The Route of the Ashover Light Railway – Stretton to Ashover Butts

Baldwin 4-6-0T ‘Joan’ at Stretton in 1930. [5] Joan heading South from Stretton, (c) M. W. Earley [6]

South of the Halt at Stretton, the railway travelled for well over a kilometre alongside the main standard-gauge line before it began to bear away from the Midland line towards the west, soon entering the valley of the River Amber. The next halt was at Hurst Lane, but there was an intermediate passing loop for stabling purposes at Ford.

Ford Loop was “the lowest point on the railway. In the early days a steam locomotive would wait here ready to pilot heavy stone trains to Clay Cross, but objection was made to the weight on the bridges and subsequently the engine was attached to the rear of the train as a banker. Years later the morning stone from Ashover would drop half its load here and collect it in the afternoon.” [4]

Beyond Ford Loop, wagons of coal for nearby Ogston Hall could be accommodated in a siding alongside Ford Lane.Ogston Hall. [15]

The line climbed steadily at a grade of 1 in 220 on its journey to Hurst Lane which was provided with facilities for trains in both directions to take water simultaneously.[2] It had a wooden shelter and telephone box, together with a water tank on wooden trestles. There were points for a siding near the shelter, but this was never laid. The water tank was gone by the late 1940s. [1][7]

Beyond Hurst Lane, the gradient of the line steepened to 1 in 99, wooded slopes which surround the line in the lowest part of the valley gave way to open country as the railway ran on towards Woolley. Along the route of the line, bridges were used to allow the line to remain on an acceptable alignment despite to meanderings of the River Amber. Just before reaching Woolley and after crossing the river on a bridge, the line passed what could have been the location of its main junction. Within the original authorisation for the construction of the line was a route to Alton Colliery. Although authorised, this line was never built. [8]

Alton Colliery was not re-opened. K.P. Plant notes: “Examination of the Deposited Plans shows that the branch would have had a continuous climb to the colliery from its junction … west of Hurst Lane. Traffic would have been worked on the endless rope principle and, as level crossings were vetoed, extra expense would have been incurred in providing 5 road bridges. The order restricted the gradient on the branch to 1 in 10, the minimum radius of curves to 5 chains, and not surprisingly prohibited it to passenger traffic.” [9]

By this time, the surrounding countryside was more hilly.

At Woolley, the next halt, a public road was crossed, and goods facilities were provided. This halt, and those at Dalebank and Milltown, took their names from hamlets on the hillside. In most cases passengers were also picked up and set down wherever public roads were crossed.

Woolley Halt comprised  “the usual shelter, together with a telephone box, plate-layers cabin and Clay Cross Company coal office (closed about 1934) and a siding to hold four or five wagons.” [7] The Halt served the village of Woolley Moor. Some time before its closure, the telephone was moved from the box into the office, as coal sales were initially good, but soon deteriorated. The section of track where the station once stood has now been flooded by the Ogston Reservoir. [1] The sketch plan above [14] shows the line of the Light Railway and the extent of the reservoir. The railway route only appears out of the water just to the southeast of what is now the B6014 and had it survived, the line would have followed the lake shore to the right of the image below. This northwestern tip of Ogston Reservoir is cut off from the main reservoir by the B6014. This is where the River Amber joins the reservoir, its course can be seen when water levels are low. [13]

Beyond Woolley trees encroached on the line again and the railway crossed the Amber two times as it continued to climb up the valley. The next halt was Dale Bank Halt, which had a wooden shelter. The halt was always very underused, despite being just half a mile from Stubben Edge Hall. [7]Stubben Edge Hall. [16]

A further 500 metres or so up the line the railway crossed a small bridge and arrived at Milltown Halt. Provision was originally made here for a siding but one was not built. The points were removed at the beginning of the 1930s. [7] The halt was reach via a short roadway from Oakstedge Lane. [1]

Before leaving the lower end of the Amber Valley, it is worth a note about the reservoir which now floods much of the area. Ogston Reservoir was completed in 1958 and dramatically altered the appearance of the Amber Valley. Today (2019) it is regarded positively and has become a magnate for birds. [12] The reservoir was originally created to supply the National Coal Board’s Carbonisation Plant at Wingerworth but is now run by Severn Trent Water and supplies water for the local area and is used as a holding ground for water for nearby Carsington Reservoir. It has an area of 220 acres of open water, holds 1300 million gallons of water and gets its water from the River Amber. [10]

The flooding of the valley in 1958, completely submerged farmland, roads and part of the Ashover Light Railway. The reservoir also destroyed most of the village of Woolley. The villagers were relocated into council houses built in another local hamlet, Badger Lane, which eventually became known as the village of Woolley on the Moor, which subsequently became the present village of Woolley Moor. [10]

Local feelings in the late 1950s are highlighted in an article written at the time by Mrs Annie Fox. [11] she draws attention to the changing scene after the building of the dam. Her words are in italics:

In days gone by, Woolley House a large Country house was run as a Hydro and took in visitors all the year round. Attached to it was a small village store where you could buy anything from a box of matches to a cwt: of corn. In the yard at the back was the old Joiners shop, which was used by the local undertaker.

Later the house was sold and divided up into 6 small cottages made out of the big house, the shop 11 other cottages and the old public house Napoleon’s Home, all will soon be destroyed by the New Ogston Reservoir built to supply industry with millions of gallons of water.

The Napoleon’s Home has been in the family of the Fox’s for generations past, and is still bother owned and run by Mr Fox today. In its grounds the village football team used to play, also the cricket team had their pitch. Here the Flower and Vegetable Show has been held every year for the past 48 years. Now they are told it cannot stay. The villagers have to leave homes in which some were born, and lived for a life, time, to make way for the flooding of the valley. At present only the Public House remains occupied. When the bulldozers have finished their work, one cottage on the other side of the road will remain, standing out like a landmark with the past. Its occupant an old gentleman who has seen many changes in his life time, now spends a lot of time directing many and various people up the hill, to where the villagers have been re-housed in Council houses, almost making a new village on top of the hill. Before, only a few cottages and small holdings stood there.

The old sheep wash too, has been destroyed where local farmers used to bring their sheep for washing. The bridge across the river is being raised; cranes, concrete mixers and bulldozers spoil the quiet countryside.

At one side of the river at this point stood the laundry where washing from both Woolley Hydro and Stubbin Edge Hall was done.

On the other side of the river stood a house built by a local man named Beresford, also his Blacksmiths shop, where both he and his man worked regularly.

Across the river set out among spacious lawns was Amber Valley Camp School. Built in 1939 to give 250 children from urban areas the benefit of having a month’s education in rural surroundings. During the war, it was used to re-house a Public School evacuated from Derby. This too will soon be swept away by bulldozers to make way for the rising waters.

At the other side of the valley stand the Pumping Station, and the Purifying plant.

On top of the spur stood a large Georgian house know as The Ford House. In its lovely grounds also stood the Gardeners and Butlers cottages, these too have been swept away, to make way for the modern dwellings to house reservoir officials. On the other side of the road, in a large meadow, stands another group of new houses built for reservoir staff.

At the bottom of the valley by the side of the river used to run a footpath. Over 30 years ago a then young school mistress took a class of infants on a picnic into a field which the footpath ran through by the river, that day has never been forgotten. They fished they played cricket, and drank milk and tea carried from a Farm House up on top of the hill 4 steep fields away. What a day they had – no more will do it. Now the same field lies 30 feet under water, only memories are left. But to those who took part in it, it stands out as one of the most wonderful days of childhood.

The old Mill too has gone. It used to be driven by a water wheel and was well known for miles around. No more will carts take rough stone in at one side of the yard and sawn blocks out at the other.

In the past the valley was one of Derbyshire’s beauty spots, a lovely place in summer, but forgotten in winter. What will it be now?

