Weymouth Quay Heritage Campaign

They don’t seem to have any problem in Ghent!

(Other European cities with trams and large cycling populations are available ...)

Tom

 

There is a significant difference between the theory and practice of tram & railway track, basically 'railway' track has a much larger 'groove' for the flanges than tram track which is why the cycling lobby in Bristol, used to the track used by the Bristol Harbour Railway were apt to become excitable at the thought of trams being returned to the city.

Tram Track looks like this



Note small shallow groove for the flanges

The Bristol Harbour Railway track looks like this




I Would suggest that 'filling in the gap' on the Weymouth Track would address any safety issues whilst retaining the historoc feature

 

It has really polarised the town Tom, although the majority would like to see them retained if Facebook is to be believed 'over 30 and from Weymouth' is the group.
I certainly am upset that they are going, even though there is now no use for them, except as reminders of the towns past as a busy commercial port.

 

Here is what seems to be a recent video.
It is said there are worries about the underlying condition of the track embedded in the road but how would this condition normally be assessed, if the line was in regular use? Since the ties or sleepers or concrete base (or whatever it is that holds the rails in place) cannot normally be seen the only visual clues I guess would be defects in the road surface surrounding the rails. Just curious really, it's fairly clear Weymouth don't want their tramway any more to the extent that they're going to spend quite a lot of money in making it disappear.

 

The Bristol Harbour Railway track has already caused the death of one cyclist, a few years ago now. The council has attempted to ban cyclists from using the stretch where the chap died (in front of the museum) but the more stupid cyclists tend to still ignore the large signs and chicanes that are meant to stop them.

For comparison, here's some shots of the trackwork in Gent - they have some rather more complex pway than Weymouth does! The more complex pointwork does still have some gaps, but I presume as the tram lines are narrow gauge the flangeways are proportionately smaller even where the track is not the "groove in the railhead" type as it is on plain track.

 

What could possibly be the objection to just filling in the gaps, at much lower cost than removing the rails and making good the road surface?

 

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/w/weymouth_quay/
This is a good site with info and some videos.
It said the council wanted to fill gaps with a sand and tar mixture to keep cyclists safe and give the chance to restore the line.
The best green option could be to seperate the lines for trams and provide proper cycle paths, however with the narrow roads means almost banning cars, which would prove problematic and upset a large number of car users.
It could also be said that the line was just for ferry boats with men walking ahead to ensure a safe route. So with no more ferries has no more use.
It could have provided a light tram from the station to the city centre if the prototype Parry people mover tests in 1996/7 were better organised, there is a video on youtube
by Stuart Morris
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=#&ved=2ahUKEwjxvJ6NtfvnAhVNa8AKHYVnAQgQwqsBMAB6BAgKEAQ&usg=AOvVaw0VTJzWxrN8ZFOD4xbU2nov
and it worked well in Stourbridge 2006, but the distance is either walkable or served by the no 3 bus or taxis?
There are also plans to extend the land train round the town centre, so a tram might have worked?

 

I think that the practicalities of filling in would create long term maintenance. The rail and the road surface will have different rates of expansion and there would be an ongoing task of patching. I am thinking of a local example of keeping the heritage - The Swanage stone narrow gauge along the seafront - the rails also corrode and the rust will probably add to the patching required.

 

The track did not leap up, grab him, and throw him in the water! The cyclist died because he acted without sufficient regard to his competence and his environment.

 

To cycle along the bit of the quayside with the embedded rails, you need to pass five 'No Cycling' signs in one direction and seven in the other. I counted them a couple of months ago. Some people do genuinely miss them and dismount if you point them out. Others are affronted that you're attempting to limit their freedom to endanger themselves, and carry on.

 

There is a pedestrianised section of the High Road in Ilford. At the entrance to this section, on each side of the road are

1) a "No Entry" disc sign,

2) a "Cycling Prohibited" disc sign,

3) an explanatory plate worded "No Cycling" (presumably for those who do not know their road signs)

Cyclists of course ignore all of these instructions.

 

As many also ignore red traffic lights, other road signs, weave in and out of stationary or slow-moving traffic etc, etc

 

Dorset History Centre has just taken a collection of Photos
Acc. 11391 - Dorset Slide Collection - Slides relating to Weymouth Tramway

 

Hi all, just picked this off SW-gen:

"Dorset C.C. have announced the removal of tracks on above commencing later this month. It's funded by a government grant of £1.1m with further contributions of £200.00 each from DCC & Network Rail".

With thanks to Graham Jakes

 

Already reported back on 29th Feb in post 172

Keith

 

Apologies, thought this was a new announcement. Andy

 

This morning 8/03/20

The first picture looking back toward Weymouth on the right was where the oil tanker sidings were, now tarmaced over. The rails are under there somewhere.

 

When we were cycle-touring in Belgium the other year my friend inadvertently tramlined and binned it.... coincidentally in Ghent!

The Edinburgh system now brings a whole new peril angle to riding through the city centre at 5 in the morning at the end of Ride to the Sun!!

 

https://news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/2020/07/29/track-removal-project-moves-forward/

 

Before the war we did have problems in London with the trams and were grateful when they were replaced with trolley buses. Bring back Trolley Buses