Линия ветки Холивелла
Линия ветки Холивелла была линией железнодорожной ветки в Северном Уэльсе, которая соединяла Холивелл с линией побережья Северного Уэльса на Джанкшн Холивелл . У Холвелла было довольно большое количество минеральных ресурсов, и филиала была построена как минеральная железная дорога. Когда местная индустрия отказалась, линия в 1912 году не вышла из виду, но она была вновь открыта в качестве туристической пассажирской линии.
Источник
[ редактировать ]Железная дорога Честер и Холихед построила линию вдоль побережья Северного Уэльса; Цель состояла в том, чтобы соединить порт Холихед с Лондоном, связываясь с другими железнодорожными компаниями. Это позволило бы передать ирландскую почту, главным образом, в то время, когда правительственные отправки были переданы.
C & HR открыл свою линию на запад, как Бангор в 1848 году, и открыл всю линию на протяжении всего завершения британского трубчатого моста , в 1850 году. Станция под названием Holywell была открыта на восточной части линии 1 мая 1848 года. Однако. Город, который он служил, был 1 + 1 ~ 2 мили отслеживается на высоте 550 футов. [ 1 ]
Значение Holywell заключалось в том, что были обширные отложения металлических руд, уголь и известняка, которые вместе позволили производству металлов. Текстиль также производился на месте. К 1850 году местная промышленность стала первостепенной. Holywell использовал небольшую гавань в качестве основного экспортного маршрута, с трамвайным путем, чтобы добраться до города.
Opening
[edit]
On 29 July 1864 the Holywell Railway was authorised by Parliament; it was to be two miles in length, running from the town to a new harbour, and crossing the Chester to Holyhead line (now transferred to the ownership of the London and North Western Railway) by a bridge, instead of the former level crossing.[1][2]
The line was substantially completed by June 1867, and the former level crossing was removed. The new line conveyed minerals only, and operated for a decade before falling into disuse in the 1870s, when cheaper ores became available in South Wales and elsewhere, making the local industry uneconomic.[2]
Acquisition by the LNWR and its reopening
[edit]After three decades of dereliction, the Holywell Railway was purchased by the London and North Western Railway company. Whatever the motivation was for the purchase, nothing was done with the acquired railway for some time, although conversion to an electric tramway in the twentieth century was considered. The LNWR had itself operated road omnibuses between Holywell main line station and the town from 11 October 1905; the commercial success of that service encouraged the LNWR to redevelop the railway.
Authorising Acts of 1906 and 1907 permitted the regeneration and a connecting spur to the Chester–Holyhead main line. Although the new line was only 1+1⁄2 miles in extent, it was not until 1 July 1912 that the reopening to passengers and freight took place.
The ruling gradient was 1 in 27; there was a single intermediate station called St Winifride's and Holywell, on the main line, which was redesignated Holywell Junction. The Holywell terminus was named Holywell Town.[1]
Train service
[edit]The passenger rolling stock consisted of two former picnic saloons, converted to form an auto-train.[note 1] At first there were sixteen passenger train journeys each way on weekdays, and this was increased to 29 each way before 1939.[1] The summer 1938 Bradshaw shows 26 Monday to Friday departures up the branch, from 06:25 to 23:30. A similar number ran on Saturdays.[3]
Closure
[edit]After 1945, the competition from road transport led to the rapid decline of the usage of the branch; it was closed on 6 September 1954, except for a stub to Crescent Textile Mills which continued in use until 11 August 1957. Holywell Junction station, on the main line, remained in use under that name until its closure in February 1966.[1]
Location list
[edit]Holywell Branch Line | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- Holywell Junction (53°17′32″N 3°12′26″W / 53.2923°N 3.2072°W; station on main line named Holywell; opened 1 May 1848; renamed Holywell Junction 1912; closed 14 February 1966;
- St Winefride's Halt; opened 1 July 1912; closed 6 September 1954;
- Holywell Town (53°16′31″N 3°13′16″W / 53.2752°N 3.2210°W; opened 1 July 1912; closed 6 September 1954.[4]
Notes
[edit]- ^ An auto train consisted of a small steam locomotive, and a passenger coach with controls capable of operating the locomotive's own controls. When the driving trailer was leading, the driver operated the locomotive from a driving position in the coach.
References
[edit]- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Peter E Baughan, A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: volume 11: North and Mid Wales, David St John Thomas, 1991, Nairn, ISBN 0946537 59 3, pages 80 and 81
- ^ Jump up to: a b Donald J Grant, Directory of the Railway Companies of Great Britain, Matador, Kibworth Beauchamp, 2017, ISBN 978 1785893 537, page 267
- ^ Bradshaws July 1938 Railway Guide, David & Charles Reprints, Newton abbot, 1969, ISBN 0 7153 4686 5
- ^ Michael Quick, Railway Passenger Stations in England, Scotland and Wales: A Chronology, the Railway and Canal Historical Society, Richmond, Surrey, 2002