There are quite a few bits still visible on the ground, one of the more prominent is an embankment in Emberton Country Park. The OS 25000 map shows half a dozen sections between Newport Pagnell and Emberton.
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Unfinished/Unused Railway Formations
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There are quite a few bits still visible on the ground, one of the more prominent is an embankment in Emberton Country Park. The OS 25000 map shows half a dozen sections between Newport Pagnell and Emberton.
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George Hudson's line from York to Leeds via Tadcaster. An impressive viaduct was built across the River Wharfe in Tadcaster. There were bridges and earthworks on either side. His empire collapsed and the line was never completed.
The viaduct remains and was used to carry a siding to a flour mill and warehouse until the fifties.
The viaduct remains and was used to carry a siding to a flour mill and warehouse until the fifties.
swt_passenger
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I believe there was intended to be a North to East curve between the two lines at Yeovil Jn but track was never laid following earthwork completion.
IanD
Established Member
There are also some earthworks on Bury Field common in Newport Pagnell. On the attached, the red line shows the built railway into Newport P (This is now a cycleway to Wolverton). The station was located where Domino's Pzza now stands. The blue line shows the start of the proposed line and just beyond that are the earthworks. (My house is the green blob). There are some info boards by the earthworks. It seems the railway was scuppered by the owner of (I think) Tyringham Hall just off the top of the picture.
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table38
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That reminds me of the south-to-east curve at Hope where the embankment was built but the track never laid.
Chris125
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You can see sections of earthworks much of the way to Emberton, though in some places the only evidence is crop marks. The joy of google maps!
Chris
swt_passenger
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There's another oddity on the London side of Farnborough. There is some evidence on the satellite view of a possible east to north curve joining the mainline to the line through Farnborough North, but this is another route where there is some doubt if it ever had rails laid, or if they were, doubt about whether or not services ever ran.
The Middleton Press book on this area isn't exactly specific, its 1912 map extract shows earthworks but no track, unlike the two curves further east that provided both north to west and north to east connections with the Ascot -Aldershot line, both of those being lifted in the 60s.
The Middleton Press book on this area isn't exactly specific, its 1912 map extract shows earthworks but no track, unlike the two curves further east that provided both north to west and north to east connections with the Ascot -Aldershot line, both of those being lifted in the 60s.
ChiefPlanner
Established Member
I dont think the second GCG viaduct had track laid - as the bridges were built in 1908 or so - the section from Cwmgorse Branch Junction towards Pontardawe was unfinished at the start of WW1 (complete with dug out , but unfinished viaduct under Pontardawe itself - never used) - so that the stub end was never needed until the opening of Abernant Colliery in the early 1960's. The remainder being abolished.
Interestingly , all this investment was lost - including a loco shed at Cwmgors which would have replaced the one at Pantyffynon. This Welsh Coal Klondyke never quite made it.
GCG box had nothing on the track diagram - and it was the original one. !!
starlightEXPRESS
Member
There was a plan to build an east-south curve between the SER-sponsored North Downs Line and the LSWR Portsmouth Direct Line. The embankment was constructed, but it's unlikely that track was ever laid. (The SER were concerned that they might breach an agreement with the LBSCR to keep away from Portsmouth. The rivalry of LSWR and LBSRC which resulted in the 'Battle of Havant', perhaps suggests that the SER were right to pacify the LBSCR and tensions over running rights from London to Redhill never reached boiling point.)
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/40695
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/40695
I believe that the former Montrose - Inverbervie line was part of a grand scheme to build a route along the coast to Aberdeen but was subsequently abandoned in its truncated form.
Still quite a bit of evidence left including the fantastic North Water Viaduct.
Still quite a bit of evidence left including the fantastic North Water Viaduct.
martinsh
Established Member
Just about qualifying is the Monnow Valley Railway, of which the only bit actually built was a short tunnel at Monmouth
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nigel.nicholson/gn/page 31.htm
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Here are some more of these
First of all another line that was completed but never opened the Spireslack branch of the Caledonian railway. This was a line from Coalburn to Muirkirk which although completed throughout, was only opened at the eastern end, otherwise the Glasgow & SAouth Western would have claimed running powers to Lanark !
Another one possibly in this category is the Tickhill Light Railway. The western section (Tickhill – Bawtry) was never built. It is not known whether the eastern section Bawtry – Haxey Jcn) ever had any through services. Certainly within a couple of years the track had been removed from the centreof this section.