In the early 21st Century, Ogston Reservoir provides many leisure activities including sailing, windsurfing and trout fishing. There have been 200 species of bird life recorded at Ogston including Wilson’s phalarope, Sabine’s gull and long-tailed skuas. There are two observation hides used by local bird watchers.

The present sailing club building which can be viewed from the field was originally the Amber Valley Camp School. It was built in 1939 to give 250 children from urban areas the benefit of have a months education in rural surroundings. [10] It seems, with the benefit of hindsight, that Mrs Fox’s fears have not been borne out, despite what has been lost.

We are now some distance up the line from the northwestern end of the reservoir.One of the most picturesque stretches of the line was in the vicinity of the halt at Dale Bank where the wooden shelter formerly stood on the left of the above photograph beyond the road. The pit in the foreground replaced the original wooden cattle guards, © K.P. Plant (4th March 1951). [6]

The gradient eased beyond Dale Bank. The line passed the Miners Arms on the left and turned northwards into a deep cutting and then passed a fluorspar washing plant and sidings. One of those sidings climbed to the Clay Cross limestone quarry. Although close to Fallgate station the quarry was known as the Milltown Quarry. [17]

The next stop on the line was Fallgate. Fallgate was an important mineral traffic centre, with short branches to quarries and their associated electric power station, and extensive siding accommodation (as we have already noted). Here, also, were additional locomotive and carriage sheds. [2] The station/halt served the hamlet of Fallgate. It had a wooden shelter, a telephone box and a water tank. The station stood at the north end of a 100-yard loop adjacent to a level crossing. There was also a coal sales depot, and in 1927, a limestone dust grinding plant was built. However, due to repeated complaints by local residents, the plant was dismantled and moved to the Clay Cross Works. A tarmacadam plant was also built, operating from 1936 to 1948. [1][17]This excellent drawing (badly scanned) is taken from the 1965 edition of K.P. Plant’s book on the Ashover Light Railway. In interpreting the plan it is important to remember that North is to the righthand-side of the plan. [18]

On the above plan, the Fluorspar washing plant is to the left, and the line from Clay Cross enters from the left just below the plant. The route to the quarry runs north and the line onwards to Ashover heads off to the right side of the plan. The power station is close to the River Amber on the right side of the image, it can just be seen to the right of the (1/1).

The location has been the subject of a superb 009 model which, while foreshortening some distances has been as faithful as possible to the location. The layout is called: “Fallgate: Ashover Light Railway.” It was created by Brian Love, a member of the 009 Society, and since 1998 it has been extensively exhibited throughout Southern and Eastern England. It is now owned by Stephen Little and Matthew Barrett and is based in Manchester. [19]The track plan of the 009 layout – Fallgate. The Fluorspar Washer is on the top-left of the track plan with the tarmac plant in the middle-right opposite the station building. The two lines to the right of the track plan represent the line into the quarry and the line on to Ashover repectively. [19]The model of the Fluorspar Washer, (c) Stephen Little. [19]The model of the Tarmas plant with the timber station building in the foreground, (c) Stephen Little. [19]The model of the cottages at Fallgate, (c) Stephen Little. [19]Fallgate Station before the construction of the Tarmacadam plant which sat beyond the timber station shelter on the left of the image. [23]

The tracks in the immediate vicinity of Fallgate station were not lifted at the same time as the rest of the Ashover Light Railway. They remained in place late into the 1960s serving the quarrying operation at the site. Indeed, as can be seen in the photograph below, some sections of track have survived into the 21st Century.Railway lines in the track leading to Milltown/Fallgate/Felbrigg Quarry, (c) Graham Hogg. [21]The formation of the Ashover Light Railway remained in use at Fallgate into the late 1960s as a works railway operating in the immediate vicinity of the Washing Plant and the old station as is shown in this drawing from Plant’s book about the Ashover Light Railway. [28]Fluorspar Crushing Mill at Fallgate, recently refurbished. [20]

The adjacent Google Earth satellite image shows the approximate route of the railway through Fallgate and the location of the small station building.

The railway formation ran on the West side of the River Amber through the halt and then followed what is now a lane called Jetting Street.

At the North side of the station a horse-worked branch line ran up a 1 in 13 gradient to a set of the screens and loading hoppers which were fed from a high level line out of the adjacent quarry.  [17]

Along that length of the valley, the railway passed the Fallgate power house which was sited on the opposite bank of the River Amber. It had stone walls and a red asbestos roof. The power house supplied electricity to the Clay Cross Company quarries. [24]

Milltown/Felbrigg/Fallgate Quarry. [22]

Along this length of the line, trains also passed an old mill and water wheel. That mill is shown in a refurbished condition above. It was a water-powered corn mill. Dated 1781, but with earlier work incorporated within the present structure. It was restored in 1987-8. A restored overshot wheel with metal sideplates and timber buckets was set into the  wheelpit. A metal pentrough delivers water to the wheel head. The interior of the mill and the machinery have been fully restored. [25]

Salter Lane, the next halt, was the nearest to the main part of Ashover town, but the line continued to a triangular junction, used for turning purposes, with the spur leading to the passenger terminus at Ashover (Butts), near the old and historic parish church. [2]

Salter Lane (for Ashover) was just half a mile from Overton Hall. It consisted of a low platform with a wooden shelter and a nameboard. The shelter is no longer present, but the edge of the platform is still visible. [1]Overton Hall was once the home of the naturalist Sir Joseph Banks. [27]Overton Hall was, from 1942, certified to operate as an approved school for boys. It served in this capacity until 1948, not long before the Ashover Light Railway closed. From 1950 to 1956, it operated as a youth hostel. Later it served as an old people’s home. In the early 21st Century, it is now a private residence. [26]Salter Lane can be made out on the above map at the point where it crosses the route of the ALR South of Ashover. It was the closest stop to the village.The proximity of the Salter Lane Halt (right of middle in the image) to the village of Ashover is illustrated above. [34]The end of the line.

Ashover Butts had a single platform with a wooden building, which comprised an open-fronted shelter with an office on either side, one of which was for ticket sales. The other office briefly sold confectionery, but then stood unused for many years. Latterly, it was used to store moulds from the Butts concrete plant.[29] In the last couple of years before passenger services ended, the building was painted grey. [1][30] The station building is shown in the first image below.Ashover Butts railway Station. [31]An overview of Ashover Butts Station. [33]Ashover Butts Satation was on the lineheading off to the top right of this image. The train, in the capable of 4-6-0 Baldwin, ‘Joan’, is using the triangle to turn ready for a trip back to Clay Cross Works via Stretton. The round peaked building to the top left of the image was a cafe built for tourists travelling on the ALR – the ‘Where the Rainbow Ends’ Cafe [32]Another view of the Cafe. [34]A view back down the line towards Stretton taken from close to the ‘Where the Rainbow Ends’ Cafe. [34]

The base of the triangle was extended to Butts Quarry further up the valley. The Google Earth satellite image above shows the approximate line of that extension. The Quarry is now the site of a MotoX track. [35]

The triangle at Ashover Butts was replicated at Clay Cross. These triangles meant that trains could be maintained intact with the locomotives running chimney first, in which conditions the type in use performed most efficiently. Also, as they were 4-6-0 tank engines, it was advantageous for negotiating the sharp curves on the line to have the bogie leading. [2]

To complete our journey along the line, it is worth noting that Wild Swan published a book about the Ashover Light Railway. The book was written by Stewart R. Band and Robert Gratton and published in 1989. [36]

BackTrack Magazine carried an article written by Tim Warner on the Ashover Light Railway in its May/June 1992 issue. A copy of the article is produced below the references section. [37]

Julian Holland has a chapter about the line in his book, “Discovering Britain’s Little Trains. [38]

