1355

LEFT: A view from the Badger
Railtours 2 Nov 1991 Fletton
Avoider https://bit.ly/2V9beFG
tour in the middle road of
Foxton Exchange Sidings. This
is looking along the Barrington
Light Railway, (cement works
chimney in the background).

The main line at Foxton is in
the other direction behind the
photographer. (Ian Mortimer.)

NEXT PICTURE: DC Rail 60046 in the former CEMEX cement works site at Barrington, on the run round
loop with 0Z61 a route learning trip to Willesden. The unloading pad at the current end of the branch
is round to the right out of sight and off the course of the original Cement Works Railways. The set of
points in the foreground points are 1m 30ch from the junction at Foxton. (Tue 16 Jun 2020 at 13.51.)

SECOND PICTURE: 60046 waiting to cross Haslingfield Road Level Crossing (1m 27ch) on the
Barrington Light Railway. (Pictures in this section are all by Iain Scotchman from a public road.)

THIRD PICTURE: Crossing the Level Crossing, note the new housing development in the background.













BELOW: (Item 1881) Newhaven Town Signal Box is quie
sheets up to protect the structure behind it. (Ma

etly awaiting its fate on 19 Jun 2020 with scaffolding and
att Burdett and with thanks to Iain Scotchman.)

1874] Norwich: The success of ambitious plans for the development of the area between Trowse,
Whitlingham and Thorpe St Andrew, two miles east of the city centre, will hinge on improvements to
Trowse swing bridge, Norwich City Council officers have stated. The Labour controlled City Council
cabinet was scheduled to meet in the week beginning 15 Jun to bring forward plans to create the East
Norwich Partnership - a new public-private sector group to steer preparation of the area's masterplan.

The 3 Jun 'Eastern Daily Press' mentions that this is a chance for the City Council to facilitate the
developer funding replacement rail and road bridges across the River Wensum with fixed bridges (or a
combined new single bridge) if the Broads Authority will expedite formal steps to close the Port of
Norwich. The road bridge is past its sell by date and the rail bridge, although only built in 1986, is faulty
and only opens at night which is unlawful. Both are unsuitable for the traffic levels that now use them.

The last time they were opened for genuine sea going traffic was in 2014. The final two openings were
last winter for two floating restaurants to be towed from their berths upstream by the station to
Yarmouth. There are now no large ships 'stuck in the river' downstream of the fixed Foundry bridge
outside Norwich station where the Wensum passes at right angles to the buffer stops before curving
round to the bridges. Some £0.5M is to be spent on a masterplan and feasibility studies for the 123
acre site. The cabinet will be asked to agree a tender process to appoint consultants to draw it up and
the associated studies, funded by money from the Council, landowners and other partners.

1875] HS2 - Denham: The 'Standard' newspaper reported an organised visit on 12 Jun to Denham HS2
construction site, featuring a view of a new tunnel portal for two single track bores. The site, near the
Chiltern main line, was said to be the size of 80 football pitches cut into meadows near Denham which
are being cleared before tunnelling work next year on the 10m wide bores, initially through chalk.

1876] East Coast Digital Programme: (BLN 1353.1598) Network Rail issued the Notice of Intended
Scope on the expected date of 8 Jun. This starts the Network Change process. £350M is the budget.

1877] Great Yarmouth: (BLN 1354.1735) On Tue 16 Jun 08762 arrived by road and was unloaded after
a journey of 10 hours from Heaton Depot. It is stabled at the three refurbished carriage sidings owned
by Norfolk County Council that Eastern Rail Services (connected to RMS Locotec) at present use to
store stock. It is perhaps surprising that there is enough work for a resident shunter here!

More stock should arrive from the Weardale Railway although it no longer has an operating licence
after the recent sale from the receivers. The stock may have to be moved by road to a NR railhead,
possibly Shildon or Darlington, for onward rail movement to Great Yarmouth (or by road all the way).

1355 SOUTH EAST - SOUTH (Julian James) [email protected]
1878] Ian & Simon: At Mortimer platforms are being extended to take 4 coaches for the Class 769
trimode units. Work is well under way on the south end of the northbound platform (to Reading).

