Proposed real rail schemes never built - Have you modelled one?

[Boris]

I've always liked the Collywell Bay idea http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/c/collywell_bay/index.shtml as it was kind of built and kind of not, so you could get away with quite a lot, adding extra sidings and the like. The trailing crossover makes the operation interesting and you at least have a basic template to follow for buildings etc. Traffic could be interesting with the fort at Blyth just up the coast (modellers license required here, I know the nearest station was Newsham) providing an excuse for a little bit of military stuff alongside the regular goods traffic.

[Ian Kirk]

Hi,

 

There was a series of articles in "Model Railway News" in the 1950s by H. Orbach on his research and preparation for a layout based on the proposed but never built Garve and Ullapool. An article on the finished layout appeared in the very early 60s. The Railway Company existed and was authorised by Act of Parliament to build the line but never did. It would have left the Highland line at Garve and run North West to Ullapool which would have needed much the same facilities and had similar traffic as Kyle.I doubt if the real G&U would have designed its own stock - it would probably have been worked by the Highland but I have on occaision used it to explain a free lance item of rolling stock. As a teenager I built a "Scottish" style 4-4-0 in EM in LMS livery but with an imaginary number. I passed this off as a "Garve and Ullapool 2-4-0 rebuilt by the Highland and for years no one questioned it's authenticity. Mind you there were far fewer books on Railway history etc around in the 1960s.

 

best wishes,

 

Ian

[Baby Deltic]

My layout Harford Street is based on the Aldgate & Bow Railway which was proposed in 1876 but thrown out by Parliament when the North London Railway objected to the scheme. The layout is based on the premise that the North London Railway took over the scheme and built it themselves with their architecture.

 

[coachmann]

I found it easier to model lines that were built then close 'em...

[The Q]

A fairly famous "never built line" layout was Happisburgh (pronounced Haysborough) on the coast of Norfolk between Mundesley and GT Yarmouth. But they went a bit over the top on the station size as Happisburgh would never have been able to support a station of that size. I considered a model of that line myself as it would have passed within sight of my house, But had too many reasons to build a model of a line that was built (at the third attempt).

The Q

[Horsetan]

Quite a few schemes in the West of Ireland, with at least two proposals for the Achill Line.

[James]

I've always liked the Collywell Bay idea http://www.disused-s...bay/index.shtml as it was kind of built and kind of not, so you could get away with quite a lot, adding extra sidings and the like.

 

I think that would make an excellent basis for layout!

[t-b-g]

The Lancashire Derbyshire & East Coast is a favourite of mine (ignoring the bit that got built between Chesterfield and (almost) Lincoln. If it had got built throughout would the GC have still acquired it or might it have fallen to, say, the LNWR, maybe it might have ended up as a LMS/LNER joint line, could it have been electrified along with Woodhead.... Gives rise to all sorts of possible layouts that could be totally authentic if it had been built.

 

A great favourite of mine too! My latest layout is based on the proposed branch from the LD&ECR to Mansfield and I have called the terminus "Mansfield Market Place" in homage to the only terminus the real railway had. As there were already Midland and Central stations in Mansfield they would have needed another name for it and that seemed ideal!

[wagonman]

The Nettlebridge Valley in Somerset was subject to at least one proposed railway, possibly two. This proposal has given rise to at two model railways, the best known being by Nick Ridgway in EM gauge.

[Guest Belgian]

Literally thousands of railway schemes never got off the ground. If they'd all been built the countryside would been interlaced with tracks.

 

A local example off the top of my head - Great Western to Bournemouth. An extension of the Didcot, Newbury & Southampton line through the New Forest to B'mth.

The DNS originally planned to have an independent line into Southampton, terminating alongside the city walls somewhere near what is now the West Quay development. Part of it was actually started and an embankment next to Hill Lane remained for many years and may still be there.

 

I have often wondered what a GWR Southampton West Quay terminus would have been like. Would they have developed the Western Docks before the Southern did?

 

JE

[2ManySpams]

While I don't model it directly my present layout assumes the missing link between Padstow and Newquay had been built. There were proposals for such a link at an early date and a good friend has a small layout modelled on St. Mawgan which lies (in reality) about half way along that "gap".

 

The assumption allows me to run SR steam appropriate to North Cornwall and early diesels as well alongside the mainstream WR stock.

 

I've been searching for plans of the alternative Launceston- Wadebridge and Padstow - Newquay routes for sometime. Closest so far is a description in a book. Would live to find route plans though.