1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashover_Light_Railway, accessed on 13th January 2018.
2. The Ashover Light Railway; The Railway Magazine, Volume 96, No. 593, September 1950.
3. http://www.alrs.org.uk/site/?page_id=31, accessed on 14th January 2019.
4. K.P. Plant; The Ashover Light Railway. The Oakwood Press, 1965, p44.
5. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/374221050282986254, accessed on 23rd January 2019.
6. K.P. Plant; The Ashover Light Railway. The Oakwood Press, 1965, pictures between p44 and p45.
7. K.P. Plant; The Ashover Light Railway. The Oakwood Press, 1965, p45.
8. Ibid., p4 & p10.
9. Ibid., p11-12.
10. http://www.derbyshireuk.net/ogston_reservoir.html, accessed on 26th January 2019.
11. http://www.strettonhandley.derbyshire.sch.uk/oldwebsite/areservoirtakesitstoll.html, accessed on 26th January 2019.
12. http://www.ogstonbirdclub.co.uk, accessed on 26th January 2019.
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogston_Reservoir, accessed on 26th January 2019.
14. The Ashover Light Railway Society, Short Walks on a Railway Theme – Walk Number 3, Country Estates and Waterworks, Stretton to Ogston.
15. https://www.brackenfield.org/ogston-hall-visit-picnic-at-the-hall#&gid=347&pid=1, accessed on 26th January 2019.
16. http://m.ipernity.com/#/doc/buildings/25566191, accessed on 26th January 2019.
17. K.P. Plant, op. cit., p46.
18. Ibid., p37.
19. http://www.stephenelittle.com/fallgate/#layout, accessed on 27th January 2019.
20. http://m.ipernity.com/#/doc/302581/45025008, accessed on 27th January 2019.
21. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3861366, accessed on 27th January 2019.
22. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1855664, accessed on 27th January 2019.
23. http://www.ashover.org/photo107.htm, accessed on 27th January 2019.
24. K.P. Plant, op. cit., p47.
25. https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1241794, accessed on 27th January 2019.
26. http://www.childrenshomes.org.uk/AshoverAS, accessed on 27th January 2019.
27. http://www.ashover.org/photo130.htm, accessed on 27th January 2019.
28. K.P. Plant, op. cit., p47.
29. Ibid., p48.
30. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashover_Butts_railway_station, accessed on 28th January 2019.
31. http://railthing.blogspot.com/2014/01/ashover-light-railway.html, accessed on 28th January 2019.
32. https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/131871095323434925/?lp=true, accessed on 28th January 2019.
33. https://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/ashover-light-railway, accessed on 28th January 2019.
34. https://picclick.co.uk/Set-of-12-Ashover-Light-Railway-Postcards-original-273663372391.html, accessed on 28th January 2019.
35. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Butts-Quarry-MotoX-Track/119689744810650, accessed on 28th January 2019.
36. Stewart R. Band and Robert Gratton; The Ashover Light Railway; Wild Swan, Didcot, 1989.
37. Tim Warner; BackTrack Magazine, Volume 6, No.3, May/June 1992, p127-129.
38. Julian Holland; Discovering Britain’s Little Trains; AA Publishing, Basingstoke, 2008, p56-69.

The Route of the Ashover Light Railway – Clay Cross Works to Stretton

The main Clay Cross Company Works were adjacent to the LMS main line from Sheffield to Derby, just  south of Clay Cross Junction. The main facilities (locomotive and carriage sheds) for the Light Railway were at the site of the Works. The Clay Cross Company had standard-gauge sidings connected to the LMS mainline. There was an inclined siding alongside one of these sidings which permitted the narrow gauge line’s wagons to be propelled to a height where they could be tipped into standard gauge wagons. An electrical mechanism was used for this work. [2] In order to permit narrow-gauge access into the works standard-gauge track was crossed by means of hinged rail sections. [2]The ramped siding alongside the standard-gauge works line and the hinged rail sections also show up well in this image. They could be turned through 90°. The picture shows the transshipment tippler in early 1925, looking North. Ashover Light Railway wagons were hauled up the ramp using an electric winch and their contents tipped, by way of a moveable shute into standard gauge wagons on the siding below. (c) Topical Press Agency. [5]

As the map above shows, the line left Clay Cross Works in a Westerly direction before first turning Northwest and then round to the South. [4] The works themselves were on the East side of the standard-gauge line as it emerged from the North portal of Clay Cross tunnel. The Clay Cross and Egstow Station was in the location shown on the map below at the south side of the Works site. Clay Cross Works in 1929. [7]

Clay Cross & Egstow passenger terminus – a single low platform with a wooden shelter – was on a short spur line, and was about half a mile from Clay Cross Station on the LMS. These pictures give a good impression of the station. [2][3][6][10]The station and yard. [6]Clay Cross and Egstow Station. [10]The track plan of the Clay Cross Works showing both standard and narrow gauge lines. [24]

The Wikipedia article about the line states: “Clay Cross and Egstow [Station] had an unusually large name-board (10 ft by 3 ft) which stood on the single low platform. [12]  There was a wooden station building consisting of an open-fronted wooden shelter, which had the manager’s office on one side, and on the other what was intended as a parcels office, but was actually used as a general storeroom. The station was the only one on the line to enjoy electric lighting.” [1]

The spur line from the station joined the line from the Works. After the junction with the Station spur, the main line climbed a fairly steep gradient, down which wagons attached to the rear of trains coming from the Ashover direction were allowed to run by gravity into reception sidings after the coaches had been hauled into the passenger station. [1] The relatively steep gradient allowed the narrow-gauge line to climb up an embankment to cross the main road north of Clay Cross (now the A61). That climb is shown in the first picture below.The route from Clay Cross & Egstow, with the Pirelli Bridge visible in the background. It is just possible to make out Chesterfield Road station, with the wooden walkway leading up from road level. [3]

The bridge over the main road was known locally as the Pirelli Bridge. It was a steel girder bridge spanning 45 feet. The height had to be 16 feet above road level, which required a half-mile long approach embankment to be built. The bridge and embankment and one cutting were the only major pieces of engineering on the entire route between Clay Cross and Ashover. [1] The nickname was the result of the Pirelli Tyre Company at Burton-upon-Trent having a large advertisement painted on the bridge. [2]The Pirelli Bridge over the A61. [8]The same location painted by David Charlesworth. [9]

The first stopping place was Chesterfield Road Halt, immediately beyond the bridge. As a frequent service of buses passed the halt, [13] this was the usual point at which Chesterfield passengers joined and left the trains during the period that passenger traffic was maintained. In 1940, the wooden shelter was destroyed in a gale, and the pieces were used to construct a small store-shed at the back of the Clay Cross locomotive shed. [1]

Immediately beyond Chesterfield Road was Hilltop passing loop, but no platform was provided there. [2] Up to this point, the railway was on embankment. It now travelled through a series of cuttings and three different halts.Hilltop Cutting, North of Holmgate Halt and Holmgate Lane. This view looks South towards Holmgate and was taken in 1934. (c) I.M. Purdy. [14]

The first cutting was Hilltop Cutting and this was the most significant cutting on the route. Travelling South trains reached Holmgate Road with its halt just beyond. Holmgate Halt had a siding capable of holding around six wagons. It was provided with a small wooden shelter and a telephone box. [1] Evidence suggests [15] that the siding was located on the North side of Holmgate Road and the Halt on the South side. [14] The route of the line at this point is illustrated on the adjacent sketch which is contained in one of the walks leaflets produced by the Ashover Light Railway Society. [17]

The three images immediately below are taken at the approximate location of the road crossing for Holmgate Road. The first image looks North along the line of the old railway. The second looks south through bollards along the line of the track bed of the old railway. The third looks down an adjacent modern footpath towards the line of the railway heading South. The crossing at Holmgate Road was un-gated.