1879] Something fishy on Hook: Three platform benches, secured in place at Templecombe, vanished
between 12 and 14 Mar. Two were in front of the former signal box and the third in front of the
waiting room on the closed platform. Two were next seen at Hook secured with fresh bolts on the
Down platform. It is not clear if South Western Railway should have consulted before relocating them.

1880] Eastleigh - Fareham: (BLN 1354.1749) The reference to all northbound traffic (except a handful
of very heavy trains) being forced to use the single line through Funtley Tunnel, via the 1 in 100
gradient 'wrong line' out of Fareham, should have read: 'This meant all northbound traffic, with the
exception of a handful of very heavy trains which were forced to use the single line through Funtley
Tunnel, came up the 1 in 100 'wrong line' out of Fareham, but all Down trains without exception ran
through the tunnel'. The record of line use between Fareham and Knowle as expressed in D Fereday
Glenn's book was correct and as reported in the detailed analysis in BLN 1332.1792 as 'the 1 in 100
wrong line out of Fareham' was via the diversion (avoiding the tunnel). Up direction use of the tunnel
was only by freight and loco hauled passenger trains. The latter may have included the trains from
Portsmouth and Brighton to Cardiff. Up direction local service of Hampshire DEMUs took the longer
diversion, albeit over its former Down track. All southbound (Down) traffic used the tunnel route.

1881] Newhaven Town: The 1879 vintage signal box, which closed 29 Nov 2019 was to be demolished
on the night of Sat 20/Sun 21 Jun. The branch was closed until 09.30 Sunday and the road was closed.

1355 SOUTH WEST (Darren Garnon) [email protected]
1882] Okehampton: The ex-London & South Western Railway (LSWR) former main line from Bere
Alston to Meldon Viaduct closed to all traffic from 6 May 1968 and the signalling and telephones were
removed. The track on Meldon Viaduct itself then was in use still as a headshunt for Meldon Quarry.

On 19/20 Feb 1969 the West of England main line was hit by heavy blizzards which blocked the line
between Plymouth and Exeter. In an attempt to clear the freight backlog, Warship D865 'Zealous' was
sent out with snowploughs from Plymouth to Exeter to clear the LSWR route through Okehampton.

This was successful and a second run with snowplough occurred the next day followed by D827 'Kelly'
with a freight train. This train unfortunately failed near Brentor and the second man had to seek a
telephone from a nearby house, whose occupants were surprised to see a train on the line which had
closed nearly 10 months before. After a wait D1018 'Western Buccaneer' came to the rescue and took
the train through to Exeter. This was unusual as although Westerns could cross Meldon Viaduct under
severe speed restrictions they rarely, if ever, ventured over the line west of Meldon Quarry. It would
also be interesting to know if this train was double headed on the viaduct (not allowed in steam days).

BELOW: Participants on https://bit.ly/2ApUKlf the excellent 20 Apr 1974 RCTS (Bristol)
'Devon Explorer' railtour had time to explore Meldon Viaduct which still had track on it.
Looking towards Okehampton with Meldon Quarry in the background. (Ian Mortimer.)

1883] Lee Moor Tramway: (BLN 1354.1684) This mostly horse-drawn 4' 6" gauge line crossed main
line tracks on the level at five locations in the Plymouth area. First it crossed the LSWR Cattewater
branch under Laira Bridge Rd and then the No2 Curve from Cattewater Jn, just before that line joined
the LSWR main line at Friary Jn. At Laira Jn was the well known skew flat crossing of four tracks and
several runs of point rodding. The fourth crossing was of the Coypool branch and finally it crossed the
GWR branch to Launceston at, appropriately, Lee Moor Crossing just south of Plym Bridge Platform.

1884] Patchway: (BLN 1354.1750) Work has restarted to replace the restricted width/height bridge
under the railway above Gipsy Patch Lane, to allow a Metrobus service from Bristol to run via Bristol
Parkway and on to Cribbs Causeway, potentially serving the planned Bristol Arena at Filton Airfield.

