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Highland railways


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  • 3 weeks later...

For those interested, I've added some details of the proposed lines for Lewis and Harris to my website:

http://hlrco.wordpress.com/2010/10/05/railways-of-lewis-harris/

 

I'm also documenting the building of a line that is based on the Isle of Skye as part of the same proposal.

 

In time I'll be adding details on other Scottish lines to my site.

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  • 2 months later...
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Apologies for thread necromancy, but I think and hope this is relevant. ISTR reading of a proposed line to Ullapool, and think this would have been Cape gauge (3'6"). Wouldn't that have been quite something....

 

I'll have to check but I think that was a standard gauge proposal not long before the first world war. I'll try and find the right book to check.

 

Jamie

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From ‘The Highland Railway’ by H.A.Vallance:

The first proposal for a railway to Ullapool was the Garve and Ullapool Railway, authorised in 1890 and to be worked by the Highland. The required capital couldn’t be raised, so the project was put on hold.

 

In 1892, the Great North of Scotland applied for running powers from Elgin to Garve (which, absolutely coincidentally ;) ;), would have included Inverness) in order to work the Garve and Ullapool Railway. The Highland defeated the application, but did no work themselves and the powers for the Garve and Ullapool Railway lapsed.

 

In 1897, the Highland proposed a large program for new lines, including the Ullapool line. None of the lines to the west coast included in this program was ever built.

 

Finally, in 1918, a committee appointed by the Secretary of State for Scotland to look at transport in rural areas proposed that several new lines be built in the Scottish Highlands. Most of them were those originally proposed by the Highland Railway in 1897. Nothing was done as a result of these proposals, though some roads that the committee suggested were built.

 

It would appear that all the proposals for a line to Ullapool envisaged it being built as standard gauge. There are no references to narrow gauge for this line, though at least one other line was definitely to be built as narrow gauge.

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.......Lots of solid facts.........

 

It would appear that all the proposals for a line to Ullapool envisaged it being built as standard gauge. There are no references to narrow gauge for this line, though at least one other line was definitely to be built as narrow gauge.

 

Thanks for a rapid, comprehensive response, (even if it wasn't necessarily what I was hoping to see). Oh, well...

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There was also a slate-carrying railway on the island of Easdale, south-west of Oban. A few traces remain, tantalisingly, although you'll be hard pressed to find anything in print or on t'internet...

i've been to easdale many many times when i was younger but i never knew (and didn't see any signs) of a railway, so thats really interesting

I've just spent a couple of absorbing hours on this site (Old Maps) looking at the Slate Islands (Seil, Easdale Island, Luing and Belnahua). On the 1899 or 1900 maps (some are on one, some on the other), there are obvious railways and/or tramways on the first three islands, and what may be a tramway on Belnahua. The system at Ellenabeich on Seil is pretty extensive, though in a small area. And there are some references to the railways in this topic on the Slate Islands Heritage Trust website.

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I believe there was a quarry line or tramway on Arran at one time, with some slight remains still discernible in lower Glen Sannox. I think it just ran half a mile or so to bring ore from teh mines down to the water's edge.

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I believe there was a quarry line or tramway on Arran at one time, with some slight remains still discernible in lower Glen Sannox. I think it just ran half a mile or so to bring ore from teh mines down to the water's edge.

 

I have more details in a book somewhere, will try and remember to post them soon.

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For those interested I've added some details of the Talisker Distillery Tramway to my website:

http://hlrco.wordpress.com/scottish-narrow-gauge/constructed-lines/talisker-distillery-tramway/

 

It will be updated tomorrow with some images which I've just been granted permission to use :D

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Apologies for thread necromancy, but I think and hope this is relevant. ISTR reading of a proposed line to Ullapool, and think this would have been Cape gauge (3'6"). Wouldn't that have been quite something....

 

I have read in one of my many narrow gauge railway books that it was going to be built using ex War Department equipment, so that would put it at 2' gauge. I've never found anything to back up this though in other publications.

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  • 4 years later...

Resurrecting an old thread, but I was amused to see that the idea of a railway in Lewis is not forgotten. The photo below shows one of the floats at the Stornoway carnival this summer.

post-9472-0-09476500-1441150333_thumb.jpg

The enlargement below suggests a slightly fanciful route to reach Lewis. Sadly, the photo does not quite show where the route is intended to end - but it is evidently somewhere beyond the Callanish Stones.

post-9472-0-16525800-1441150350_thumb.jpg

Best wishes

Eric

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  • 2 months later...

Hi,

 

On the assumption the Light Railway' would likely to be narrow gauge; for cheapness of building and radii of curves - sharper than standard gauge here is a proposed, but never built 'Light Railway'

 

That was the Loch Fyne Railway - which was surveyed to run between Arrochar & Tarbet on the West Highland Railway, via 3 glens and the 'Rest & Be Thankful ' to Saint Catherines, which is on Loch Fyne.

 

This was a part of the continued 'race' between the Caledonian Railway and the North British Railway to tap various 'not railway served' areas; where the only profit was to the 'Parliamentary Lawyers'

 

It is very scenic country, but the 'supposed' trade for the railway was somewhat nebulous, alas that applied to a lot of the proposed routes.

 

 

More details are in the book - 'The New Railway' by Dr. John McGregor, no connection to the publishers - I have the bought the book.

 

 

Yours Peter

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  • 10 months later...
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Just because I have come across these two photos in Dad's albums      

post-14351-0-58385500-1476800172_thumb.jpg

post-14351-0-58028900-1476800173_thumb.jpg

 

Does anyone know whether the Lady still exists and if so where?

 

These two prints had horrible orange bands across them, where Dad's camera had a light leak. I have tried to reduce it, but they have ended up with a slightly antique look.

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Was still there and running in 2005.

The Mull Railway was closed down in 2011, after its landlord, the then owner of Torosay Castle refused to renew the lease, supposedly saying that they had had thirty years of playing with trains for free. OWTTE

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The Mull Railway was closed down in 2011, after its landlord, the then owner of Torosay Castle refused to renew the lease, supposedly saying that they had had thirty years of playing with trains for free. OWTTE

 

I didn't know that.  Sad.

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The Mull Railway was closed down in 2011, after its landlord, the then owner of Torosay Castle refused to renew the lease, supposedly saying that they had had thirty years of playing with trains for free. OWTTE

There was talk of it being relocated to Balloch, but nothing came of it.

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