At the point where the tramac path turns to the left, the railway formation follows on its right side. Pushing aside the foliage at this point, it is possible to access the remains of the old railway bridge over a small tributary of the River Amber which left the Amber at near Ogston Hall. [17]Holmgate Road looking North along the line of the old railway.Holmgate Road looking South along the line of the old railway. The halt was immediately to the South of the road and its small building was on the left of this image. There is a grainy image of the halt in the Ashover Light Railway Society’s recent booklet. [14] This may be the only image of the halt is existence.Holmgate Road looking South. At the point where this footpath turns to the left ahead, it is immediately alongside what was the route of the Ashover Light Railway. That point is adjacent to the old stream bridge. [17]

We have noted that immediately South of Holmgate Halt, the railway crossed a small tributary of the River Amber (Smithy Brook) which left the Amber at near Ogston Hall.

Following the modern-day tarmacked path takes one immediately alongside the old railway formation which runs through the copse area to the West of the path. The fishing pond encountered to the left of the modern path was not present when the railway was still in use. The car park for the fishing pond is at the location of Springfield Halt. The Halt consisted of nothing more than a name-board at a point where the line was crossed by a footpath/track. The location can be seen at the top of the adjacent map. [13][16]

After a short trip across the fields, Clay Lane was reached. Clay Lane Halt had a wooden shelter and a telephone box. It was located about a quarter of a mile from the main street in Clay Cross, near the Royal Oak public house. The points were laid for a siding, but this was never built, due to meagre goods traffic. Despite this, passenger traffic was initially good. [1]The Royal Oak shown on the map above on Clay Lane is now a private home. [18]

The railway line met Clay Lane a little to the West of the Royal Oak Pub. The location is shown on the adjacent sketch map. [19] The pictures below are taken from Clay Lane. The first looks North along the line of the railway which was roughly on the line of the driveway. The second looks South along the line.

The Halt was on the North side of Clay Lane and is shown in a photograph in the 2016 book by Trevor Gosling. [16]

From Clay Lane, the line followed the ex-LMS standard-gauge Sheffield-Derby line, to Stretton. Close to the location of Stretton Halt, the railway crossed Horsescar Brook. Both this brook and Smithy Brook ran parallel to the two railway lines, either side of the standard-gauge railway cutting.

The mainline station was in deep cutting and pictures of the Ashover Light Railway Halt and railway taken from Ashover Road (B6014) often include sight of one of the coping stones at the end of the railway bridge wingwall.

The proximity of the Halt and the mainline station at Stretton meant that Stretton was the ideal interchange with the LMS. It had a wooden shelter, with a goods office and a telephone box. The loop-line at Stretton was used as accommodation for connecting trains. The timetables with the main line did not always coincide, and ALR trains sometimes had to wait for nearly half an hour. The loop line was removed in the 1940s. [1][20]Looking North along the line from Clay Lane.Looking South along the line from the same point on Clay Lane.The railway formation North of Ashover Road (B6014) followed the gravel track beyond the metal field gate. The coping stone and bridge wingwall are to the right side of the picture. The halt was on the North side of the road.Stretton Halt is in the middle distance. [23]

Ashover Light Railway Locomotive Joan at Stretton, entering the loop. [21] Joan at Stretton Level Crossing with a railway society tour in open mineral wagons. The coping stone to the right of the picture is still in place at the crossing location. [22]

The adjacent images show the coping stone in the above picture in the early 21st Century and the condition of the formation some years ago now. [2]

The crossing at Ashover Road, Stretton was the only protected crossing on the line. Stretton was the most important intermediate stopping place on the line, 2.5 miles from Clay Cross. [2] “For most of the distance from Clay Cross to Stretton the light railway ran parallel with the main Sheffield-Derby LMS line. The scenery to here was scarcely attractive, the influence of the nearby collieries being somewhat persistent, but, after leaving Stretton, the surroundings soon became very pretty.” [2]

We will explore the remainder of the line in the next post.

References

1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashover_Light_Railway, accessed on 13th January 2018.
2. The Ashover Light Railway; The Railway Magazine, Volume 96, No. 593, September 1950.
3. http://www.alrs.org.uk/site/?page_id=31, accessed on 14th January 2019.
4. https://maps.nls.uk/os/25k-gb-1937-61/index.html, accessed on 14th January 2019.
5. Trevor L. Gosling; The Ashover Light Railway 1925-1950, An Illustrated Presentation; The Ashover Light Railway Society, Winger worth, Chesterfield, 2016; p15.
6. https://picclick.co.uk/Clay-Cross-railway-station-and-yard-Ashover-Light-273368783149.html, accessed on 15th January 2019.
7. https://municipaldreams.wordpress.com/2015/page/4, accessed on 14th January 2019.
8. http://www.claycrosstoday.co.uk/Ashover-Light-Railway, accessed on 14th January 2019.
9. http://davidcharlesworthart.com/railway.htm, accessed on 14th January 2019.
10. http://colonelstephenssociety.co.uk/the%20colonels%20railways/ashover%20light%20railway/ashover%20light%20railway%20photo%20gallery.html, accessed on 15th January 2019.
11. https://mapio.net/pic/p-75953053, accessed on 15th January 2019.
12. K.P. Plant; The Ashover Light Railway. The Oakwood Press, 1987, p33.
13. Ibid., p35.
14. Trevor L. Gosling; The Ashover Light Railway 1925-1950, An Illustrated Presentation; The Ashover Light Railway Society, Winger worth, Chesterfield, 2016; p17.
15. Ibid., p11.
16. Ibid., p18.
17. The Ashover Light Railway Society, Short Walks on a Railway Theme – Walk Number 1, Over the Hill – Clay Cross Works to Holmgate.
18. http://www.claycrosstoday.co.uk/Pubs-Of-The-Past, accessed on 20th January 2019.
19. The Ashover Light Railway Society, Short Walks on a Railway Theme – Walk Number 2, Across Green Pastures, Clay Cross to Stretton.
20. K.P. Plant; op. cit; p44.
21. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/374221050282986254/?lp=true, accessed on 19th January 2019.
22. http://colonelstephenssociety.co.uk/the%20colonels%20railways/ashover%20light%20railway/ashover%20light%20railway%20members%20weekend/ashover%20light%20railway%20members%20weekend%20route.html, accessed on 14th January 2019. … RLinkinS on the forum national-preservation.com says: “I think this is the Birmingham Locomotive Club’s trip on 24/08/1948. There is a colour picture in Michael Whitehouse’s new album and the stains on the front of the smokebox are identical.” (https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/the-ashover-light-railway.1302307/#post-2352339, accessed on 16th January 2019).
23. https://picclick.co.uk/Stretton-Ashover-Light-Railway-View-of-Stretton-390729127429.html, accessed on 19th January 2019.
24. K.P. Plant; The Ashover Light Railway. The Oakwood Press, 1965, p36.

I have been researching the history of railways in Japan. My interest has been drawn by the use of Cape Gauge as the early standard gauge in Japan.

Cape Gauge is very close to the Metre-Gauge that many of the secondary lines in France. It is the same track gauge that was used in a number of different British colonies.The photographers notes say: JNR 3′ 6″ Gauge Class C10-8 on a turntable in Oikawa Railways Senzu station in July 2001. It was built by the Kawasaki Heavy Industries Rolling Stock Company, Kisha Seizō in 1930, (c) D. Bellwood. [27]

Railways with a track gauge of 3′ 6″ (1,067 mm) were first constructed as horse-drawn wagonways. From the mid-nineteenth century, the 3’6″ gauge became widespread in the British Empire (although it was not used in East Africa or India) and was adopted as a standard in Japan and Taiwan.

There are approximately 112,000 kilometres (70,000 miles) of 1,067 mm gauge track in the world.The photographer’s note says: Class C11 is a type of 2-6-4T 3′ 6″ Gauge steam locomotive built by the Japanese Government Railways and the Japanese National Railways from 1932 to 1947. A total of 381 Class C11 locomotives were built. This is JR Hokkaido C11 207 hauling a Niseko tourist service in September 2014, (c) ウツダー, Japan. [28]

The article on this subject on Wikipedia [1] says that one of the first railways to use 3′ 6″ (1,067 mm) gauge was the Little Eaton Gangway in England, constructed as a horse-drawn wagonway in 1795. Other 3′ 6″ gauge wagonways in England and Wales were also built in the early nineteenth century.

