Weymouth Quay Tramway

[Kris]

Some piccies for those of you not familiar with the tramway at Weymouth. With the threat of complete closure and possible lifting in 2 years time - I think someone needs to have a word with English Heritage

Typically Clockwork Snail say it will cost a million or so to do it up. Looking at it today I still say that you could run trains down there at walking pace the way it was always done.

It'd make an interesting subject for you talented TrainSim people out there - especially if you have a few parked cars to bounce off

 

[Kris]

Ooh - forgot.

Virtual tour

http://www.sbrobinson.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Images/Weymouth/Wey01.html

Bit messier then

 

[Turbostar]

Boy, thoses were the days. Remember going to Weymouth on sundays when I went to boarding school 1981-87 (long story...), I remember seeing the boat train to Weymouth Quay on summer sundays...

Mart

 

[Kris]

Old bugger!

That'd make you about 10 years younger than me then. Left school in '77

 

[Turbostar]

ign5: ... & less of the old! :tongue:

Mart

 

[960012]

It is included on Dorset Coast for MSTS

 

[Nathan]

It is included on Dorset Coast for MSTS

Except not quite as accurate, no high buildings nor distinctivly that small stone bridge.

 

[960012]

Except not quite as accurate, no high buildings nor distinctivly that small stone bridge.

Stop moaning, all you do is moan about this, be glad to have it at all, they could have turned round and said we aint guan put it on!

 

[Nathan]

Stop moaning, all you do is moan about this, be glad to have it at all, they could have turned round and said we aint guan put it on!

Well im glad they put it on and didnt go back to detail, because they went up and contructed waterloo!

Flooding doesnt do much to rails or roads for years? otherwise english heritage would be disencouraged if it did.

 

[Kris]

Can you bounce cars out of the way on MSTS though?

(Or power through the streets at 50mph and drive off the quay?)

 

[AlexS]

Except not quite as accurate, no high buildings nor distinctivly that small stone bridge.

Town Bridge would be a fairly hard model to construct though!

I've walked the line several times and it's quite a pleasant wander through the quayside.

 

[Tom]

Nathan, is this the Waterloo that uses the same roof as Carlisle and Bournemouth?

 

[Humberside]

Very interesting pics there

Shame the line is no longer in use, even if just for railtours (though clearly lines cant remain operational for 2/3 trains a year)

 

[Kris]

It is included on Dorset Coast for MSTS

Have they got the W.O.E. line on MSTS? S'lovely through Devon.

 

[Tom]

Not yet. I think it will be extended as far as Yeovil Junction probably.

 

[Kris]

By the way ........ we need some volunteers to go down there and clean out the gaps between the rail and tarmac using toothbrushes.

Form an orderly queue now.

 

[Hentis]

My Original plan for The Waterloo - Weymouth route for Auran's Trainz was indeed to have this as part of it but due to other real life problems it isnt going to materialise any time soon. I am going to be working on a version of Poole in the near future but that wont be released.

From my news page dated March 22nd

It looks as though the end is possibly near for the Weymouth trammway. Reports indicate that renewal of rails + road re surfacing, line painting and cleaning up the line would cost around Two Millions pounds (GB Sterling). Network Rail state "There is no financial business case. The rarity of a street trammway operation to the charter market is recognised but such a market is unlikely to generate a commercial case to fund the full restoration of the trammway" From February 18th 2007 - February 17 2009 Network Rail have imposed a Short Term Network change to the trammway. The stretch of line to be closed temporarily is from Melcombe Regis Level Crossing to Weymouth Quay Station for the 2 year period.

Whether or not the line is officially closed after the two years has not been made clear, well the document I have its not 100% clear, Just to say it does not leave much to the imagination what they want to do with it. Just that these 2 years where the stretch of line to be closed is just to save money for those 2 years on maintenance costs. Upto the point of where the line is closed it will still be maintained especially for the start of the proposed daily stone train on the beginnings of the Weymouth Branch (for unloading & Runround purposes). I have some fantastic photos that are due to go up on the site a t some point of 33/s winding their way through the Weymouth traffic with the boat trains in the mid - late 80's. Fantastic shots.