(The existing bridge is too low for double decker buses as discovered by the Wessex Connect bus firm
when working from their depot near the bridge, although very useful for creating open top bus tour
options!) It was to be replaced over Easter but the 150 staff required could not work within social
distancing guidelines. All work ceased and the road has stayed closed to vehicles and pedestrians, the
latter having the option of a very long walk or wait for a shuttle bus, taking some 10 mins just to reach
the other side. On 8 Jun six staff were digging up the road under the old bridge. A walkway through the
bridge opened 16.00 to 08.00 next morning, saving 16 hours use of the shuttle bus, while limited work
takes place. It is not known when the work to remove some of the embankment and the old bridge
with installation of the new bridge will be rescheduled but the line will be closed for up to 10 days.

1885] Cowley Bridge Jn: NR has installed a new flood defence barrier, part of a £26.5M programme to
reduce the regular disruption to long distance and local (Barnstaple) rail services just north of Exeter,
often caused by flooding of the River Exe here. The new metal flood defence barrier can be quickly
assembled across the railway when poor weather is forecast and stops the flow of the flood water
(and trains!). When not in use, the barrier remains largely unseen onsite, which means the local
landscape remains largely unchanged. The first part of this project was the installation of large flood
drains in 2018, which allow water to drain underneath the railway and safely away from it.

1886] Exmouth: The branch rolling stock is unlikely to change until more Class 165 and 166 Turbos are
cascaded when Class 769 trimodes take over the North Downs Line and some Thames Valley branches,
but this may not be until Dec. If it is delayed, the eight GWR Class 143 Pacers - which can now only run
attached to a disability compliant unit - may see service into 2021; GWR cannot operate 4-car trains
without them. GWR is also awaiting the last Castle Class HST, to free up at least one Class 158 DMU.

1355 WEST MIDLANDS (Brian Schindler) [email protected]
1887] Round Oak: (BLN 1354.1763) The headshunt closure for Metro work was from 26 May to 19 Jun.

1888] Stourbridge Town: The two Class 139 Parry People Mover units each have 25 seats and room for
35 standing (officially) but can't work together in multiple. With social distancing they now have
prominent signs clearly indicating a maximum capacity of eight passengers but with just one platform
door this is easy to enforce. When they run there is currently a normal frequency - every 10 mins SuX
and every 15 mins SuO - but the hours of operation are reduced. A prominent notice explains that they
start at 06.12 (instead of 05.45) and don't run between 09.00-09.55; 12.50-13.25; 16.00-16.45 or after
19.40 (instead of 23.59). On Sundays there is the normal 09.40 start with no service 12.35-13.45 or
after 16.35 (normally 20.00). If an unplanned set swap is required, two round trips are usually lost. It is
wondered if these breaks in service are to allow the timetable to be operated with fewer staff, or for
the train to be cleaned and disinfected regularly, or both? The service might increase from 6 Jul.

1889] Oils not well at Tamworth: On 4 Jun, the 07.15 Lindsey Refinery to Kingsbury Oil Terminal train
was reported with a hot axle box after leaving Elford Loop (where it waits for passenger services to
pass and often for discharged wagons to leave the terminal in the opposite direction). This resulted in
eight passenger service diversions via Lichfield and 10 freight trains running via Leicester instead.
The Kingsbury to Lindsey train had reached Tamworth where it was held for 278 minutes from 12.01
until 16.39 until the line was cleared. The loaded train reached Kingsbury at 16.08 (175 minutes late).

X.123] NEXT PAGE: Some interesting light and colour effects with this Midland Railway double track
horseshoe shaped brick underbridge. 15 mins walk from your BLN Editor's house. The (Great Malvern)
to Upton-on-Severn (CA 1 Dec 1952) trackbed is a pleasant walk from Malvern Wells (SO 7809 4419)
one mile to the Three Counties Showground (SO 7816 4309). Quite heavily engineered, original fence
posts and bridge structures have survived 67 years. (More of it can be walked further on.) (David Guy.)