In 1862 the Norwegian engineer Carl Abraham Pihl constructed the first 3′ 6″ gauge railway in Norway, the Røros Line. Japan Railway and Transport Review carried an article about Norwegian Railways in 2002. [35]

In 1865 Queensland Railways were constructed. Its 3′ 6″ gauge was promoted by the Irish engineer Abraham Fitzgibbon and consulting engineer Charles Fox.

In 1867, the construction of the railway from the Castillo de Buitrón mine to the pier of San Juan del Puerto, Huelva, Spain, began. The width was 3′ 6″ (1,067 mm).

In 1868 Charles Fox asks civil engineer Edmund Wragge to survey a 3′ 6″ railway in Costa Rica.

In 1871 the Canadian Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway and the Toronto and Nipissing Railway were opened, promoted by Pihl and Fitzgibbon and surveyed by Wragge as an engineer of Fox.

In January 1872, Robert Fairlie advocated the use of 3 ft 6 in gauge in his book Railways Or No Railways: Narrow Gauge, Economy with Efficiency v. Broad Gauge, Costliness with Extravagance. [4]

1872 also saw the opening of the first 3′ 6″ gauge railway in Japan, proposed by the British civil engineer Edmund Morel based on his experience of building railways in New Zealand. [5].

On 1 January 1873, the first 3′ 6″ gauge railway was opened in New Zealand, constructed by the British firm John Brogden and Sons. Earlier built 4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) and broad gauge railways were soon converted to the narrower gauge.

Also in 1873, the Cape Colony adopted the 3′ 6″ gauge. [6][7]. After conducting several studies in southern Europe, the Molteno Government selected the gauge as being the most economically suited for traversing steep mountain ranges.[8] Beginning in 1873, under supervision of Railway engineer of the Colony William Brounger, [9], the Cape Government Railways rapidly expanded and the gauge became the standard for southern Africa. [10][11] 

In 1876, Natal also converted its short 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) long Durban network from 4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) standard gauge prior to commencing with construction of a network across the entire colony in 1876. [12] 

Other new railways in Southern Africa, notably Mozambique, Bechuanaland, the Rhodesias, Nyasaland and Angola, were also constructed in 3′ 6″ gauge during that time.After 1876In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century numerous 3′ 6″ gauge tram systems were built in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

The precise reason why a track gauge of 3′ 6″ in (1,067 mm) (also known as “Cape gauge”) came to be selected as the early standard gauge in Japan remains uncertain. It could be because 3’6″ was supposedly cheaper to build than the international standard “Stephenson gauge” of 4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm), or because the first British agent, whose contract was later cancelled, ordered iron sleepers made for the narrower gauge. It seems most likely, however, that Morel’s previous experience building Cape gauge railways in similar New Zealand terrain was a significant influence, and Cape gauge became the de facto standard.

As a further commentary on the 3′ 6″ gauge, readers might want to consult Japan Railway and Transport Review which carried an article about the 3′ 6″ gauge in 2002. [36]

Japan’s Shinkansen lines are all built to Standard Gauge, because trains are more stable, and can go faster, on wider track. Some other lines in Japan use 1,372 mm (4′ 6″), 762 mm (30″) gauge or 610 mm (24″) gauge. But the majority, over 83% in terms of distance, of Japan’s railways are built to Cape Gauge, 1,067 mm (3′ 6″). The name comes from its adoption in 1873 by the Cape Colony (later part of the Union of South Africa). But by then it had been around for nearly a century, originally for horse-drawn railways in England and Wales, and later steam railways around the world, including Australia, Canada and other locations. And, as of 1872, Japan, where it is known as KyOki (OM, literally “narrow path” or “narrow track”). But compared to Standard Gauge, it’s never been all that heavily used outside of Japan. [2]

Currently there are 5 track gauges in common use in Japan. The most common gauge is 1067mm/3′ 6″, which forms the bulk of the JR Group network and connecting private railways. The others, already referred to above, were very kindly listed by Mark Newton in response to a query from me on the website http://www.jnsforum.com. [3] His notes are in italics below. There is also an article in the archives of the magazine, Japan Railway & Transport Review from January 1997 which reflects on the activities of railway companies in the private sector [37]:

610mm – Tateyama Sabo railway (shown adjacent) in Toyama prefecture. [21] I think this would be the last non-museum/preserved line using 610mm gauge, which was once common for local and industrial railway operations, known as “keiben“, [22] throughout Japan.

762mm – the three former Kintetsu lines [18] … and the Kurobe Gorge railway (shown adjacent). [19] This gauge was also once very commonly used by keibenlines throughout Japan, but in many cases the lines were converted to 1067mm gauge and electrified as traffic increased, such as Kintetsu’s Yunoyama line. The famous Kiso Forest Railway was 762mm gauge. [20]

1067mm – JR Hokkaido, JR East, JR Tokai, JR West, JR Shikoku, JR Kyushu, all JR Freight operations on these lines, and many private railways and tramway, big and small. The reasons for choosing 3’6″ gauge for the original Tokyo-Yokohama line in 1872 are not apparent these days, but that choice greatly influenced subsequent government and private railway construction.

1372mm – Toei Shinjuku line, [29] Tokyu Setagaya line, [30] Toden Arakawa line, [31] Keio Teito Corporation lines, [32] and the Hakodate city tramway. [33] The once-huge Tokyo municipal tramway system was built to this gauge, plus some private railways and tramway in the Tokyo area. Some of these lines have been re-gauged twice, going from 1067mm to 1372mm, then 1372mm to 1435mm!Hakodate Haikara-gō is a vintage 1372mm gauage tramcar first operated in the city in 1918 and now restored for use on tourist runs in the summer, (c) 湯の川. [34]

1435mm – Shin Keisei railway, Hokuso Railway, Keihin Express Railway, Keisei Electric Railway, Eidan Ginza and Marunouchi lines, Toei Asakusa line, Yokohama metro, Hakone Tozan Railway, Nagoya metro, Kinki Nippon Railway/Kintetsu main lines, Keifuku Electric Railway, Eizan Electric Railway, Keihan Electric Railway, Kyoto metro, Osaka metro, Hankai Electric Tramway, Hankyu Electric Railway, Nose Electric Railway, Hanshin Electric Railway, Kobe metro, San-Yo Electric Railway, Hiroshima Electric Railway, Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railway, Chikuho Electric Railway, Nishi Nippon Railway main lines, Nagasaki Electric Tramway, Kumamoto city tramway, Kagoshima city tramway, and of course the JR Shinkansen network. So there’s more standard gauge trackage in Japan than you might think at first.

Historically there were a number of other gauges used. There were once a number of man-powered tramways, known as “jinsha kido”, some of which used 737mm gauge. Kaimaishi Iron Works and the Hankai Railway used 838mm. In northern Kyushu there were a number of local lines that used 914mm/3′ gauge. In total there have been 16 different track gauges used in Japan in the railway era. I’ve not gone into the various monorails and guideway lines there, as I’m not sure how you’d even measure their gauges! [3]

Edmund Morel (1840-1871) was a British civil engineer who was engaged in railway construction in many countries, including New Zealand, Australia, and Japan. He was the first foreign Engineer-in-Chief appointed by the Japanese government, for guiding and supervising railway construction.

A graduate of King’s College in London where he studied civil engineering, he was highly sought after to work with countries seeking to construct railroad systems, such as in New Zealand, Australia and North Borneo, which is now part of Malaysia.

