A to B only?

[Trevor]

Does anyone know if all of the Preserved heritage railways are just simple point A to point B lines, or do any have a branch off to give an alternative destination?

 

[The Decapod]

The Mountsorrel Branch - about a mile long, is being restored and it will connect to the Great Central Railway.

In this month's Heritage Railway there's a piece about a disused freight line that's been restored, which connects to the Churnet Valley Railway and they plan to have through running. I seem to remember reading elsewhere that there are bigger plans, which would mean that eventually there would be an X-shaped heritage network there.

 

[33056]

The only one I can think of that has two lines is the ZLSM in the Netherlands which runs from Valkenburg to Kerkrade and Vetschau with a junction at Simpelveld. As Vetschau is in Germany, this means that each branch terminates in a different country.

There is also the SOEG in Zittau (Germany) which runs from Zittau to Kurort Jonsdorf and Kurort Oybin with a junction at Bertsdorf but, as it runs all year round, I would hestiate to call it a "preserved line" in the true sense.

 

[E&W Lucas]

The Welsh Highland ran its first passenger trains into Porthmadog Harbour Station yesterday, so it's effectively a junction station once again. NYMR also exercise the option of running to Battersby on occasion, but that's using NR metals.

 

[12CSVT]

Dean Forest Railway has a short branch to Norchard Low Level (although it does run parallel to the 'main' line to Parkend).
Vale of Glamorgan Railway (when it was open) divided into two short branches.
I think the Ponypool & Blaenavon Railway will eventually have a branch to the mining museum.
Although not strictly a seperate branch, trains on the Bodmin & Wenford Railway reverse at Bodmin General - the only preserved railway to have this arrangement as far as I am aware.
And I might be stretching the definition of a 'branch' to include the North Yorkshire Moors Railway whenever they are operating to Battersby.

 

[Bittern]

Alright, admit it. Who else saw "A to B" and thought "Airdrie to Bathgate"?

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Hi, As well as the answers to your query here, the Ecclesbourne Railway in Derbyshire has a "main" line, soon to be extended to connect with British Rail and they do have a small seperate branch too I understand. Google their website, it's V interesting. Rgds

 

[nferguso]

Hi, As well as the answers to your query here, the Ecclesbourne Railway in Derbyshire has a "main" line, soon to be extended to connect with British Rail and they do have a small seperate branch too I understand. Google their website, it's V interesting. Rgds

That's correct. The Ravenstor branch operates as a self-contained branch line to its own timetable. There is no direct connection onto the branch from Idridgehay and Duffield and it is necessary to perform a reversing move in Wirksworth Yard to gain access.

The branch includes a 1 in 30 gradient that steepens to 1 in 27 near the summit. Makes for a pretty dramatic journey when steam-hauled!

Neil

 

[Domeyhead]

The Bluebell Railway now owns all the trackbed to enable a second reconnection to the national network at Ardingly though it is clearly not the current priority. It does mean that at some point in the future Horsted Keynes will be a junction again signalling trains from East Grinstead towards Haywards Heath as well as Sheffield Park.