ABOVE: Great Malvern station is at the centre of the top border with Colwall bottom left border.
The upper blue spot is one end of the trackbed near the site of Malvern Wells station (CP 5 Apr 1965)
and the lower spot is the other at the Three Counties Show Ground security fence.

1890] Bescot: (BLN 1344.300) A concrete sleeper factory will no longer be built on the Down Yard site.
NR has decided not to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate against refusal of planning permission by
Sandwell District Council in Dec 2019. Council officers said that the plans did not comply with local
development strategies and would result in an unacceptable level of HGV movements and other
associated traffic movements over a prolonged period. Of course the residents already have this in the
form of the M6 next to the Up Yard! Logistically the site was well connected in railway terms and
adjacent to the loco stabling point. It would have produced 600,000 sleepers a year. NR is now looking
for an alternative site to replace Washwood Heath sleeper factory where the site is required for HS2.

1891] Tyseley: (BLN 1352.14.70) Since 2 May all trains calling can only use P3 &4 while P1&2 staircase
is rebuilt. Those to/from the Dorridge line have to use the strategic bidirectional connection at Tyseley
South Jn (and, in the Up direction to Dorridge, the trailing crossover at 125m 50ch). This link usually
has no booked passenger service but ECS uses it. There are reports that this now continues until 10 Jul.

X.124] NEXT PAGE: Bordesley station (BLN 1354.1759) the view from the inner sanctum through the
station entrance out to the Coventry Road after the weekly ritual of the unlocking the gate for the one
train a week timetabled to call there .(Tim Hall-Smith, Sat 24 Jun 2017.)



BELOW: Bordesley (BLN 1354.1759) is 63ch southwest of Birmingham Mo
with just three tracks. The station entrance is well hidden, beneath the brid
gloom. https://bit.ly/3dyoLgz is the excellent Ghost Station Hunters website

oor Street; this is the wide bridge over Coventry Road on the viaduct, now
dge on the right side behind the bus stop that can just be made out in the
e with many more pictures etc of the station. (Tim Hall-Smith, 13 Oct 2013.)

BELOW: The station is entrance is actually unlocked on 27 Sep 2008; expe

erience had been that it isn't always when a train is due! (Tim Hall-Smith.)

ABOVE: View down the steps towards the entrance from the platform. (Liz Moralee, Sat 24 Jun 2017.

1892] University: (BLN 1333.1951) Birmingham City Council has approved plans for the new £13.1M
station serving the University of Birmingham campus and the biggest hospital in Europe (the Queen
Elizabeth with a 100 bed Critical Care Unit - the largest in the world on one floor). Station capacity is
7.2M passengers per year. The present station, designed for 500,000 passengers per year, OP Mon
8 May 1978 - your BLN Editor was the first one and there were nearly 4M in 2018-19. The new station
will have a large new building with access to both platforms. External pillars of redbrick match parts of
the university and modern glass features match the style of the hospital which opened in Jun 2010.

The entrance will be at the Birmingham end rather than the country end as now and there will be a
direct link over the Worcester & Birmingham Canal to the University campus. The new platforms will
be double the present size to accommodate considerable peak passenger flows with canopies right
along them. An enhanced public space will link the station with existing bus stops and the Hospital.

1893] West Midlands Metro: A range of new tickets align with the new tendency since the pandemic
for many to work from home, at least some days each week. Available on the My Metro App they
include a Flex & Save ticket - 10 separate unlimited one day tickets for £48 (saving 20% over individual
tickets) which not need to be used on consecutive days. The £6 one day ticket is still available along
with a new 3-day ticket (£15) and a 4-day version for £19.20. Research has shown that up to 75% of
local people who have been working from home intend to carry on doing so at least two days a week.
West Midlands Metro is encouraging passengers to buy tickets online instead of from conductors.

1355 IRELAND (Martin Baumann) [email protected]
1894] Cultra Light Railway: (MR p27) (BLN 1353.MR75) The 7¼" gauge 370yd railway is confirmed as
permanently closed. This was reported by both the railway and the County Down Spectator on 12 Jun.