Many other incomplete lines relate to small inpercunious railways which couldn’t afford to complete their whole line.
The East Kent Railway was intened to extend from Wingham to Canterbury but petered out in the middle of a field. Old maps show earthworks extending beyond the limit of public services. Contary to what I had thought previously it seems their line from Sandwich Road to Richborough Port did in fact open for freight for a few years. It was the station at Richborough that was built but never opened to passengers.
The Liskaerd & Caradon Railway proposed to extend north from Kilmar Quarry to Launceston, and a couple of miles of formation were built before the project was abandoned.
The Shropshire and Montgomeryshire was always intended to extend from Shrewsbury to Market Drayton. I have seen old photos where there is definitely a formation linking Abbey Foregate to the Shrewbury – Wellington line, but I’m not sure if it ever carried track or trains as most maps don’t show it at all. I’m sure I read somewhere that a small amount of work was done on the line to Market Drayton before being abandoned due to the First World War, but I can’t find any reference to that now.
Over in Ireland there was the Ulster & Connaught Light Railway – a 150 mile line of which the only bit ever built was a tunnel at Keady which is now used as a bus garage by Ulsterbus !
There are lots more examples overseas. Offhand I know of examples in Estonia, France, Italy, Latvia and Spain. The most striking example is probably the FC Santander Mediterraneo in Spain. A long line which ran out in the middle of nowhere at Ciudad Valeporres about 50 miles short of it’s target, leaving a 5 mile tunnel completed but unlined ! http://www.santander-mediterraneo.net/
http://www.santander-mediterraneo.net/futuro1.html
Research is continuing !
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nigel.nicholson/gn/page 31.htm
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Here are some more of these
First of all another line that was completed but never opened the Spireslack branch of the Caledonian railway. This was a line from Coalburn to Muirkirk which although completed throughout, was only opened at the eastern end, otherwise the Glasgow & SAouth Western would have claimed running powers to Lanark !
Another one possibly in this category is the Tickhill Light Railway. The western section (Tickhill – Bawtry) was never built. It is not known whether the eastern section Bawtry – Haxey Jcn) ever had any through services. Certainly within a couple of years the track had been removed from the centreof this section.
Many other incomplete lines relate to small inpercunious railways which couldn’t afford to complete their whole line.
The East Kent Railway was intened to extend from Wingham to Canterbury but petered out in the middle of a field. Old maps show earthworks extending beyond the limit of public services. Contary to what I had thought previously it seems their line from Sandwich Road to Richborough Port did in fact open for freight for a few years. It was the station at Richborough that was built but never opened to passengers.
The Liskaerd & Caradon Railway proposed to extend north from Kilmar Quarry to Launceston, and a couple of miles of formation were built before the project was abandoned.
The Shropshire and Montgomeryshire was always intended to extend from Shrewsbury to Market Drayton. I have seen old photos where there is definitely a formation linking Abbey Foregate to the Shrewbury – Wellington line, but I’m not sure if it ever carried track or trains as most maps don’t show it at all. I’m sure I read somewhere that a small amount of work was done on the line to Market Drayton before being abandoned due to the First World War, but I can’t find any reference to that now.
Over in Ireland there was the Ulster & Connaught Light Railway – a 150 mile line of which the only bit ever built was a tunnel at Keady which is now used as a bus garage by Ulsterbus !
There are lots more examples overseas. Offhand I know of examples in Estonia, France, Italy, Latvia and Spain. The most striking example is probably the FC Santander Mediterraneo in Spain. A long line which ran out in the middle of nowhere at Ciudad Valeporres about 50 miles short of it’s target, leaving a 5 mile tunnel completed but unlined ! http://www.santander-mediterraneo.net/
http://www.santander-mediterraneo.net/futuro1.html
Research is continuing !
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RichmondCommu
Established Member
On the flip side the Midland Railway tried to abandon the construction of the S&C having reached agreement with the LNWR. However Parliament forced the line to be built.
The Oxford & Rugby Railway was never finished as intended.... it got as far as Bishop's Itchington and petred out in the middle of a field, I think the Great Western took it over very soon after then diverted the route to go via Leamington and Hatton to Birmingham. The last bit of earthworks is still visible from passing trains just south of Bishop's Itch, you can see a line of trees and the end of the embankment as it merges into the farmer's field, on the east side of the Banbury - Leamington line. Originally, the O&R Rlwy were going to trail their route into the WCML at Rugby Midland but alas it never came to pass.
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