from Lofthouse to Scar house resr.
Click to expand...
The Stocks Reservoir line in the West Riding (now Lancashire) from Tosside to the reservoir would qualify, but a quick check reveals that it was narrow gauge. As was the isolated Campelltown and Machrihanish on the Mull of Kintyre.
 
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pdeaves said:
Also the Lochty Private Railway (now closed).
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I'd submit respectfully, that the Lochty Private Railway doesn't count; it was on the course -- at its outer end -- of the rather weird East Fife Central freight-only branch of the North British Railway system: from junction near Leven, to Lochty.
 
pdeaves

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Calthrop said:
I'd submit respectfully, that the Lochty Private Railway doesn't count; it was on the course -- at its outer end -- of the rather weird East Fife Central freight-only branch of the North British Railway system: from junction near Leven, to Lochty.
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So it was; I never realised that.
 
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I can see martinsh giving me a hard time for the following :smile: ; but it ticks many, though not quite all, of the OP's boxes so neatly, that I find it difficult to resist. The only real failure re same by the line in question, IMO, is that it was located in the Irish Republic. Strictly, this post should thus belong not in this thread, and in the "International" sub-forum: however, the gauge involved is the Irish "standard" 5ft. 3in., and that one only; and after all, for the first eight-and-some decades of the railway era (the majority of this line's working life), all of Ireland was part of the UK -- and what with the various nonsense which is going on currently, who knows what the shape of such things might become in the future?

The line concerned, was the seven-and-a-quarter-mile Waterford & Tramore. Waterford's main-line station is situated on the north bank of the wide river Suir; the city lies immediately south of the river. The Waterford & Tramore line, opened in 1853, had its terminus at Manor Street Station, in-city and south-of-river: it ran southward to the coast at Tramore -- was of the Irish 5ft. 3in. gauge, but never had any physical connection with the rest of the island's rail network. It was always passenger-only, and had no intermediate stations. Ran as an independent railway company until the Irish Free State's 1925 equivalent of our "Grouping", when all railway undertakings located totally in the Free State, were merged as the Great Southern Railway -- which "morphed" into Coras Iompair Eireann twenty years later.

CIE abandoned the line at the end of 1960, against much local opposition. This abandonment, quickly followed by demolition, strikes me as a pity; had the W & T survived, it could have had the potential to be a superb heritage line.
 
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