1895] (Waterford) Abbey Jn (115m 60ch) - New Ross (101m 09ch): (BLN 1351.1341) Following
publication of the intention to make an Abandonment Order on 21 Apr 2020, 'removal of the sleepers'
(quote) on this 14m 04ch branch was to begin week commencing 15 Jun. The 'Waterford News & Star'
reports that a Wicklow civil engineering firm is expected to take two to three months to complete this,
ready for the trackbed to be converted to a Greenway. Amending BLN 1351.1341, the Abandonment
Order extends to 101m and 1,160yd, actually 44ch beyond New Ross station rather than 1m 10ch.

1896] Abandoned & Closed Railway Lines: (BLN 1353.1629) E-BLN 1355 has a 10-page supplement
produced by Irish Rail and the National Transport Authority in Aug 2016. It defines abandoned and
closed lines and discusses maintenance (for which Irish Rail has no funding). The abandonment of all
closed lines and the transfer of all bridges and structures on abandoned lines to the relevant local
authority would reduce their total maintenance costs by €3M. The most interesting section is a list of
80 abandoned lines on which Irish Rail still has responsibility for maintaining the structures (1,358
route miles with 1,107 bridges) - note while useful this is not 100% comprehensive. There is also a list
of 10, as at Aug 2016, closed lines (150 route miles with 387 bridges). On both lists route mileages are
given for each end of the line. At the end, a rather poorly produced 1906 map has these lines marked.

1897] Abandonment orders: To complement the previous item your Regional Editor, assisted by
Richard Maund, has kindly produced a spreadsheet summarising the PDF of abandonment orders with
e-BLN 1353 (both are on our website archive); again it is not comprehensive. It includes the date that
abandonment was approved, last passenger train, 'official' closure date, last known train of any type
and 'official' complete closure date. Some notes and passenger only closures are at the end.

1898] Bord na Móna Railways - The End: (BLN 1338.2614) Following meetings on the morning of Tue
16 Jun an immediate stop was ordered that day on the harvesting of any further peat. Bord na Móna
will instead focus on rehabilitating the bogs and diversification. Only stocks already harvested into
piles can now be removed. This is due to planning decisions to refuse applications to take more peat
and recent court action. It applies universally not just to Bord na Móna but also large companies who
do not use any rail transport. They can draw peat at present for the Horticultural sector, a large order
for B&Q stores in the UK is currently in place with peat products 80% or less under the Verve Brand.
Significant amounts are exported to the EU, but once the ground stocks are all removed, that will end.

West Offaly Power Station, Shannonbridge, Co Offaly commissioned 2004 (Ireland's biggest peat fired
power station at 153MW) is now closed and might remain so. Over 1M tonnes of Blackwater stocks
could go by rail to Derrinlough (Boora system), keeping that factory going for possibly two years.

Lough Ree 100MW Power Station (also commissioned in 2004) in Lanesboro, Co Longford is also now
closed due to water temperature issues. It is expected to reopen as electricity demand picks up when
Irish industry recovers from the Covid crisis. Peat stocks on the bogs serving it must be cleared by the
end of Dec 2020, but if they are not, it can stay open, but only until 31 Jan 2021, to burn them.

Both the aforementioned power stations are to be demolished and the ground restored. A third power
station in Edenderry, Co Offaly, (120MW) can use up its peat stocks and it also burns biomass (but the
biomass subsidy has been withdrawn). The plant has a licence to operate until Jun 2023 then will close.

Peat harvesting was to have been phased out by 2027 but recent successful court action, over Bord na
Móna extracting peat without permission against European Union Law, has been successful. The Green
Party is now the fourth largest party in the Dáil with a minority government in power. All 50 NEW locos
bought for the railways have already been sold to China, so the closure decision was anticipated.

This will be the end of Bord na Móna peat and their extensive narrow gauge rail operations, after a
period to clear stocks. Bog rehabilitation could take up to three years to lift the 600 miles of track.
(Baker's Rail Atlas shows the various railways.) [Adapted from an Industrial Railway Society report.]