Addendum:- (huh)

If any of you have the Weymouth - Waterloo Cabride in a 442 on DVD then you should have as an extra the cab ride in 73109 along the Weymouth Branch in which you do see people bouncing cars out of the way.... fantastic. Although they were stupid enough to park there in the first place... my view as I do on GTA San Andreas when any car gets left in front of a train NOTCH 8!!

Cheers

Hentis

 

[Oracle]

Seeing all that detritus in the tramway reminds me of the time not that long ago when it seemed that ABP were refusing to pay the £X,000 to connect the Easterm Docks branch to the remnants of the Southampton Terminus branch at Canute Road Crossing. The gates remained locked and it looked as though that was the end, unless it was posturing. In the end an agreement was reached and a team were sent down to scrape out the tramway lines across Canute Road. It was amazing that they had been filled in the interim with rubbish. Now we hear that ABP have been approached about a fourth cruise terminal in Southampton...yet it would not take much to resuscitate that Western Docks terminal served by the branch at Millbrook that also of course has a tramway along the quayside. As of course does the Cunard terminal line now I think about it!

 

[Kris]

Unfortunately the connection was severed that enabled trains to run right round from Northam to Millbrook and vice versa.

Cruise trains stopped running about 12 years ago because the Port Authority wanted to start charging £1,000 per train to go down there. Understandably BR didn't give in to balckmail. Thye probably could have recouped it from the passengers though.

You can get a very interesting view of the lines and where they have been built over on Google Earth.

 

[Kris]

Upto the point of where the line is closed it will still be maintained especially for the start of the proposed daily stone train on the beginnings of the Weymouth Branch (for unloading & Runround purposes)

Hentis

Still be maintained .......... they haven't touched it for over a decade.

 

[Hentis]

Still be maintained .......... they haven't touched it for over a decade.

There are a few planned maintenance pieces planned this year and next on the quay line from what I have read.

More likely to be near the station end due to the line being semi converted to a siding just before the road after the station with the inclusion of a buffer stop.

Cheers

Hentis

 

[Kris]

I think that their forcast of a couple of million to do it up though is just an excuse. I've seen sidings in worse condition that are still used.

Shame that they don't use the Parry People mover to run a connecting service to the new development at the quay. It would probably be well used as a connection to the station.

I did suggest to my company that they ran PPM trams over to Portland using the old trackbeds and grants from the Olympic Lottery fund. Typically they couldn't be :booty:rsed to reply :angryfir:

 

[Oracle]

The link through was used during the war, specifically in the blitz in 1940 when through trains avoided the line through Central and went down past Terminus, through the docks systems and then into the New Docks and out past what was then the General Motors building. The Western Docks line that ran to the former P & O Canberra terminal was being used by container trains last year. Now the GM building has gone the containers are stored on the site. Of course the car/Transit van trains use the new facility now, trailing off the docks branch. There was also a line through to the Royal Mail office that is now the ParcelForce depot, and that was taken up many years ago. However I do query whether ABP will agree to the Ocean Liner cruise terminal (not the Mayflower Terminal which is not rail-connected) will be connected again as traffic expands, especially as they are happy for Cunard trains to use the Eastern Docks line to the Cunard Terminal as well as specials.

 

[5872]

Shall I have alook on the 17th apr and again in may at the railway see how its doing? Because im in weymouth/bomo then?

 

[Kris]

Shall I have alook on the 17th apr and again in may at the railway see how its doing? Because im in weymouth/bomo then?

Have a look and see what you think of the condition - considering trains only go down there at 3 - 4 mph.

 

[Tom]

Need a railgrinder to zip down there at 6mph and make the rails shiny again

 

[Kris]

Cutbacks. We'll get you a couple of wire brushes

 

[Tom]

Damn!

I'm not even sure a rail grinder could go down there!!

 

[Donny Dave]

Cutbacks. We'll get you a couple of wire brushes

hock: Being generous there. Personally, I would give them toothbrushes and tell them to get on with it....

 

[Dennis]

Wouldn't it be good to see the tramway reopened as a preserved line; 121 or 03 shuttling back and forth a few days a year. No need to worry about the traffic chaos caused, Dobbin and the old beer cart that trundle around the town go slower and would hold the trains up anyway!