If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

Justifying a Narrow Gauge Line

Discussion in 'Model Railways' started by johnofwessex, Mar 15, 2019.

  1. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2015
    Messages:
    9,433
    Likes Received:
    7,454
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Thorn in my managers side
    Location:
    72
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I am looking at (re) starting my S&D inspired 'OO' layout

    There were a number of industrial narrow gauge systems that fed into the line.

    Now in a lot of areas, for example peat bogs railways were used because they provided a solution to the problem of moving materials, and of course in the immediate post WW1 period 2ft gauge equipment was readily available.

    But........ If I am carrying the material for any distance - say a mile what sort of weekly tonnage would be needed to justify a line? I am particularly thinking of the Fullers Earth works at Tucking Mill which had a peak output of about 200 tone per week
     
    johnofwessex, Mar 15, 2019
    #1
  2. SpudUk

    SpudUk Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2009
    Messages:
    1,736
    Likes Received:
    597
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Project Manager
    Location:
    Wales
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    What's the proposed material the line is shifting?

    I always fancied modelling the Oakhill Brewery and the S&D interchange at Binegar. At it's peak Oakhill was producing 2,500 barrels a week
     
    SpudUk, Apr 2, 2019
    #2
  3. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2015
    Messages:
    9,433
    Likes Received:
    7,454
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Thorn in my managers side
    Location:
    72
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Fullers Earth
     
    johnofwessex, Apr 2, 2019
    #3
  4. 61624

    61624 Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2006
    Messages:
    5,294
    Likes Received:
    3,598
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    It's surprising how many narrow gauge lines served nearby standard gauge - the NYMR, for example, had three - at Grosmont (ironstone tramway) Goathland (whinstone tramway) and New Bridge (sand quarry) so perhaps they were a lot more common than we appreciate.
     
    61624, Apr 3, 2019
    #4
  5. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2015
    Messages:
    9,433
    Likes Received:
    7,454
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Thorn in my managers side
    Location:
    72
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    The British NG scene isnt a 'public' line its a purely 'industrial' one, more often than not worked by IC engined locos from the start not steam
     
    johnofwessex, Apr 3, 2019
    #5
  6. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,790
    Likes Received:
    60,103
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Just on the grounds of defining terms - do you mean "rails" or "fully fledged railway with its own motive power"?

    As an example, Sheffield Park had a small narrow gauge line that was used to transport churns between a dairy and the platform where they could be loaded onto mainline trains; rolling stock was probably small trolleys and motive power the good old Mark 1 human, but rails clearly made the labour easier. I suspect such things were far from uncommon in situations where a goods yard was shared with something like a dairy, timber yard, etc.

    A couple of examples:

    Sheffield Park
    https://maps.nls.uk/view/103669459 (south edge of map) and https://maps.nls.uk/view/103669501 (north edge of map)

    Crawley
    https://maps.nls.uk/view/103667218

    Tom
     
    Jamessquared, Apr 3, 2019
    #6
  7. MrDibbs

    MrDibbs New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2019
    Messages:
    173
    Likes Received:
    133
    Location:
    York
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Looking at the 1907 25" Maps there may have been more than that, all over the shop! But I suspect they mightn't have lasted very long.
     
    MrDibbs, Apr 25, 2019
    #7

Share This Page