| Re: Plymouth's lost railways and branch lines, then and now - merged topics Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 13:19, 26th December 2025 |     |
Mark
Plymouth on NLS Maps, two 25" to the mile sheets side by side...
Plymouth on NLS Maps, two 25" to the mile sheets side by side...
That reminds me.
Recently, I noted references to 'NLS' on the Coffee Shop forum which were clearly not related to the station code of my local railway stop.
I therefore expanded the definition of 'NLS' in our forum's Abbreviations and Acronyms page, at https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/acronyms.html , in the interest of clarity.
The National Library of Scotland is an absolutely brilliant resource, particularly for maps: I commend them to all of our members and readers.
CfNLS.
| Re: Plymouth's lost railways and branch lines, then and now - merged topics Posted by Mark A at 12:49, 26th December 2025 | |
Looking at Plymouth and thinking that a lot of it developed quite late in the day and also, generally, 'How did this work'? Long distance Southern services - did they all start from Friary, tour the city and call at North Road and then Devonport before their onward journey? At... Catdown Bridge on the approach to Sutton Pool, did the Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway fade away and see its track lifted before the GWR reused the alignment and laid track once more? And at Laira, is that a flat crossing of the first on the scene P&DR across the GWR's line into Millbay Station?
Oh, and Albert Road crosses a good tunnel-over-tunnel intersection with little separation (with, for good measure a pub, the 'Railway Inn' sitting by the intersection and the location of surface buildings there very much constrained by the infrastructure beneath) . There's little indication of how the disused tunnel beneath the in-use railway is accessed for inspection. Perhaps there's an access between the two.
Mark
Plymouth on NLS Maps, two 25" to the mile sheets side by side...
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=15.5&lat=50.38584&lon=-4.17952&layers=168&right=178
| Re: Plymouth's lost railways and branch lines, then and now - merged topics Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 22:03, 29th January 2025 | |
I was born in Devonport, lived in and around Plymouth until I was 14, and I remember some of these Plymouth scenes, from this YouTube compilation.
However, I have to say that the item is 32 minutes long, it has an unfortunate amount of random 'camera waving about' footage, and the apparently inevitable background music.
Nevertheless, I suggest that you do view it, perhaps with headphones / speakers turned down, and just 'fast forward' now and again, to skip the boring bits.
| Re: Plymouth's lost railways and branch lines, then and now - merged topics Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 16:33, 8th September 2024 | |
I know, but I lived in Plymstock, which wasn't absorbed into the City of Plymouth until 1 April 1967.
| Re: Plymouth's lost railways and branch lines, then and now - merged topics Posted by bobm at 09:23, 8th September 2024 | |
Chris from Plymouth. 
Which is a city not a town. (and it was even in the late 1950s)
| Re: Plymouth's lost railways and branch lines, then and now - merged topics Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 00:54, 8th September 2024 | |
From YouTube, with my apologies for the nostalgia for my home town, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PfGC8yK7cw&ab_channel=SteamtotheWest-Trecanrail
It's 14 minutes, but it has such great memories.
Chris from Plymouth.
| Re: Plymouth's lost railways and branch lines, then and now - merged topics Posted by Pb_devon at 18:06, 11th April 2019 | |
Chris Robinson is ever dependable for accurate historical info. However, as for the rest of the Herald........ 😉
| Re: Plymouth's lost railways and branch lines, then and now - merged topics Posted by grahame at 08:20, 11th April 2019 | |
From Plymouth Live - some interesting history in words and pictures
Time was when thousands of people poured into and out of this building every week – however its run as one of Plymouth’s busiest passenger train stations came to an abrupt end with the Blitz of 1941.
Millbay Station was actually Plymouth’s first railway station (if you don’t count Plympton which was well outside the town boundaries then): it had opened, amidst much celebrating, in 1849.
Initially criticised for being a relatively unimpressive structure, the station was later improved and although damaged in the war, the buildings remained open for goods traffic for another 30 years.
The last train to run out of here left Millbay on June 30, 1971 and in 1973 the railway bridge over Union Street, carrying trains in and out of here, was demolished.
Millbay Station was actually Plymouth’s first railway station (if you don’t count Plympton which was well outside the town boundaries then): it had opened, amidst much celebrating, in 1849.
Initially criticised for being a relatively unimpressive structure, the station was later improved and although damaged in the war, the buildings remained open for goods traffic for another 30 years.
The last train to run out of here left Millbay on June 30, 1971 and in 1973 the railway bridge over Union Street, carrying trains in and out of here, was demolished.
| Re: Plymouth's lost railways and branch lines, then and now - merged topics Posted by grahame at 22:18, 23rd April 2013 | |
It's a fascinating piece of history ... a slightly narrow gauge line, and horse drawn into the 1960s.
| Re: Plymouth's lost railways and branch lines, then and now - merged topics Posted by Pb_devon at 21:20, 23rd April 2013 | |
Oh dear, you should know better than to believe anything reported in the Herald!!!
Also see here for more on the LMT:
http://www.plymouthdata.info/Railways-Lee%20Moor%20Tramway.htm
Plus a number of excellent books.
| Re: Plymouth's lost railways and branch lines, then and now - merged topics Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 21:05, 23rd April 2013 | |
Further information on the Lee Moor Tramway is available at http://www.hows.org.uk/personal/rail/incline/lmt.htm
| Plymouth's lost railways and branch lines, then and now - merged topics Posted by Plymboi at 21:00, 23rd April 2013 | |
Whilst randomly reading an article about the plym valley online, I discovered a quote which stood out to me. Regarding reinstatement of the lee moor tramway. Whilst I have never heard of it before today it's interesting to watch.
Ideas that could be developed include:
Restoring heritage features such as the Lee Moor Tramway.
Restoring lost gardens and features such as The Happy Valley at Saltram and Boringdon Arch
Improving access into the valley from surrounding neighbourhoods such as Efford, Estover, Plympton St Maurice and Plymstock as well as the new communities planned at Plymstock Quarry and Sherford
Market and promote the valley.
Restoring heritage features such as the Lee Moor Tramway.
Restoring lost gardens and features such as The Happy Valley at Saltram and Boringdon Arch
Improving access into the valley from surrounding neighbourhoods such as Efford, Estover, Plympton St Maurice and Plymstock as well as the new communities planned at Plymstock Quarry and Sherford
Market and promote the valley.
http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/3million-project-bring-Plym-Valley-Plymouth-life/story-18779975-detail/story.html#ixzz2RJmepR2p
What route did this tramway take, and I wonder how it could be brought back for the 21st century.
