Weymouth Harbour Tramway

The Weymouth Harbour Tramway is an unusual railway feature, a goods and passenger railway constructed almost entirely on the streets of Weymouth, England. It runs along a route from a junction to the north of Weymouth station to the harbour station.

History

Opened in 1865 by the Great Western Railway, the harbour tramway ran from a junction beyond the main station, through the streets adjacent to the Backwater and the harbour, to the quay. Passenger trains began in 1889, transporting persons to the Channel Island ferries.

As freight traffic grew, several sidings and loops were added to the main line, to serve harbourside businesses. The town bridge was rebuilt in 1930, and the tramway initially routed through the northern arch, until in 1938-9 the former tight curve between The Backwater and harbour was supplanted by a new curve on a newly infilled section of the quayside, including the relocation of the tramway to the outer arch of the bridge, where it remains today.

The track layout at the station was gradually increased from a single track, to a double track layout up to 1961, and finally a three road arrangement which persisted to the end of regular traffic, albeit in a truncated layout from 1973.

The regular goods traffic ceased in 1972, though fuel oil was transported to a new facility at the pier until 1983.

Regular passenger services ceased in 1987.

The tramway today

The last known use of the branch was on 30 May 1999 for a special railtour. The tramway (sometimes known as 'The Quay Branch' or 'Harbour Line') still exists, in remarkably good condition, and could in theory be used again, though the short reserved section from King Street to the junction is somewhat overgrown.

There were some experiments in 1997 with a flywheel powered vehicle (see Parry People Movers), but this has not resulted in permanent traffic on the tramway.

The Dorset Echo reported in 2002 and in 2008 that the tramway may be removed soon, but as yet it remains, a wonderful British anachronism.

References

[http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/search/display.var.2418579.0.decision_time_on_tramway.php| Tramway Meeting August 08]

External links

* [http://dave-higson.fotopic.net/p36443432.html Good photos of a visiting railtour in 1993]
* [http://freepages.nostalgia.rootsweb.com/~cyberheritage/wey.htm Weymouth Quay Railway - many good quality images taken July 1985]
* [http://www.semgonline.com/location/weymouth_01.html Southern E-Group article about the last train to use the line in 1999]
* [http://www.gearwheelsmag.co.uk/features/weymouthquayrailway.htm Weymouth Quay Railway (Gear Wheels The Online Motoring Magazine)]
* [http://www.sbrobinson.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Weymouth.html Virtual Cab Ride along the tramway, or quay line]
* [http://br.railblue.fotopic.net/p32829468.html Photos of the tramway taken in 2006]

* [http://railways-1960s-1980s.fotopic.net/p27036666.html Excellent sequence of a fuel train on the tramway, sometime in the early 1980s]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJbv5me0pRQ Video of the last train to use the line in 1999]
* [http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?client=public&X=369000&Y=79000&width=500&height=300&gride=367613.726638951&gridn=79445.0499529861&srec=0&coordsys=gb&db=freegaz&addr1=&addr2=&addr3=&pc=&advanced=&local=&localinfosel=&kw=&in
]
* [http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/m/melcombe_regis/index.shtml Article about Melcombe Regis station on the nearby Portland Branch which includes a vintage map of the tramway]

References

* Lucking, J.H. (1986). "The Weymouth Harbour Tramway", Poole: Oxford Publishing. ISBN 0-86093-304-0
* Beale, G. (2001) "The Weymouth Harbour Tramway", Wild Swan Publications. ISBN 1-874103-67-4