A railway line that in connected land but completely isolated

[Calthrop]

When the Redruth & Chasewater closed in 1915, two years later a 1914 order incorporating its wagons into the wartime pooling scheme was rescinded - being 4' gauge, the R&C stock would have been useless elsewhere

Well, the Tharsis railway in the far south of Spain was 4ft. gauge; but they weren't in that war .

 

[NSB2017]

Canterbury and Whitstable Railway was never connected to the mainline. And the first locomotive was delivered by sea.

 

[Modron]

Would the Lee Moor Tramway fit the criteria?

 

[EM2]

Wantage tramway was connected the GWR sidings at Wantage Road and conveyed mainline goods wagons

Really? The books I have show no connection in the yard

 

[Calthrop]

Really? The books I have show no connection in the yard

I've read various accounts of, and seen many pictures of, goods workings on the tramway -- with assorted wagons from assorted "home bases". The tramway was, very definitely, physically connected with the national network.

 

[pdeaves]

Would the Lee Moor Tramway fit the criteria?

I don't think that was standard gauge.

 

[Taunton]

It long fascinated me how platelayers' diesel Wickham "trolleys" could be on short bits of track at base, at right angles to the running lines and completely unconnected. How on earth did they get them there?

If you haven't seen it done you would never know ...

 

[Cowley]

It long fascinated me how platelayers' diesel Wickham "trolleys" could be on short bits of track at base, at right angles to the running lines and completely unconnected. How on earth did they get them there?

If you haven't seen it done you would never know ...

Didn't they have some kind of pivot thingy that dropped down underneath, and then sleepers in the centre of the track for them to roll across?
I remember seeing one being stored once. Might have been the Mid Hants.

 

[John Webb]

Really? The books I have show no connection in the yard

I've read various accounts of, and seen many pictures of, goods workings on the tramway -- with assorted wagons from assorted "home bases". The tramway was, very definitely, physically connected with the national network.

Have a look at https://maps.nls.uk/view/102339929 - a 6in:mile map from 1883; this clearly shows a connection between the main line and the tramway in the goods yard.

 

[Lucan]

For a time, there was a disconnected freight railway between Bristol Docks (Hotwells) and Avonmouth. This was when larger ships started unloading at Avonmouth rather than come up the Avon, but the warehouses etc were still at the original docks. The trackbed through the gorge later became the southern part of the Portway road, after Avonmouth was instead connected via Clifton Down and tunnel to the main line at Narroways Junction. This new link picked up the old route just south of Sea Mills and today is the Severn Beach branch.

As someone else said above, the early railways were often built in working isolated pieces (often by small independent companies) bought up and joined up later. The Bristol and Exeter railway was originally separate from the GWR (and anything else) with the two Bristol terminii yards apart at right-angles, hence the present day curvature of Temple Meads which joined them. Often the joining up of pieces was the intention from the start, but I don't think that was the case for the the Hotwells-Avonmouth railway, as connecting it meant some serious tunneling not originally contemplated at all.

 

[30907]

Canterbury and Whitstable Railway was never connected to the mainline. And the first locomotive was delivered by sea.

The mainline connected with it at Canterbury West from 1846 (says Wikipedia).

 

[Modron]

would the Ryde pier tramway satisfy the conditions laid out by the OP?

I think that Hythe has something similar?

 

[pdeaves]

I think that Hythe has something similar?

Not standard gauge, though (as requested in the original post).

 

[NSB2017]

The mainline connected with it at Canterbury West from 1846 (says Wikipedia).

Yes, was having a complete brain block!

 

[theageofthetra]

That's it. Thanks for sharing that map, it certainly looked like quite an extensive system. I suspect it may also have transported coal up from the river to the hospital boilers too. Are there any more sources or books on what must have been an interesting system. Given how contagious the disease was I wonder if patients operated the railway too?

Further research suggests this was standard gauge using old horse drawn ex London tram cars later replaced by purpose built ambulance trams.

When horses were in short supply during and after the First World War the method of operating was even more bizarre with an ex military motor ambulance pulling two of these ambulance trans.

 

[341o2]

I don't think that was standard gauge.

4' 6" gauge

 

[vlad]

If it's still there, there's a line that exists only to run under a roundabout in Kent. Here, on the A228 north of Snodland.

 

[pdeaves]

If it's still there, there's a line that exists only to run under a roundabout in Kent. Here, on the A228 north of Snodland.

That's interesting! From the alignment, I suspect that's the remains of a main line connected siding. Do you know the history of this line?

 

[vlad]

That's interesting! From the alignment, I suspect that's the remains of a main line connected siding. Do you know the history of this line?

Not at all!

 

[cav1975]

If it's still there, there's a line that exists only to run under a roundabout in Kent. Here, on the A228 north of Snodland.

The roundabout is fairly new having been built to serve the new Peter's bridge over the River Medway that opened in 2016. The bus stop on a loop off the roundabout is strange too.

 

[30907]

The roundabout is fairly new having been built to serve the new Peter's bridge over the River Medway that opened in 2016. The bus stop on a loop off the roundabout is strange too.

Looked at old maps a couple of days ago: it must be connected with the cement works, but I couldn't find it on any historic map on the NLS site.
https://www.nls.uk/news/press/2014/03/historic-maps-england-and-wales

 

[Dr_Paul]

Have a look at https://maps.nls.uk/view/102339929 - a 6in:mile map from 1883; this clearly shows a connection between the main line and the tramway in the goods yard.

This 25" map and this one also show the connection, up in the top left-hand and top-right corners.

 

[etr221]

If it's still there, there's a line that exists only to run under a roundabout in Kent. Here, on the A228 north of Snodland.

Looked at old maps a couple of days ago: it must be connected with the cement works, but I couldn't find it on any historic map on the NLS site.
https://www.nls.uk/news/press/2014/03/historic-maps-england-and-wales

A seeming mystery - looking https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16&lat=51.3419&lon=0.4449&layers=168&b=7 there was (pre WW1) a tramway through the site from Upper Halling chalk pit to Halling Lime and Cement Works; but that - works and tramway - was gone by the 1940s, replaced by Holborough works and quarry a bit further south... (which looks as if it might a had link under the next roundabout south, but which didn't make any of the NLS map layers). Almost as if someone put in a bit of instant industrial heritage!

 

[30907]

Almost as if someone put in a bit of instant industrial heritage!

That had occurred to me, as the roundabout and river bridge are part of a housing development. However, it's almost the opposite - futureproofing!

Halling Parish Council's newsletter for March 2008:
"At the end of March around 100 metres of rail track is being laid under the main Works’ roundabout on the A228, to establish access points for potential links to the site in the future."
https://www.google.com/search?clien..........0i71j35i304i39j30i10j33i10.LLGsbbYnZmo