1899] Waterford - Limerick Junction: (BLN 1350. 1066) Passenger services were suspended from
30 Mar. Irish Rail's Chief Executive has recently advised that there will be a 'full restoration of services
… in time' (that will be both the trains each way then SuX). Irish Rail had previous said that 'significant
investment' is required to facilitate higher speeds on the 'under-utilised intercity line'. A similar
pronouncement has been made about passenger services restarting through Nenagh, but significant
track relaying has been taking place during the line closure. South of Nenagh had previously been
relaid but the money ran out so north to Ballybrophy remained as jointed track and 40mph restricted.

1900] Covid covert travel: Despite restrictions being eased at a faster rate than the UK, non essential
travel is still prohibited in the Irish Republic, as at 17 Jun, and this is supposed to be enforced by police.

1901] Dublin Connolly: (BLN 1354.1773) (Quail 6 p1 Feb 2004) From 11.00 Mon 8 Jun until 12.00 Sun
2 Aug 2020 rationalisation and remodelling of Connolly Carriage Shed Sidings layout is taking place.
This was due to start in the week of 5 Apr but had to be postponed. To facilitate the works, Carriage
Shed Sidings access is temporarily restricted: Handpoints No9 providing routes to both the Carriage
Shed Sidings and the Valeting Depot have been plain lined with no access to Carriage Shed Sidings Nos3
to 6. There is a temporary buffer stop 22m in the rear of handpoints No5 removing access to the
Carriage Shed Sidings 1& 2 in the rear, Loco Shed Sidings No3 and the Turntable Siding. Access to the
Valeting Depot and Loco Shed Siding No1 & 2 remains. (Revised arrangements from BLN 1349.1007.)

1902] Armagh: The 12 Jun 1889 Armagh Railway Disaster led to the Regulation of Railways Act. On
that date a Sunday School excursion from Armagh to Warrenpoint with fifteen 6-wheel coaches was
hauled by 2-4-0 loco 86 (Beyer Peacock works No1968 built 1880). It was not powerful enough for the
train and the driver initially refused it for this reason but after a row with the Armagh Station Master
did so, meanwhile having refused the offer of a banking loco. (The driver should not have been on the
train at all; he was not passed for the route and had not worked it for three years when a fireman).

The train stalled 3¾ miles out of Armagh on a 1 in 75 climb. It was divided with '86' taking the first five
coaches to Hamilton's Bawn Siding 1½ miles on. On return, the loco approached the remaining
coaches too fast and they rolled downhill as they were only secured by handbrakes and a few stones.
They collided with the 10.35 Armagh to Newry, with 0-4-2 loco 9 (Beyer Peacock works No76 built
1858) and six coaches operating on time interval working. 88 people were killed and over 400 injured.

This is, perhaps, quite well known but much less so is https://bit.ly/2Y9YX5O a memorial in Armagh.

Armagh - Goraghwood (on the existing cross border line and the Junction for Warrenpoint until 1965)
closed to passengers from Mon 31 Jan 1933, the last train was probably the day before. Armagh -
Markethill closed to all traffic at the same time. Markethill - Goraghwood remained open for monthly
cattle trains until official closure from Mon 2 May 1955; the date of the last train is unknown.

'The Runaway Train Armagh 1889' by JRL Currie (David & Charles 1971) is long out of print but is highly
recommended and copies are available for around £8 at https://bit.ly/3dcqrw3 (abebooks).

1355 ISLE OF MAN (Graeme Jolley) [email protected]
1903] Port St Mary: (BLN 1354.1777) It can now be revealed what had been happening in the Goods
Shed here on the Isle of Man Steam Railway! Keen readers of our IOM section will recall that No16
Mannin was moved here from Port Erin at lunchtime on Tue 10 Mar (BLN 1348.858) - this was for
asbestos removal. The IOM Director of Transport has said that he would like to see 'Mannin' back in
service for the railway's 150th anniversary in 2023. It is also why No9 Douglas was taken there on 2 Jun
but is still outside (No5 Mona was also moved to Port Erin carriage shed to await her turn). A local
press report confirms that a specialist firm is removing the asbestos while the railway is not operating.

