Weymouth Harbour Tramway

The Weymouth Harbour Tramway (also The Quay Branch or Harbour Line) 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 railway station to Weymouth Quay railway station at Weymouth Harbour.

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 1938/1939 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 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 Future

In January 2009 it was reported that the local council wishes to remove the tramway, and that Network Rail have confirmed that they have no wish for its retention. ^[1]

Despite some opposition from enthusiasts and proponents of public transport, and despite the desire on the part of some to make use of the tramway during the 2012 Olympic sailing events, it seems likely that its lifetime will be brief.

Under The Town Bridge, 2005
Jubilee Crescent, 2006
Near Ferry's Corner in 2005
Near Custom House, Summer 2005
Looking from the station area
The harbour station 1986

External links

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

^ "Olympic train line may be lost". BBC News. 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-30.

[1] "Olympic train line may be lost". BBC News. 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-30.

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