Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway
Encyclopedia
The Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway was a railway line opened in 1834 in Cornwall
, United Kingdom. It linked the important town of Bodmin
with the harbour at Wadebridge
and also quarries at places such as Wenford. It was the first steam powered line in the county and predated the main line to London by 25 years.
The Bodmin and Wadebridge was purchased illegally in 1846 by the London and South Western Railway
, but remained unconnected to the rest of the LSWR system until 1895 when the North Cornwall Railway
, promoted and operated by the LSWR, reached Wadebridge
, and until then had an unstandardised array of rolling stock and locomotives. The line was connected to the Great Western Railway
in 1888 when they opened a line from their Bodmin General station to Boscarne Junction.
It was noted for never having a passenger service on much of its length, only on the southern stretch between the two towns of its name. It was also noted for having "staithes", rather than stations, a term taken from canal terminology referring to the freight stations along its length. True "stations" were built for passenger services, of course.
When the rolling stock came to be standardised with the rest of the network, the age of the route gave some difficulties. There was a trial of SECR P Class
0-6-0
on the line, which was a failure because of the lightly laid track and sharp curves, which made running difficult for locomotives not designed to accommodate it. As a result, three of the LSWR 0298 Class
, Victorian locomotives designed for urban passenger duties, were retained on the line significantly past their life-expiry, and became an attraction in the far west for locomotive enthusiasts, being recorded as prodigious survivors as early as 1943 by C Hamilton Ellis in his book "Some Classic Locomotives" (1949). They were eventually replaced by GWR 1366 Class
dock tanks in 1962 after the line had been transferred to the Western Region of British Railways
. This situation has parallels in the case of the Lyme Regis branch line, where the Adams Radial tank engines also survived for similar reasons.
The first closure took place on the 30 January 1967 when all passenger services were withdrawn and Bodmin North station closed. The line from Boscarne Junction to Wadebridge remained open for goods traffic via Bodmin General (GWR)until the 2 September 1978, and the final section to Wenford closed on the 3 October 1983 after cessation of china clay traffic.
Today the railway forms part of The Camel Trail
from Wenfordbridge
to Padstow
, and it is the aim of the Bodmin and Wenford Railway
to extend from Boscarne Junction to Wadebridge alongside the trail.
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, United Kingdom. It linked the important town of Bodmin
Bodmin
Bodmin is a civil parish and major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated in the centre of the county southwest of Bodmin Moor.The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character...
with the harbour at Wadebridge
Wadebridge
Wadebridge is a civil parish and town in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town straddles the River Camel five miles upstream from Padstow....
and also quarries at places such as Wenford. It was the first steam powered line in the county and predated the main line to London by 25 years.
History
This was the first steam-powered railway in Cornwall, opened on 30 September 1834, running from the port of Wadebridge on the Camel estuary to Bodmin, with a branch to the settlement of Wenford Bridge on the edge of Bodmin Moor, where a china clay works later developed which sustained the route. The movement of sea sand for agricultural use is normally given as the primary reason for construction.The Bodmin and Wadebridge was purchased illegally in 1846 by the London and South Western Railway
London and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
, but remained unconnected to the rest of the LSWR system until 1895 when the North Cornwall Railway
North Cornwall Railway
The North Cornwall Railway was a railway line running from Halwill in Devon to Padstow in Cornwall via Launceston, Camelford and Wadebridge, a distance of 49 miles 67 chains. Opened in the last decade of the nineteenth century, it was part of a drive by the London and South Western Railway to...
, promoted and operated by the LSWR, reached Wadebridge
Wadebridge
Wadebridge is a civil parish and town in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town straddles the River Camel five miles upstream from Padstow....
, and until then had an unstandardised array of rolling stock and locomotives. The line was connected to the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
in 1888 when they opened a line from their Bodmin General station to Boscarne Junction.
It was noted for never having a passenger service on much of its length, only on the southern stretch between the two towns of its name. It was also noted for having "staithes", rather than stations, a term taken from canal terminology referring to the freight stations along its length. True "stations" were built for passenger services, of course.
When the rolling stock came to be standardised with the rest of the network, the age of the route gave some difficulties. There was a trial of SECR P Class
SECR P Class
The South Eastern and Chatham Railway P Class is a class of 0-6-0T steam locomotive designed by Harry Wainwright.They were inspired by, and loosely based on, the more successful LB&SCR A1 Class "Terriers" and eight were built in 1909 and 1910. They were originally intended for lightweight...
0-6-0
0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
on the line, which was a failure because of the lightly laid track and sharp curves, which made running difficult for locomotives not designed to accommodate it. As a result, three of the LSWR 0298 Class
LSWR 0298 Class
The London and South Western Railway 0298 Class or Beattie Well Tank is a class of British steam locomotive. They are 2-4-0WT well tanks, originally built between 1863 and 1875 for use on passenger services in the suburbs of London, but later used on rural services in South West England...
, Victorian locomotives designed for urban passenger duties, were retained on the line significantly past their life-expiry, and became an attraction in the far west for locomotive enthusiasts, being recorded as prodigious survivors as early as 1943 by C Hamilton Ellis in his book "Some Classic Locomotives" (1949). They were eventually replaced by GWR 1366 Class
GWR 1366 Class
The Great Western Railway 1366 Class was a class of 0-6-0 pannier tank steam locomotive built in 1934.-History and development:The 1366 class was one of only two pannier tank designs built by the GWR that utilised outside cylinders, although various existing engines inherited by the GWR had...
dock tanks in 1962 after the line had been transferred to the Western Region of British Railways
Western Region of British Railways
The Western Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
. This situation has parallels in the case of the Lyme Regis branch line, where the Adams Radial tank engines also survived for similar reasons.
The first closure took place on the 30 January 1967 when all passenger services were withdrawn and Bodmin North station closed. The line from Boscarne Junction to Wadebridge remained open for goods traffic via Bodmin General (GWR)until the 2 September 1978, and the final section to Wenford closed on the 3 October 1983 after cessation of china clay traffic.
Today the railway forms part of The Camel Trail
Camel Trail
The Camel Trail is a disused and resurfaced railway line in Cornwall, United Kingdom, that provides a recreational route for walkers, cyclists and horse riders...
from Wenfordbridge
Wenfordbridge
Wenfordbridge, or Wenford Bridge, is a hamlet some north of Bodmin and on the western flank of Bodmin Moor, in the English county of Cornwall...
to Padstow
Padstow
Padstow is a town, civil parish and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated on the west bank of the River Camel estuary approximately five miles northwest of Wadebridge, ten miles northwest of Bodmin and ten miles northeast of Newquay...
, and it is the aim of the Bodmin and Wenford Railway
Bodmin and Wenford Railway
The Bodmin & Wenford Railway is a heritage railway, based at Bodmin in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It has an interchange with the national rail network at Bodmin Parkway railway station, the southern terminus of the line.-History:...
to extend from Boscarne Junction to Wadebridge alongside the trail.
External links
- http://www.bodminandwadebridgerailway.co.uk/
- http://www.bodminandwenfordrailway.co.uk/pages/history.html