CHAPTER XV.

LIGHT RAILWAYS IN ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND WALES.

CONTENTS.-Corris, Easingwold, Festiniog, Glyn Valley, North Wales, and Southwold lines-Other lines-Wisbech and Upwell Tramway-Three HorseShoes and Benwick Goods Line-Easingwold Railway-Proceedings of the Light Railways Commissioners and Board of Trade under the Act of 1896-Applications made in December 1896-And in May 1897-Echt Extension-Motive power -Derby and Ashbourne-Lizard-Pewsey and Salisbury Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire-Light Railways approved during 1898.

Light Railways in England and Wales.-Details of the cost and working of half-a-dozen light railways in England are quoted below from the Railway Returns, 1896, and it must be confessed that if the record of the past were not likely to be beaten in the future, the prospects of light-railway enterprise would be bad indeed.

The Easingwold Railway is a 4 ft. 8 in. line, 2 miles 37 chains long. It has cost nearly £17,000, of which £1267 was for Parliamentary and legal expenses and £2300 for land. Had the Light Railways Act of 1896 been in existence, the costly procedure which is accountable for the first item would have been avoided, and advantage would have been taken of the arbitration clauses of the new Act to obtain the land at much less cost. The Easingwold Railway would also have been exempted from the payment of passenger duty. In order to make both ends meet, they can only afford to take third-class passengers by the statutory Parliamentary trains night and morning, and they have to pay passenger duty on all other receipts. It seems to the writer that the Act should be retro-active, and that lines like the Easingwold should, as far as possible, be admitted to its benefits. Of such burdens as Parliamentary expenses and cost incurred for land it cannot now, of course, be relieved; these must be borne for ever. The Southwold line appears to be similarly handicapped.

The Corris Railway is the only one of these half-dozen which has been built at anything like the small cost looked for on light railways. Its gauge is 2 ft. 3 in.

The Festiniog Railway, although of only 2 ft. gauge, has cost more

STATISTICS OF LIGHT RAILWAYS IN ENGLAND (Railway Returns, 1896).

(b) Exclusive of season and periodical tickets.

(a) Of which two miles are double.

than £10,000 per mile. The earth-works were heavy, the rail weighs as much as 50 lbs. per yard, a very busy traffic-both passenger and mineral, mainly in connection with the slate quarries-has justified a considerable expenditure on rolling-stock, and the works include a tunnel nearly half a mile long. It is a line that pays well, but it is not to be taken as an example of an average light railway, its conditions being exceptionally favourable.

Of the others, the Southwold has a gauge of 3 ft., the North Wales 2 ft., and the Glyn Valley 2 ft. 41⁄2 in.

There are other light lines, not included in the Railway Returns, such as the Wantage Tramway (Great Western Railway) and the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway (Great Eastern Railway), both of which take the main-line trucks, but have special passenger carriages of the tramcar pattern, and run partly-the Wisbech and Upwell almost entirely—along the public road. There are also several special narrow-gauge lines like that on Mr Pike's property, which runs from the china clay mines to Poole and carries no passengers. Instead, however, of giving details of a number of railways, it seemed to the writer that a particular description of three standard-gauge light lines visited-a tramway (Wisbech and Upwell), a light goods line (Three Horse-Shoes and Benwick), and a railway (Easingwold)-would be more interesting and more useful than a mere collection of facts and figures.

The Wisbech and Upwell Tramway, G.E.R.-One reason why the Tramways Act of 1870 [33 and 34 Vict. cap. 78] has failed to meet the case of such light lines as we are discussing is that it does not satisfactorily provide for the carriage of goods. When, however, a company like the Great Eastern Railway-under special Acts of 1881-82, confirming the Provisional Orders relating to tramways-constructed the Wisbech and Upwell line, this objection was practically removed : (1) because the tramway made physical junction with the rails of the main line on the same gauge; (2) because the design of the permanentway not only satisfied the road authorities, but was such also as permitted main-line goods stock to pass over the tramway; and (3) because the railway company could, at a minimum expense, make all necessary arrangements for collecting, loading, through booking and delivery of goods, and for other services.

The tramway runs out from the Wisbech Station on the Great Eastern Railway-through Elm Bridge, Boyce's Bridge, Outwell Basin, and Outwell village-to Upwell, a distance of 5 miles. The total length of tramway open for public conveyance of passengers is 7 miles 64 chains,* or 7.8 miles; and the capital expenditure was £41,926, or £5375 per mile of tram laid. Of the total expenditure, £31,425 was on account of way and works, £7000 for locomotive engines, £2485 for cars, and £1016 for legal and Parliamentary

expenses.

* Tramways Return for the year ending June 30, 1896.

The line is laid mainly on one side of the public road, and parallel to the canal, which it crosses three times.

From the Wisbech home signal the track changes to a 50 lb. flatfooted steel rail (Plate VIII. fig. 1) resting on a flat cast-iron chair or bearing-plate, through which it is fastened to a transverse sleeper of creosoted pine, measuring 9 ft. by 10 in. by 5 in., by means of a compressed oak trenail and a wrought-iron dog-spike. The sleepers are spaced 3 ft. apart, centre to centre, and packed in gravel ballast. To the Vignoles rail a light 24 lb. wrought-iron guard rail is fastened by inch wrought-iron bolts passing through cast-iron distance pieces-leaving a clearance of 1 inch-at intervals of 18 inches. This arrangement was adopted as a substitute for the ordinary tram rail. Like the latter, it would permit the track to be paved with granite setts- as was then intended-in the four-foot as well as outside the rails; but it differed from the tram rail in that it could carry railway stock running entirely on the tread, and not on the flange of the wheel. So much less objectionable, however, did the line look, when actually laid, than the road authorities had expected -so much more formidable are working drawings, especially sections, than the top view of the finished track-that the railway company was not called upon to incur the expense of paving except at levelcrossings, as where, for example, the tramway curves across a public road just as it emerges from Wisbech Station. The road authorities were lenient, and not only the cost of paving or consolidating the road up to the same level as the rest, and so maintaining it, could be saved in such a case, but also the guard rail, distance pieces, and bolts, which are obviously superfluous. The quantities and weights of materials are given in the statement on page 257.

In regard to points and crossings, it may be observed that the switch and stock rail are fastened by means of a bolt passing through them, a cotter, and a padlock, the key of the latter being in charge of the goods porter at the stopping-place.

As is usual on tramways, the trains on this line stop to pick up and set down passengers at any point by the wayside; but at each of the recognised stopping-places above mentioned sidings and a goods lock-up are provided for the special purpose of accommodating goods traffic. A goods porter, assisted in one or two instances by a lad, is put in charge of the place, and the lock-up-which may consist of one room, 17 ft. by 11 ft. in area-serves as an office and sack store as well. At the Upwell terminus there is a water tank and pit for the engines. This is practically all that is required in the way There is neither platform, telegraph nor signalling to be

of stations.

provided.

A gang of one platelayer and three labourers maintains the line.

The rolling-stock consists of five locomotives and nine passenger cars; but for goods, and for passengers also in case of emergency, main. line stock is available.