Broad - and narrow - gauge at Salou

Salou

3 above - Salou station 27.6.2016 (all copyright Steve Sainsbury/Rail Thing)

Last week we made a quick trip on the broad gauge RENFE line from Tarragona to Salou, from where we were going to catch the bus back to La Pineda where we were staying.

There was a real surprise by the station - what appeared to be a metre gauge track set in a playground, ending ina  small wagon turntable. At the other end there was a playground locomotive. I've never seen this set up before. Even more of a surprise around the corner was a steam loco and carriage, obviously connected to the track we'd just seen.

Further research (when I got back) revealed that there had been a metre gauge line running from Salou to Reus, about 9km. Amazingly this line remained open until 1975 - the amazing thing was that it was no lnger running as Salou is a wonderful seaside resort and the line connected to the town of Reus -mwhat a fantastic tourist attraction it would have been! Spain of course was a very different country back in 1975, rather backwards, a fascist dicatorship and EU membership a very distant dream. More info on this line here. You can of course still travel from Reus to Salou by train, but on the broad gauge and by a longer route.

(All above 27.6.2016 copyright Steve Sainsbury/Rail Thing)

Postcard of Salou metre gauge station.

Early days in Reus with steam trams and street running!

Tarragona, Spain 27.6.2016

Tarragona

Above 5 - a street running dock line at Tarragona

Tarragona station 27.6.2016 (all pics copyright Steve Sainsbury/Rail Thing)

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We were in Catalonia last week and popped along to Tarragona on the bus for a look around. Quite by chance we stumbled on the station, via a plinthed steam loco and a fascinating dock line that interesected a roundabout!

We discovered that our bus ticket was valid on the trains so we hung around for the next train to Salou. I wasn't expecting a lot at the station, but it seemed almost as busy as Bristol Temple Meads with the added attraction of plenty of freight trains, all on Spain's broad gauge of 5 foot 6 inches.

I saw the longest passenger train I've ever seen which was two high speed units coupled together - I didn't count the number of coaches but it was over twenty!

The train journey was fast and clean and at Salou there were further surprises, which I'll look at in my next article!

Plinthed steam loco at Tarragona 27.6.2016 (copyright Steve Sainsbury/Rail Thing)

Bristol Temple Meads 15.6.2016

BRISTOL TEMPLE MEADS

All pics 15.6.2016 copyright Steve Sainsbury/Rail Thing

A few random shots from my regular monthly visit to Temple Meads yesterday. A little more variety than usual, on top of the regular main line, branch and stopping passenger trains there were also 3 locomotives including a class 37. Still all diesel of course, but that will be changing soon enough. At the moment there are no physical signs of the coming electrification, but if you look closely there are some signs of the change - posters etc.

Bridport stirs!

BRIDPORT

3 above 7.8.1973 copyright Steve Sainsbury/Rail Thing

Bridport 25.2.1975 copyright Steve Sainsbury/Rail Thing

POWERSTOCK

Powerstock 25.2.1975 copyright Steve Sainsbury/Rail Thing

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This was a lovely line that I was lucky enough to visit twice before closure (and once after). From the classic GWR junction station on the wonderful (and busier than ever) Weymouth to Castle Cary line at Maiden Newton it followed a very rural route through hills and valleys and via the classic village stations at Toller and Powerstock to a crumbling and overgrown station in Bridport.

It struggled on as late as 1975, but was closed completely in that year, one of the last major rail closures in the UK. A few more years and this would never have happened. There were a couple of half hearted attempts to get trains back to Bridport, both narrow gauge and only one looking at reopening the original route. Both schemes were well ahead of their time, espcially the Brit Valley Railway scheme which probably is STILL a few years ahead of its time, proposing a modern narrow gauge network including routes to Weymouth and Crewkerne. After the Oil Age has gone I'm sure that scheme will go ahead.

There are some (currently very tentative) aims to rebuild the line as a standard gauge heritage and community railway. There is very little if any encroachment on the line except at the extreme Bridport end and no major engineering issues. The line is in a very busy tourist area, and the town of Bridport could easily support a railway in the 21st century. With the potential reopening of the Weymouth Tramway and the incredible success of the Swanage Railway there is plenty to attract railway enthusiasts to the area, to add another layer of potential traffic to this line.

LINKS -

DISUSED RAILWAYS

BRITISH BRANCH LINES

WESTERN REGION SCENE - 1970s

DORSET TRANSPORT HISTORY