Heritage railway with branches?

[JoeGJ1984]

Are there any heritage railways in the UK with branches? I think that would add something different to the experience, particularly if there is a single-track branch with no run-round facilities at the terminus (they could use a steam auto-coach or a DMU for the branch).

Would it be feasible to introduce a branch on a heritage railway? The Ecclesbourne Valley railway has the branch to Ravenstor, but it is really a continuation of the line rather than a true branch. (I define a true branch as a station/point where one can go in at least three directions). All heritage railways seem to be essentially 'straight' (although sometimes the 'main'/central station can be in the middle rather than at one end), but I think a branch would add something different.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Im not entirely sure but... The great central has one http://mountsorrelrailway.blogspot.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Central_Railway_(preserved)

That is the only one i know of.

I imagine the main reason most don't have them is because they in themselves are branch lines. (particularly speaking for my home railway of KWVR) Whereas the great central was a main line so would of had branches.

 

[12CSVT]

Pontypool & Blaenavon recently opened the Big Pit branch
The Great Central will soon have a branch from Swithland to Mounsorrel (about 1/4 mile of track already laid)
Dean Forest has a branch to Norchard Low Level (although it runs parallel to the 'main' line)
Bodmin & Wenford does a reversal en-route
Bluebell Railway is aiming to lay track on the former Ardingley branch
Great Central (North) does a reversal to access Ruddington station

 

[Philip Elliott]

Midland Railway Centre has the remains of the Swanwick colliery branch. The East Lancs has the Heywood branch.

 

[Crimson_Quiff]

The East Lancs has the Heywood branch.

I'm not too sure if the Heywood line is a 'branch' as such. To me, it's part of the main route, end to end that is! Heywood to Rawtenstall, as opposed to Heywood-Bury then Bury-Rawtenstall. Theres no reversal involved as what you would find with, lets say, the Bodmin & Wenford railway. Bodmin Parkway to Bodmin General, then reversal onto the Boscarne branch.

I think it's down to personal opinion on that one and what you would consider a 'branch'!

 

[Ploughman]

Hasn't this been covered recently?

 

[nferguso]

The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway.

We have a branch to Ravenstor that is operated entirely separately from the main route to Duffield.

The branch has an interesting history. When the Act of Parliament was passed back in eighteen fifty something, some bright spark at the Board of Trade stipulated that the branch must connect with the Cromford & High Peak Railway which skirts the northern boundary of Wirksworth. This was fine, but there was a slight matter of a 250-foot difference in height!

When constructed, the branch rose from Wriksworth yard, rising quickly to 1 in 30 and tightening at 1 in 27 before levelling-off at a location we now call Ravenstor. Beyond there, the line steepened to 1 in 5 (yes, FIVE) to run for nearly half a mile to the C&HPR.

The line was constructed but beyond Ravenstor we doubt anything ever ran up the 1 in 5 because there is no evidence of a winding house as there was nearby at the summit of the 1 in 8 Middleton Incline. Up to Ravenstor, the line was well-used with exchange sidings to the nearby quarry complex at Middlepeak.

We opened Ravenstor Halt in 2005, constructing a platform there and also a new 'Platform 3' at Wirksworth.

The service operates as a stand-alone and, when steam-operated, runs push-pull with the locomotive at the downhill end.

I have images I can upload if anybody is interested but we have a good link here: http://www.e-v-r.com/ravenstorstation/

Neil

 

[caliwag]

Thanks Neil,

Indeed that is definitely worth a visit. Have travelled both sections but there is so much to see that it demands a weekend minimum. I think the Ecclesbourne outfit have done wonders: it indeed shows what can be achieved by volunteers in quite a short space of time.
Look forward to next visit...probably not Santa though!

 

[bocaj]

The NYMR Kind of has one, but it's owned by Network Rail

 

[GM078]

The Downpatrick & County Down Railway in Northern Ireland might be classed as a heritage line with branches.

It currently has a triangle based system, with the ability to run trains either to Inch Abbey or King Magnus' Halt, with plans to extend the latter line to Ballyduggan in the future (Link to map).

There is also a proposal to add another branch off the Ballyduggan line to Downpatrick Racecourse, along with an extension to the running line beyond the current buffer stops at Downpatrick station to the St.Patrick's Center. If all comes to pass it will have quite a complex little network indeed.

 

[Sox]

The Middleton Railway in Leeds used to have spurs leading off to 1) the main rail network and 2) a scrap yard but I am not sure if either are still extant.


http://www.railwaystation.org/maps/MiddletonLeedsRwyMap.html

 

[TGVDUDE]

as Mentioned the PBR has opened the Big Pit Branch from Furnace Sidings, 2012 should offer some interesting operations on the line once the permanent platform structure is completed as the Diesel Gala proved with the Driver for a Fiver sessions operating up the incline from Furnace Sidings aswell as the Autumn Steam Gala with the temporary platform.

 

[bocaj]

The Middleton Railway in Leeds used to have spurs leading off to 1) the main rail network and 2) a scrap yard but I am not sure if either are still extant.


http://www.railwaystation.org/maps/MiddletonLeedsRwyMap.html

It still does have the branch line which spurred of to the mainline, but I don't think it still has mainline connections. They were running trains along in last time I was there due to metel theft on the tracks

 

[The_Rail_WAy]

was the elr once investigating plans for a branch running into helmshore??

 

[MK Tom]

There has been occasional talk of extending the Seven Valley along the old branch south from Bewdley.

You could sort of call the setup at Spring Village on the Telford Steam Railway a branch, in that they run out of one station then reverse back into the other.