NEXT: On Sat 20 June, local society member Graeme Easton is driving for the first time on the Crogga
Valley Railway. This was a private event; the 'passengers' were all volunteers being taken down to
Lakeside station to do some work on the track. This 7¼" gauge complex PRIVATE railway is visible from
the Isle of Man Steam Railway southwest of Port Soderick station. (With apologies to Graeme Easton!)

1904] Horse Tramway: (BLN 1354.1778) The IOM Government has now committed to completing the
line but not until winter 2021/22. There are reports that the single track southern section might be laid
as rails with sleepers on hardcore rather than on concrete slab with a concrete or tarmac top surface.
This might be a good idea given the apparent lack of expansion joints in the first section that was laid.

On Wed 17 Jun the contents of the temporary marquee were moved to the new tramcar shed. Non-
passenger MER Car No34 remained at the marquee all alone and may stay with the horse trams, as a
test car for the new tram track in due course, or return to the MER sheds. https://bit.ly/3fKZRfg is a
superb photo record of the move and inside of the new shed, with interesting videos of the unusual
portable traverser working. Horse Trams 43 & 44 were still outside the MER shed after the movements.

NEXT PAGE: The portable broad gauge traversers run at right angles to the shed roads. (Jenny Williamson.)

1905] Manx Electric Railway: (BLN 1354.1775) MER Car 33 has been outstationed at Laxey and was
outside the shed with Wagon 52 on Fri 19 Jun. The works north of Groudle are on both tracks, so there
is no through route (obviously this would not have been possible normally with public service running).

1906] Unlockdown Reopenings: From Mon 15 Jun, with no recorded cases of Covid-19 for 28 days on
the IOM social distancing ended on the Island and pubs were allowed to reopen. There are around
50 for the 85,000 population, although not all reopened at once. The island remains closed to non-IOM
residents. On Thur 18 Jun the half mile Orchid Line 7¼" gauge miniature railway at Curraghs Wildlife
Park (MR p12) had an unadvertised practice running day. First normal public running was 12.00-15.30
on Sun 21 June needless to say our esteemed Chairman and Mrs Williamson were on the first train -
their first train ride for months. It runs Sundays until Oct plus Aug 31. Groudle Glen Railway (MR p12)
reopens Sun 5 Jul. The trams and 'big trains' may restart at the end of July for local school holidays. It is
even possible that the Crogga Valley Railway, near Port Soderick, might have some public running.





BELOW: (Item 1904) We know a Fixtures Secretary who would like a ride on th

his! MER Car 34 in the horse tram marquee. (Jenny Williamson, 20 Jun 2020.)

THIS PAGE & NEXT: (Item 1906) The Orchid Line 7¼" gauge miniature railwa

ay on Sun 21 Jun - social distancing has ended on the IOM. (Graeme Easton.)





BELOW: Tweed Valley Railway Walk (1956 map). Bottom left is Roxburgh (j
is to the left. Going northeast is Kelso station followed by three closed to p
Sunilaws. Finally, and open to passengers in 1956, is Coldstream - the line to

junction for Jedburg, south); the line to St Boswells on the Waverley Route
passengers by then: Sproston, Carham and, crossing the border to England,
o Alnwick via Wooler heads south. Berwick-on-Tweed is further northeast.

BELOW: Roxburgh station house, this was originally a three platform country

y junction station for the Jedburgh branch until the main line was singled.

BELOW: The two overbridge abutments southeast of Roxburgh (station right);

; first the double track Kelso line and second the single track Jedburgh branch.





THIS PAGE AND PREVIOUS TWO: The 220yd long, 14-ar

rch 70ft high Roxburgh Viaduct above the River Tweed.

BELOW: Roxburgh Viaduct, looking towards east as it curves round

d left, northeast, for Kelso, Coldstream and Berwick-upon-Tweed.

BELOW: View southwest (River Tweed upstream direction) from Roxbu

urgh Viaduct, the line of trees upper right marks the Jedburgh branch.

BELOW: A row of former railway cottages in Kelso

o (possibly ex-North British Railway? - see later…).

BELOW: A typical example of the trackbed and

scenery in this very rural area near Sprouston.

BELOW: A fine road overbridge, built