Edmund Morel was clearly not one to shy away from a challenge. It was while he was working in North Borneo that he was asked to come to Japan by British envoy Sir Harry Parkes and help create Japan’s first railroad system. Edmund arrived in Japan on April 9, 1870. He had only 18 months to live. [13] On arriving at Yokohama, he at once proceeded to set out a line of railway between Tokei and Yokohama, 20 miles in length; the works on this, and on another length of 20 miles, between Kobe and Otaka, were commenced under him, but he did not live to see their completion. [14]

He assumed the role of Japan’s first chief engineer for railway and telegraph construction. His involvement in Japan was quite eclectic. Along with railway design he made proposals about the country’s education system and about engineering administration. It was as a result of his advice that Japan set up its Ministry of Public Works in December of 1870. It’s role was to find ways to bring in and utilize foreign technologies. [13]

The locomotives and rails for Morel’s railways were imported from England. Through discussions with senior government officials, Japan’s standard gauge of 1,067 mm (3′ 6″) was established. [15] Morel’s experiences in other countries predisposed him to the narrow gauge of 3′ 6″, in New Zealand contractors began laying track to the 5′ 3″ gauge from 1863 but all of it had been reduced to 3′ 6″ by 1870. Similarly, standard-gauge track laid in Indonesia from 1867 was gradually changed to 3′ 6″. (That gauge-change took time and was only completed during Japan’s wartime occupation.) [16]

As we have already noted, survey work for the 3′ 6″ line between Tokyo and Yokohama were begun in the spring of 1870 and the line was completed in May, 1872. The formal opening of the railway took place in the presence of the Emperor. “A general holiday,” says one account, “was declared for all government offices, and His Majesty the Emperor proceeded to the station dressed in ancient court costume, Naosbi, in a four-horse state carriage, accompanied by his suite in similar dress and wearing their swords.” [17]A Cape Gauge (3′ 6″) Express train ‘Niseko’ bound for Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan. An steam locomotive type C62 (C623) and five old type passenger cars. The C62 type locomotive was the biggest and largest steam locomotive for passenger train in Japan, (c) Neko Ja Neko Ja. [25]

“During the first year from May 7, 1872 to December 31, the railway carried 495,000 passengers, and about 500 tons of freight. In this period the operating income came to 174,930 yen and operating expenses amounted to 113,464 yen, producing a profit of 61,466 yen.” [17]

Other government sponsored lines were started after the opening of the first railroad. In December of 1873 work was begun on a 27-mile line between Kyoto and Osaka, and entwined in 1877. A short line between Osaka and Kobe was opened to traffic in 1874. Long range plans called for the laying of trunk lines, but owing to the shortage of funds and internal disturbances culminating in the Satsuma Rebellion, the government was unable to launch large scale railway projects in the early years. [17]

Hudson built for the Limited Expresses of the old Cape-gauge (3′ 6″) Tokaido line, class C62, Hiroshima 1966, (c) Dr. Stephan Stoeckl. [24]

 

 

Although the government didn’t nationalize the railways until 1906, it took a strong central role in standardization, and apparently chose to continue with the gauge it had started with, causing most later railways to be built to that gauge. Some private railways chose other gauges, including standard gauge, and in particular a number of small regional railways used and still use 762 mm (30”) gauge. But most were built to Cape Gauge. [2]

In subsequent years, particularly from 1909 to 1920, the Japanese would try, repeatedly, to switch to standard gauge out of a desire for higher speed, heavier tonnage, or simply for ease of purchasing equipment overseas. Several of these attempts were put off by the government on military grounds, as the existence of an odd gauge made use of railway lines by a potential invader more difficult. By 1927, the nationalized Japanese Government Railways operated 12,864 km (7,993 mi) of track and it would have been very expensive to convert. And by then, the technology was entirely locally-made, and imports were no longer a concern. A preserved Japanese 3′ 6″ gauge JNR Class D51 2-8-2 locomotive in main line service in 2014 (c) C.C. Lerk. [23]Cape Gauge (3′ 6″) EF62 1 at the Usui Pass Railway Heritage Park, April 2007, (c) RSA. This is a a Co′Co′ wheel arrangement DC electric locomotive type built between 1962 and 1969  [26]

It wasn’t until the first high speed Shinkansen line was built in the 1960’s that Japan would finally get a large-scale standard gauge line. [2]

