Lochaber Narrow Gauge Railway
Encyclopedia
The Lochaber Narrow Gauge Railway was a gauge narrow gauge industrial railway
. It was a relatively long line, built for the construction and subsequent maintenance of a 15 miles (24.1 km) long tunnel
from Loch Treig
to a factory near Fort William
in Scotland
. The tunnel was excavated to carry water
for the Lochaber
hydro-electric power scheme in connection with aluminium
production by the British Aluminium Company. The railway came to be known colloquially as the 'Old Puggy Line'.
to move workers and materials during construction of the tunnel. It was originally intended as a temporary feature.
Later, a decision was made to retain the railway for the delivery and despatch of materials and to assist with the maintenance of the tunnel.
shed. Some of the sidings
here were of mixed gauge ( gauge and standard gauge
).
The railway as a whole comprised a network of lines as follows:
on Loch Linnhe
. It was built to enable construction materials to be brought in. Its length was 1.75 miles (2.8 km). It crossed over the West Highland Railway
and the Mallaig Extension Railway
of the LNER on separate bridges east of Mallaig Junction
(as it was then known).
Later, a decision was made to retain the Pier Railway for the delivery of alumina and despatch of the finished aluminium ingot
s. The original railway, however, was not on a suitable alignment as it passed through the proposed site for Inverlochy village and also it crossed the A82 road
on the level. Construction of a permanent Pier Railway commenced in 1927. It crossed the West Highland Railway on a bridge immediately west of Mallaig Junction. This bridge is still in situ.
It had been the intention that the permanent Pier Railway would be worked by electric traction, supplied by overhead lines
, but this was never implemented. In addition, the bridges and embankments were built wide enough for double track
, but the line remained single track
throughout its life.
shafts located by Loch Treig
. The first part of the railway climbed steeply for 4.25 miles (6.8 km) at gradients of 1 in 30 or even 1 in 25. There were about 90 bridges on the line. Most of the bridges were originally timber trestle
s but all were subsequently rebuilt in steel using suitable scrap material from the factory. Near the middle point of the railway, at a location known as 'Central', there was a triangle
for turning trains.
that joined the Upper Works Railway close to Base Camp. It climbed to a height of 550 feet (167.6 m). Wagons were hauled by an electric winch at the top of the incline, which had a maximum gradient of 1 in 2½.
some 3.25 miles (5.2 km) in length. Built in 1930, it ran from a junction with the Upper Works Railway to Laggan Dam
on Loch Laggan
. The branch crossed over the West Highland Railway
at Fersit
on a 26-span timber trestle bridge. Much of the bridge was gradually filled in to form an embankment
.
was constructing many access roads in the area. It was therefore decided that further roads should be built, rather than repair the track. However, due to the length of time it took to achieve this, the railway continued to operate for a number of years. Two locomotives and two speeders had been stranded on the far side of the breach from the factory. The railway finally closed in 1977.
There has been talk of reopening part of the Upper Works Railway as a tourist attraction.
Industrial railway
An industrial railway is a type of railway that is not available for public transportation and is used exclusively to serve a particular industrial, logistics or military site...
. It was a relatively long line, built for the construction and subsequent maintenance of a 15 miles (24.1 km) long tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
from Loch Treig
Loch Treig
Loch Treig is a 9 km freshwater loch situated in a steep-sided glen 20 km east of Fort William, in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland...
to a factory near Fort William
Fort William, Scotland
Fort William is the second largest settlement in the highlands of Scotland and the largest town: only the city of Inverness is larger.Fort William is a major tourist centre with Glen Coe just to the south, Aonach Mòr to the north and Glenfinnan to the west, on the Road to the Isles...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The tunnel was excavated to carry water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
for the Lochaber
Lochaber
District of Lochaber 1975 to 1996Highland council area shown as one of the council areas of ScotlandLochaber is one of the 16 ward management areas of the Highland Council of Scotland and one of eight former local government districts of the two-tier Highland region...
hydro-electric power scheme in connection with aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
production by the British Aluminium Company. The railway came to be known colloquially as the 'Old Puggy Line'.
Construction
The railway was initially built for the contractors Balfour BeattyBalfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty plc is a British construction, engineering, military housing, rail and investment services company. It is one of the largest construction companies in the UK, and the 15th largest in the world...
to move workers and materials during construction of the tunnel. It was originally intended as a temporary feature.
Later, a decision was made to retain the railway for the delivery and despatch of materials and to assist with the maintenance of the tunnel.
Description of railway
The principal location on the railway was the factory area (or 'Base Camp' prior to its opening), where there were various facilities such as a locomotive and speederSpeeder
A speeder is a maintenance of way motorized vehicle formerly used on railroads around the world by track inspectors and work crews to move quickly to and...
shed. Some of the sidings
Rail siding
A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line or branch line or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end...
here were of mixed gauge ( gauge and standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
).
The railway as a whole comprised a network of lines as follows:
Pier Railway
The Pier Railway ran from 'Base Camp' (near the factory site) to a pierPier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
on Loch Linnhe
Loch Linnhe
Loch Linnhe is a sea loch on the west coast of Scotland....
