Swanage Pier Tramway

Infobox rail
railroad_name=Swanage Pier Tramway
gauge=2 ft 6
start_year=c.1858
end_year=1930s
hq_city=Swanage
locale=EnglandThe Swanage Pier Tramway was a narrow gauge tramway in the port town of Swanage, in the English county of Dorset.

From the 12th century, the Swanage area was well known for the quarrying of Purbeck Marble, actually a hard wearing form of limestone. Much of this was shipped out through Swanage, originally being loaded into small vessels from horse carts driven into the waters of Swanage Bay. In 1858 a pier, now known as the "Old Pier", was built in deeper water and linked to the stone stores on the water front by a horse drawn tramway. Existing evidence on the ground shows that the tramway was of 2 ft 6 in gauge, although early illustrations appear to indicate that it was originally of wider gauge. There is no evidence that mechanical traction was ever used on the line.cite book | title = The Railways of Purbeck | publisher = The Oakwood Press | last = Kidner | first = R.W. | edition = Third Edition | year = 2000 | isbn = 0-85361-557-8 ]

The line survived in use until the 1930s, latterly being used to carry fish from the pier to a fish store built alongside the line around 1855. About 100 metres of track still exist, embedded in the footway that links the centre of Swanage with the later built "Steamer Pier". The timber supports of the "Old Pier" also still exists, albeit in a derelict condition.cite book | title = The Railways of Purbeck | publisher = The Oakwood Press | last = Kidner | first = R.W. | edition = Third Edition | year = 2000 | isbn = 0-85361-557-8 ]

The Swanage Pier Tramway should not be confused with a standard gauge tramway opened by the London and South Western Railway as an extension of one of the sidings at Swanage railway station. This connected to a stone store in the same vicinity of those served by the pier tramway, but the two lines were never connected.cite book | title = The Railways of Purbeck | publisher = The Oakwood Press | last = Kidner | first = R.W. | edition = Third Edition | year = 2000 | isbn = 0-85361-557-8 ]

References