References

1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/3_ft_6_in_gauge_railways, accessed on 2nd January 2019.
2. http://www.sumidacrossing.org/Prototype/StandardNarrowGauge, accessed on 4th January 2019.
3. Mark Newton; http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/15147-understanding-japans-track-and-loading-gauges, accessed on 4th January 2019.
4. https://archive.org/stream/railwaysornorai01fairgoog#page/n8/mode/2up, accessed on 2nd January 2019.
5. Peter Semmens; High Speed in Japan: Shinkansen – The World’s Busiest High-speed Railway. Sheffield, UK: Platform 5 Publishing, 1997. p1.
6. P.J.G. Ransom; Narrow Gauge Steam; Oxford Publishing Co., 1996, p107.
7. I. L. Griffiths; Susan Rowland; (1994). The Atlas of African Affairs. Routledge, 1994, p168.
8. John Bond; “Chapter 19, The Makers of Railways: John Molteno”. They were South Africans. Oxford University Press, 1956, p170.
9. “Cultural, historical assessment of the Hex Pass Railway, Worcester to de Doorns”(PDF), accessed on 2nd January 2019.
10. Jose Burman; Early Railways at the Cape, Cape Town: Human & Rousseau, 1984.
11. D.E. Davenport; A Railway Sketch of South Africa. 1882. Cape Town.
12. T.V. Bulpin; Natal and the Zulu Country (3rd ed.). Cape Town: T.V. Bulpin Publications Ltd., 1977. p224–227.
13. https://wonderfulrife.blogspot.com/2013/10/gaijin-father-of-japans-railways.html?m=1, accessed on 5th January 2019.
14. https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Edmund_Morel, accessed on 7th January 2019.
15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Morel_(railway_engineer), accessed on 7th January 2019.
16. Akira Saito; Why Did Japan Choose the 3’6″ Narrow Gauge?  Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 31 (p33–38); http://www.ejrcf.or.jp/jrtr/jrtr31/f33_sai.html, accessed on 7th January 2019.
17. Nobutaka Ike; The Pattern of Railway Development in Japan; in The Far Eastern Quarterly, Vol. 14, No. 2, February 1955; p222-223, sourced via https://www.jstor.org/stable/2941732?read-now=1&seq=6#page_scan_tab_contents, accessed on 8th January 2019.
18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yokkaichi_Asunarou_Railway_Utsube_Line, accessed on 8th January 2019; “The Yokkaichi Asunarou Railway Utsube Line (四日市あすなろう鉄道内部線 Yokkaichi Asunarō Tetsudō Utsube-sen) is a 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) narrow gauge railway line operated by the Japanese private railway company Yokkaichi Asunarou Railway, connecting Asunarou Yokkaichi Station and Utsube Station, both in the city of Yokkaichi, Mie, Japan.The line connects with the Kintetsu Nagoya Line and the Yunoyama Line at Asunarou Yokkaichi Station; these other lines use an elevated platform called Kintetsu Yokkaichi Station whereas the Utsube Line uses a low-level platform. At Hinaga Station, the line connects with the Yokkaichi Asunarou Railway Hachiōji Line, a one-station branch line. Because all trains on the Hachiōji Line offer direct service to Asunarou Yokkaichi via the Utsube Line, the two lines are collectively called the Utsube-Hachiōji Line (内部・八王子線 Utsube-Hachiōji-sen). … Until March 2015, the line was under control of Kintetsu, a major railway company.”
19. http://www.kurotetu.co.jp/en/railway, accessed on 8th January 2019 and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurobe_Gorge_Railway, accessed on 8th January 2019: “The Kurobe Gorge Railway (黒部峡谷鉄道株式会社 Kurobe Kyōkoku Tetsudō Kabushiki Kaisha), or Kurotetsu (黒鉄) for short, is a private, 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) narrow gauge railway company operating the Kurobe Gorge Main Line along the Kurobe River in the Kurobe gorge area of Toyama Prefecture, Japan. The railway was built to serve the construction of the Kurobe dam for the Kansai Electric Power Company, which was completed in 1963; Kurotetsu was spun off from the power company in June 1971, but remains a wholly owned subsidiary. At its terminus, the Main Line links to Kurobe Senyō Railway, which is not open to general public. … In 2008 the company operated 27 locomotives, 138 passenger carriages and 322 freight wagons.“
20. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiso_Forest_Railway, accessed on 8th January 2019: “The Kiso Forest Railway (木曽森林鉄道 Kiso-shinrin-tetsudō) was a network of 400 km of 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) narrow gauge light (keiben (軽便)) railway lines that operated in the Kiso Valley in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. … The railway was used to support the logging of cedar forests in the region. The Kiso Forest had historically been the possession of a local lord, but at the time of the Meiji Restoration had become the property of the Imperial family. In 1901, a railway was laid into the forests and was initially worked by hand or animals. The first 0-4-2T locomotives built by Baldwin Locomotive Works were introduced in 1907. Further locomotives were obtained from Baldwin, as well as a Shay locomotive that was transferred to the Alishan Forest Railway in Taiwan when that line opened. The railway was extensively rebuilt in 1920, with steel bridges and 24 tunnels. … The railway was abolished in stages between 1966 and 1976.“
21. http://www.hrr.mlit.go.jp/tateyama/english/service/history.html, accessed on 8th Januaty 2019: “Tateyama Sabo’s service railway opened in 1926, and in 1929 11.7 km of track from Senjugahara to Kanbadaira went into operation. In 1965 the 18 km of railway to Mizutanidaira were completed. This section includes an 18-lebel switchback. At first the point switches were manually controlled, but between 1980 and 1986 they became entirely automated. However, for the sake of safety, an assistant driver checks that everything is running smoothly. The train has changed with the times up to the present day. This train, still today active in erosion control work, is one of the symbols of Tateyama Sabo.”
22. Dan Free; Early Japanese Railways 1853-1914: Engineering Triumphs That Transformed Meiji-Era Japan; sourced via https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=MwbQAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT586&lpg=PT586&dq=Keiben+Railways+Japan&source=bl&ots=vp0hACPS5X&sig=CV5WU8ubrKhWLp3NAlgPuYyo454&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiagIjig97fAhXTtXEKHTLhCv8Q6AEwC3oECAIQAQ#v=onepage&q=Keiben%20Railways%20Japan&f=false, accessed on 8th January 2019: “By 1910, when the desire to construct more railways [in Japan] was close to its peak, the cost of developing a railway to main line standards was likewise becoming more costly. As the framework of a national railway system was well underway, with most of the major trunk lines built and the few still needed under construction, most of the new lines projected were short local lines with modest traffic potential. In order to stimulate such lines, the government passed a Light Railway Law, which brought many keiben tetsud “light railways” into being. Within three years, the effect was notable. By 1913 the number of keiben tetsud had greatly increased, thanks to the simplified organizational procedures authorized by the new law and other governmental encouragements. As of that year, there were 38 keiben tetsud with 574 route miles in operation, an additional 44 with a route mileage of 800 miles under construction, and some 126 companies with a combined mileage of 1,953 miles which had received a preliminary charter, but which had not commenced construction. The law would be augmented in 1924 with the addition of a Tramway Law. In all, by the close of the Meiji period, there were approximately 208 such keiben tetsud contemplated to add some 3,328 route miles to the Japanese railway system. Many of the keiben tetsud were short, local affairs that acted as branch line extensions from the “main-line” grade shitetsu or IJGR, meandering along old cart tracts or the banks of local streams to bring rail transportation to small towns, remote locations, and otherwise un-served villages and hamlets of the hinterlands. They were often times on the shakiest of financial grounds, operating as it were “on a shoe-string” with second-hand, obsolete equipment purchased used from their more established “main-line” brethren if they happened to be of a matching gauge. Thus they often retained a quaint, nostalgic flavor, often all the more charming due to the hodgepodge of dated and mismatched equipment with which they were furnished.“
23. By LERK, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32955115
24. https://www.trains-worldexpresses.com/500/519.htm, accessed om 8th January 2019.
25. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JNR_Class_C62#/media/File:C623_Express_Niseko.JPG, accessed on 8th January 2019.
26. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JNR_Class_EF62, accessed on 8th January 2019.
27. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JNR_Class_C10, accessed on 8th January 2019. NB: I have been informed that the note provided with this photograph is slightly misleading. The loco was built by Kawasaki. Kisha Seizo was a separate manufacturer.
28. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JNR_Class_C11, accessed on 8th January 2019. NB: Again the note provided with this photograph is slightly misleading. The loco C11 207 was built by Hitachi in 1941.
29. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toei_Shinjuku_Line, accessed on 8th January 2019.
30. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dky%C5%AB_Setagaya_Line, accessed on 9th January 2019.
31. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toden_Arakawa_Line, accessed on 9th January 2019.
32. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keio_Corporation, accessed on 9th January 2019.
33. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakodate_Transportation_Bureau, accessed on 9th January 2019.
34. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakodate_Transportation_Bureau#/media/File:Hakodateshiden30kei.JPG, accessed on 9th January 2019.
35. Roar Stenersen; Development of Norwegian Railways, 1854-2002; Japan Railway and Transport TReview, June 2002, Volume No. 31, p39-41; http://www.ejrcf.or.jp/jrtr/jrtr31/pdf/f39_ste.pdf
36. Akira Sato; Why did Japan Choose the 3′ 6″ Narrow Gauge; Japan Railway and Transport Review, June 2002, Volume No. 31, p33-38; http://www.ejrcf.or.jp/jrtr/jrtr31/pdf/f33_sai.pdf, accessed on 17th February 2019
37. Takahiko Saito; Japanese Private Railway Companies and Their Business Diversification;  Japan Railway and Transport Review, January 1997, Volume No. 10, p2-9;  http://www.ejrcf.or.jp/jrtr/jrtr10/pdf/f02_sai.pdf, accessed on 17th February 2019.

 

In Part 1 we covered much about the history of the line between Connel Ferry and Ballachulish. We start Part 2 with a few reminders of what was covered in Part 1 and provide some additional material from various sources before continuing our journey North along the branch.

Several sea lochs made road travel between Oban and Fort William difficult, and Argyll County Council had indicated that it would co-operate with the Callandar & Oban Railway (C&OR) if the railway were to build dual-use bridges; the C&OR was considering an ambitious railway from Oban to Inverness by way of Fort William. The C&OR decided to decline the idea, and to make the railway on its own, and to undertake the work it itself. The C&OR had difficulty in raising enough money for a survey of the proposed line, but undaunted, it presented a Parliamentary Bill for the line in September 1894, for the following year’s session. [1]

The C&OR made this move without consulting with its parent company, the Caledonian Railway (CR). When the CR heard of the plan, they announced that they would oppose the Bill in Parliament. The Bill was swiftly withdrawn. [1]

The C&OR converted their proposal into a branch line to Ballachulish from Connel Ferry. Ballachulish had a population of 1,800 at the time, and its industry was chiefly quarrying. The branch was authorised by Act of Parliament on 7 August 1896. [3] The C&OR line was to have a triangular junction a Connel Ferry, and to cross Loch Etive by Connel Bridge which was second in Britain only to the Forth Bridge in the length of the main span, and it was the largest single-span steel bridge in Britain. [5] The route approved north of the bridge was later changed substantially, a hotel had been built at Loch Creran to serve a proposed station there; the hotel was never opened as the railway as built did not go there. The capital was to be £210,000 of which the Caledonian Railway agreed to fund £15,000. [5]

The Route North from Benderloch

In Part 1 of this survey we travelled as far North as Benderloch. We saw at Benderloch a station very typical of the branch line with buildings (now long-gone) which matched those at other stations on the line.