. It was built to enable construction materials to be brought in. Its length was 1.75 miles (2.8 km). It crossed over the West Highland Railway
West Highland Railway
The West Highland Railway was one of the last main lines to be built in Scotland. It is one of the most scenic railway lines in Britain, linking Fort William on the west coast to Glasgow. It was originally operated by the North British Railway.- History :...
and the Mallaig Extension Railway
Mallaig Extension Railway
The Mallaig Extension Railway is a railway line in Highland, Scotland. It runs from Banavie Junction on the Banavie Pier branch of the West Highland Railway to Mallaig. The previous "Banavie Junction" closer to Fort William was renamed "Mallaig Junction" upon opening of the Mallaig Extension Railway...
of the LNER on separate bridges east of Mallaig Junction
Fort William Junction
Fort William Junction is a railway junction on the West Highland Line in Scotland, located to the east of Fort William railway station. It is where the railway to Mallaig connects with the Glasgow to Fort William railway....
(as it was then known).
Later, a decision was made to retain the Pier Railway for the delivery of alumina and despatch of the finished aluminium ingot
Ingot
An ingot is a material, usually metal, that is cast into a shape suitable for further processing. Non-metallic and semiconductor materials prepared in bulk form may also be referred to as ingots, particularly when cast by mold based methods.-Uses:...
s. The original railway, however, was not on a suitable alignment as it passed through the proposed site for Inverlochy village and also it crossed the A82 road
A82 road
The A82 is a trunk road in Scotland. It is the principal route from Lowland Scotland to the western Scottish Highlands, running from Glasgow to Inverness, going by Loch Lomond, Glen Coe and Fort William. It is the second longest primary A-road in Scotland after the A9, which is the other...
on the level. Construction of a permanent Pier Railway commenced in 1927. It crossed the West Highland Railway on a bridge immediately west of Mallaig Junction. This bridge is still in situ.
It had been the intention that the permanent Pier Railway would be worked by electric traction, supplied by overhead lines
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
, but this was never implemented. In addition, the bridges and embankments were built wide enough for double track
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
, but the line remained single track
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
throughout its life.
Upper Works Railway
This was by far the longest part of the rail system, running for some 19 miles (30.6 km) from Base Camp to the valveValve
A valve is a device that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically pipe fittings, but are usually discussed as a separate category...
shafts located by Loch Treig
Loch Treig
Loch Treig is a 9 km freshwater loch situated in a steep-sided glen 20 km east of Fort William, in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland...
. The first part of the railway climbed steeply for 4.25 miles (6.8 km) at gradients of 1 in 30 or even 1 in 25. There were about 90 bridges on the line. Most of the bridges were originally timber trestle
Trestle
A trestle is a rigid frame used as a support, especially referring to a bridge composed of a number of short spans supported by such frames. In the context of trestle bridges, each supporting frame is generally referred to as a bent...
s but all were subsequently rebuilt in steel using suitable scrap material from the factory. Near the middle point of the railway, at a location known as 'Central', there was a triangle
Wye (railroad)
A wye or triangular junction, in rail terminology, is a triangular shaped arrangement of rail tracks with a switch or set of points at each corner. In mainline railroads, this can be used at a rail junction, where three rail lines join, in order to allow trains to pass from any line to any other...
for turning trains.
Portal Incline Railway
This was a short branch lineBranch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
that joined the Upper Works Railway close to Base Camp. It climbed to a height of 550 feet (167.6 m). Wagons were hauled by an electric winch at the top of the incline, which had a maximum gradient of 1 in 2½.
Branch to Adit 10
This branch connected with the Upper Works Railway and was 0.75 miles (1.2 km) in length.Branch to Shaft/Intake 7
This branch connected with the Upper Works Railway and was 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) in length.Treig-Laggan Railway
This was a branch lineBranch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
some 3.25 miles (5.2 km) in length. Built in 1930, it ran from a junction with the Upper Works Railway to Laggan Dam
Laggan Dam
Laggan Dam is a dam located on the River Spean south west of Loch Laggan in the Scottish Highlands. The dam is 700 feet long and rises 170 feet above its foundations, and is part of the Lochaber hydro-electric scheme...
on Loch Laggan
Loch Laggan
Loch Laggan is a freshwater loch situated east of Fort William, in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. The A86 road from Spean Bridge to Kingussie follows along its north bank...
. The branch crossed over the West Highland Railway
West Highland Railway
The West Highland Railway was one of the last main lines to be built in Scotland. It is one of the most scenic railway lines in Britain, linking Fort William on the west coast to Glasgow. It was originally operated by the North British Railway.- History :...
at Fersit
Fersit
Fersit is a hamlet close to Tulloch railway station in Lochaber, Scottish Highlands and is in the Highland council area.The River Treig, which drains into Loch Treig runs past Fersit....
on a 26-span timber trestle bridge. Much of the bridge was gradually filled in to form an embankment
Embankment (transportation)
To keep a road or railway line straight or flat, and where the comparative cost or practicality of alternate solutions is prohibitive, the land over which the road or rail line will travel is built up to form an embankment. An embankment is therefore in some sense the opposite of a cutting, and...
.
Branch to Shaft C
This branch connected with the Treig-Laggan Railway and was ½ mile in length.Closure
In October 1971, heavy rainfall caused part of the Upper Works Railway to be washed away, leaving a gap of around 70 feet (21.3 m) in the track. Following this event, the future of the railway had to be considered. At that time, the Forestry CommissionForestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....
was constructing many access roads in the area. It was therefore decided that further roads should be built, rather than repair the track. However, due to the length of time it took to achieve this, the railway continued to operate for a number of years. Two locomotives and two speeders had been stranded on the far side of the breach from the factory. The railway finally closed in 1977.
Current status
Following closure of the railway, most of the track was lifted, but the steel bridges were mostly left in place. Some odd lengths of track remain in place, particularly on some of the longer bridges.There has been talk of reopening part of the Upper Works Railway as a tourist attraction.