Ficitious Railways

[21st Century Railfan]

NAME OF COMPANY: Central British Railway (CBR)

GAUGE: Standard

PERIOD OPERATIONAL: 1932-1948, 1962-Present

MOTTO: Steam, Diesel, or Electric. All engines for many uses.

HISTORY/DISSCRIPTION: 

 

1930s:

Formed from it's constituents, the London & South Central Railway, and Northern Counties Railway, the Central was the final large railway formed in Britain. It wasn't one of the Big Four, as it formed as a panic reaction in the early 30s. In the 30s, it served as a purely Interregional Railway. Its constituents  had many lines connecting the Big Four to itself and each other. It continued building engines from the LSCR and NCR until 1935, when it began designing its own engines. 

 

1940s:

The railway saw the most traffic than any railway during the war. Thankfully, most of its heavy trains headed south, so the grades were in the favor of the trains. The Central also began a program of Standardization, and built several new classes during and after the war.

 

(to continue later)

[sir douglas]

leaving aside rooting up an old thread

 

ive got one from the other day.

 

opened: 1870

gauge: SG

company: built by the Midland but originally proposed under "Upper Wharfedale railway company"

 

in real life. Ilkley station opened in 1865 and the line thought Embsay to Skipton opened 1888. Grassington from skipton opened in 1902 line to but was originally proposed as a mainline through to wensleydale but not built.

 

my idea is that just after Ilkley was built a line was proposed to run up Wharfedale to Grassington but including further on the Kettlewell and after this was built there wouldnt have been the line from skipton as grassington already has a station. in addition the line also connects the industries in the valley like lime kilns collieries, quarries, lead mines and mills

 

upper wharfedale railway 1870 by Sam, on Flickr

[Taigatrommel]

NAME OF COMPANY:  Grooge Tramway & Treacle Mines Co. Ltd.

 

GAUGE: 3ft

 

PERIOD OPERATIONAL:  1864-1932

 

MOTTO:  Pulticula eget condimentum

 

HISTORY/DESCRIPTION: The Grooge tramway was originally proposed as an alternative to a pipeline for the porridge wells at Halfway, with promoters suggesting that it could offer a public service in addition to the vital service of breakfast haulage.  During construction of the railway, a bored Cornishman discovered treacle reserves from peculiar contamination of the springs at Top Summit, the disovery coming as he filled his flask while hiking.  Following his countymen's instinct, Granfer Treave immediately began digging and shortly found a rich molasses seam.  The promoters of the tramway felt that their bed was made, and issued shares to finance an extension to the newly dug mines.  Unfortunately, the combination of porridge wells and treacle veins caused much subsidence, and by the time HMRI were due to inspect them prior to opening, the company realised they had no money left to buy a train. A cardboard replica was hastily constructed, with a tea-urn hidden to provide the requisite atmosphere.  As it was, HMRI had little interest in the train itself, and were more preoccupied with whether the platforms for passenger use had ramps at the ends.  As all boarding was carried out from track level, this caused no small amount of consternation for the railway's architect, though his solution was a source of much entertainment to the local soap-box racers.

 

WIth the line open, initially its fortunes were good, with the porridge and treacle feeding the far reaches of the Empire via the wharf at Rivermouth.  Unfortunately, the boom times ended with the discovery of corn flakes, not on a pumice stone but in an Ohio field.  Though the original line has long since been dug up and the opening train collapsed during a rain shower, the track bed is easily followed through the weetabix marshes, and you may occasionally find a local miscreant freaking out "enjoying" the hallucinogenic  properties of the crystals formed by exposed treacle in the sunshine.

 

With apologies to Les Barker, and and ill-remembered tale.

[Budgie]

upper wharfedale railway 1870 by Sam, on Flickr

How can you call it a "light" railway. Surely shifting all that lead from the mines would make it very heavy indeed?

[Ian J.]

NAME OF COMPANY: The Sayersbridge and Penmouth Railway Company Limited

GAUGE: 4 feet, 1½ inches

PERIOD OPERATIONAL: 1863 to 1974, 1974 to 1996 (partial), 1996 to present (complete)

MOTTO: "If you don't try, you never do."

HISTORY: See this blog post: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/2081/entry-18325-a-potted-history-fictional/

 

DESCRIPTION: See this blog post: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/2081/entry-18326-a-run-along-the-line/