Leaving Benderloch the railway and the A828 ran closely parallel to each other with the railway running closest to the loch shore. This continued until the railway approached the location of Barcaldine House.

The extract from the OS Map above shows the road turning inland at this point and crossing two rivers. The first is Death Abhainn, the second is Abhainn Teithil. The two rivers have over time created a small area of open land at the loch-side which the road avoided. The railway maintained a straighter route and was carried over each of the rivers on bridges.

Barcaldine Halt opened to passengers in 1914. It comprised a single platform on the east side of the line. A siding was installed at the same time, to the south of the platform. [9]

Barcaldine Halt in 1950. [8]

Incidentally, a search for Barcaldine on the internet produces some very interesting information about railways and tramways in Queensland, Australia. Something for another time!

I have recently received the next two images from Tony Jervis -the first is taken from a train passing through Barcaldine Halt. The second is a ticket for the journey from the Halt to Connel Ferry.

Tony comments: “The railway ticket was probably sold at Connel Ferry Station; if someone has list of station Audit numbers, 4777N against that station should confirm it. The train had just deposited the man and his bicycle.” [22]

Travelling on from Barcaldine, the A828 and the railway swapped places and the railway too a very slightly more inland trajectory and began to rise to a height which would allow it to cross the next loch – Loch Creran. The A828 was forced to take a detour to the East to follow the shore of the loch. The railway took the more direct route.

It crossed the loch at the narrowest point on a high level, Howe Truss Girder bridge. When the railway closed, the bridge remained as a pedestrian/cycle route until its foundations were used to divert the A828.

Creagan Bridge from the East, taken after closure of the railway line. [10]

The new bridge. The picture was taken in 2008 by Jack Russell from a very similar location to the one above. As can be seen, the new bridge made use of the foundations and lower piers of the previous railway structure. [11]

Creagan Station was then approached from the EastEast, as the railway turned westward along the loch-side. The railway ran on the north side of the A828. Creagan Station was the only station on the Ballachulish branch that had an island platform. There was a siding to the east of the platform, on the north side of the railway.

One platform was taken out of use on 1 April 1927. [12]

The station at Creagan when still in use. [8]

An earlier image of the station, taken when both lines were in use. [8]

The island platform building at Creagan in the 21st century. [12]

The line continued West from Creagan through the Strath of Appin to Appin Station, by which time the railway was beginning to turn to the North.

Appin Station was once again typical of the stations on the route. The station building was a substantial two story structure of the same design as elsewhere. The station was laid out with two platforms, one on either side of a crossing loop. There were sidings on both sides of the line. A camping coach was sited here for a number of years.

Appin Station building. [8]

Branch goods at Appin. [8]

Two passenger trains pass at Appin. The camping coach is just visible on the right of the picture. [8]

1920s view of Appin Station. [8]

A similar view in the 1950s. [8]

Appin Station Signal Box. [8]

The service from Ballachulish in the later years of the line. [8]

Heading out of Appin Station towards Ballachulish, the line travels Northeast along the coastline. The A828 runs alongside the railway on the landward side all the way to Duror Station.

The next two images below show Duror Station while it was still in use for its intended purpose. The signal box can be seen beyond the main station building.

Duror Railway Station. [15]

Duror Station after the closure of the loop. [16]
The station was laid out with two platforms, one on either side of a crossing loop. There was a siding to the north of the station, on the east side of the line. One platform was taken out of use on 8th April 1927 along with the crossing loop.

The station building at Duror is still standing and is a well-maintained private house. The pictures immediately below show the property taken from its access road. The station building remains almost intact, as do the platforms which lie within the garden of the private property. These are also shown below.

Google Streetview Image.

Another view of the station (c) Nigel Thompson. [17]

The station platforms in the 21st century. [16]
The line turned East for a short distance beyond Duror Station, and then turned to the Northeast. Its route is shown on the 1940s OS Map below and as a dismantled railway on the later OS Map below. On that map, Duror Station site is marked with a yellow flag.

The route North-east from Duoro took trains through a narrow valley hidden away from Loch Linnhe which brought the line and the A828 down to Kentallen and Kentallen Bay. The village was at the head of the bay, its station some distance to the North-east. By the time the station was reached the railway was on the seaward side of the A828.

The station was laid out with two platforms, one on either side of a crossing loop. Alongside the station was a pier from which interconnecting steamers operated. The main station building was on the southbound platform and still stands in much extended form. There was a goods yard at the north end, on the east side of the line. There was a smaller shelter on the northbound platform. The pier survives, in cut back form.

To the south of the station site, and across the road, are railway cottages and the former water tank.

Following closure in 1966, the station buildings were enlarged and converted into a hotel and restaurant.

Holly Tree Hotel and Restaurant on the site of Kentallen Station in 2005. [18]

The Hotel from above on the hillside. [19]

July, 1959. Ex-Caledonian Railway 439 Class (LMSR Class 2P) 0-4-4T No. 55200 stands at Kentallen Station with an Oban to Ballachulish train, (c) Keith R. Pirt. [21]

A steam train at Kentallen shortly before the line closed in 1966. [20]

Kentallen Station and Pier. [8]

Kentallen Pier. [13]

We have noted that train times and ferry times were designed to allow connections to be made between the station and the pier at Kentallen. The two pictures above show the pier in use by ferries. The ferry timetable is shown below:

The Oban to Fort William Ferry timetable. [13]

The ferry made travel between Oban and Fort William manageable with a significant road journey. The stop at Kentallen allowed a combined train and ferry journey to be made.

To finish this post and before moving on towards Ballachulish we look at a few period images of Kentallen Station.

The station immediately after closure and before conversion to a hotel commenced. [13]

Pick-up goods heading south through Kentallen. [13]

The local passenger service heading south through Kentallen. [14]

I had originally expect that there would be just one post relating to the Ballachulish line but the material has been mounting up and I have now (January 2018) discovered an article from November 1950 in “The Railway Magazine” which means that a third post is warranted. We finish this part of the journey at Kentallen and will commence again from here to complete the journey to Ballachulish in part three of the story of the line.

References

1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callander_and_Oban_Railway, accessed on 1st January 2019.
2. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballachulish_railway_station, accessed on 1st January 2019
3. E F Carter, An Historical Geography of the Railways of the British Isles, Cassell, London, 1959
4. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/126169-appin-station, accessed on 2nd January 2019.
5. David Ross, The Caledonian: Scotland’s Imperial Railway: A History, Stenlake Publishing Limited, Catrine, 2014.
6. R. V. J. Butt; The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1995, p23.
7. Table 33, British Railways, Passenger Services Scotland summer 1962, quoted in https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballachulish_railway_station, accessed on 1st January 2019.
8. http://oldappin.com/ballachulish-railway-line, accessed on 26th December 2018.
9. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barcaldine_railway_station, accessed on 2nd January 2019.
10. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3213543, accessed on 2nd January 2019.
11. https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=File:A828_Creagan_Bridge_-_Coppermine_-_18816.jpg, accessed on 2nd January 2019.
12. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creagan_railway_station, accessed on 2nd January 2019.
13. https://hollytreehotel.co.uk/facilities/history, accessed on 5th January 2019.
14. https://www.pinterest.at/amp/pin/510666045218505803, accessed on 5th January 2019.
15. https://canmore.org.uk/site/106021/duror-station, accessed on 3rd January 2019.
16. https://railscot.co.uk/img/9/766, accessed on 3rd January 2019.
17. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5394443, accessed on 3rd January 2019.
18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentallen_railway_station#/media/File:Kentallen_railway_station_in_2005.jpg, accessed on 4th January 2019.
19. https://hollytreehotel.co.uk/about-area/station, accessed on 4th January 2019.
20. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3027899, accessed on 4th January 2019.
21. https://www.facebook.com/groups/ScottishRailways/search/?query=galloway&epa=SEARCH_BOX, accessed on 6th June 2019.
22. Email from Tony Jervis on 15th May 2021.