Lostwithiel and Fowey Railway
Encyclopedia
The Lostwithiel and Fowey Railway opened in 1869 as a broad gauge
railway and links the port of Fowey
in Cornwall
with the Cornish Main Line
at Lostwithiel
. Its main traffic has always been china clay
.
|}
in 1861 with an aim to build a branch line from that railway at Lostwithiel
to deep water at Fowey
. The route would run alongside the River Fowey
and so would have gentle gradients and few engineering problems apart from some bridges across small tributary rivers, and new quays at Carne Point, just outside Fowey.
An Act of Parliament
was obtained on 30 June 1862 and the line was opened on 1 June 1869. There were close links with the Newquay and Cornwall Junction Railway
; some directors and officers served both companies, and offices were in a shared building at Par
.
The opening of a rival route from Par by the Cornwall Minerals Railway
on 1 June 1874 led to a price war. The Lostwithiel and Fowey Railway suspended traffic from 1 January 1880. The line was leased to the Cornwall Railway for use as storage sidings but traffic never resumed, despite several attempts to attract new business.
By way of an Act of Parliament on 27 June 1892 the company was dissolved and the line transferred to the Cornwall Minerals Railway. The line was reconstructed using the standard gauge
, the jetties at Carne Point rebuilt, and a short connection made to link the two railways, finally bringing the line from Lostwithiel to a station at Fowey
. The line reopened on 16 September 1895. It now carried both goods and passenger traffic, and a small halt was opened at Golant
.
The passenger service from Lostwithiel to Fowey was withdrawn on 4 January 1965, and
the line now carries only goods traffic to Carne Point. The line from Par to Fowey closed on 1 July 1968, and the Lostwithiel and Fowey route now carries the only rail traffic to Fowey.
for that company to work the line once it was complete. As the line when opened in 1869 only went as far as Carne Point, and that only for goods traffic, the Cornwall Railway would not fulfil the agreement and so hired a locomotive to the railway instead. The Lostwithiel and Fowey considered this arrangement as too expensive.
In February 1870 the directors reported that "the temporary arrangement made with the Cornwall for carrying on the traffic did not leave the company sufficient profit to pay the cost of maintaining the permanent way. The directors had hired an engine - the only one they could obtain at so short a notice - it is not, however, of sufficient power, and it has become necessary to obtain a more efficient one. With this view, the directors were negotiating for the purchase or hire of an engine of greater power."
Present day trains are usually powered by EWS
' Class 66
locomotives.
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
railway and links the port of Fowey
Fowey
Fowey is a small town, civil parish and cargo port at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,273.-Early history:...
in Cornwall
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...
with the Cornish Main Line
Cornish Main Line
The Cornish Main Line is a railway line in the United Kingdom, which forms the backbone for rail services in Cornwall, as well as providing a direct line to London.- History :...
at Lostwithiel
Lostwithiel
Lostwithiel is a civil parish and small town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom at the head of the estuary of the River Fowey. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,739...
. Its main traffic has always been china clay
Kaolinite
Kaolinite is a clay mineral, part of the group of industrial minerals, with the chemical composition Al2Si2O54. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedral sheet of alumina octahedra...
.
Chronology
|}
- 1862 Lostwithiel and Fowey Railway Act
- 1869 Line opened
- 1874 Cornwall Minerals RailwayCornwall Minerals RailwayThe Cornwall Minerals Railway operated a network of railway lines in Cornwall, United Kingdom. Based at St Blazey, its network stretched from Fowey to Newquay and lasted as an independent company from 1874 to 1896, after which it became a part of the Great Western Railway.-Authorisation:The...
opens from Par to Fowey - 1880 Service suspended
- 1892 Lostwithiel and Fowey Railway Company dissolved
- 1895 Reopened by Cornwall Minerals Railway
- 1968 Par to Fowey line closed
History
An independent company began negotiations with the Cornwall RailwayCornwall Railway
The Cornwall Railway was a broad gauge railway from Plymouth in Devon to Falmouth in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The section from Plymouth to Truro opened in 1859, the extension to Falmouth in 1863...
in 1861 with an aim to build a branch line from that railway at Lostwithiel
Lostwithiel
Lostwithiel is a civil parish and small town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom at the head of the estuary of the River Fowey. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,739...
to deep water at Fowey
Fowey
Fowey is a small town, civil parish and cargo port at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,273.-Early history:...
. The route would run alongside the River Fowey
River Fowey
The River Fowey is a river in Cornwall, United Kingdom.It rises about north-west of Brown Willy on Bodmin Moor, passes Lanhydrock House, Restormel Castle and Lostwithiel, then broadens at Milltown before joining the English Channel at Fowey. It is only navigable by larger craft for the last ....
and so would have gentle gradients and few engineering problems apart from some bridges across small tributary rivers, and new quays at Carne Point, just outside Fowey.
An Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
was obtained on 30 June 1862 and the line was opened on 1 June 1869. There were close links with the Newquay and Cornwall Junction Railway
Newquay and Cornwall Junction Railway
The Newquay and Cornwall Junction Railway was a broad gauge railway intended to link the Cornwall Railway with the horse-worked Newquay Railway. It opened a short section to Nanpean in 1869, the remainder being built by the Cornwall Minerals Railway who took over the company in 1874...
; some directors and officers served both companies, and offices were in a shared building at Par
Par, Cornwall
Par is a town and fishing port with a harbour on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated in the civil parish of Tywardreath and Par and is approximately east of St Austell. Par has a population of around 1,400.....
.
The opening of a rival route from Par by the Cornwall Minerals Railway
Cornwall Minerals Railway
The Cornwall Minerals Railway operated a network of railway lines in Cornwall, United Kingdom. Based at St Blazey, its network stretched from Fowey to Newquay and lasted as an independent company from 1874 to 1896, after which it became a part of the Great Western Railway.-Authorisation:The...
on 1 June 1874 led to a price war. The Lostwithiel and Fowey Railway suspended traffic from 1 January 1880. The line was leased to the Cornwall Railway for use as storage sidings but traffic never resumed, despite several attempts to attract new business.
By way of an Act of Parliament on 27 June 1892 the company was dissolved and the line transferred to the Cornwall Minerals Railway. The line was reconstructed using the 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 jetties at Carne Point rebuilt, and a short connection made to link the two railways, finally bringing the line from Lostwithiel to a station at Fowey
Fowey railway station
The railway from Fowey to Newquay was opened by the Cornwall Minerals Railway on 1 June 1874. Fowey railway station was opened on 20 June 1876 when a passenger service was introduced, the next station being at Par....
. The line reopened on 16 September 1895. It now carried both goods and passenger traffic, and a small halt was opened at Golant
Golant railway station
Golant railway station was opened on 1 July 1896 by the Great Western Railway. It was a simple platform on the waterside at the south end of Golant village, next to a level crossing that gave access to a slipway....
.
The passenger service from Lostwithiel to Fowey was withdrawn on 4 January 1965, and
the line now carries only goods traffic to Carne Point. The line from Par to Fowey closed on 1 July 1968, and the Lostwithiel and Fowey route now carries the only rail traffic to Fowey.
Locomotives
An agreement was signed with the Cornwall RailwayCornwall Railway
The Cornwall Railway was a broad gauge railway from Plymouth in Devon to Falmouth in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The section from Plymouth to Truro opened in 1859, the extension to Falmouth in 1863...
for that company to work the line once it was complete. As the line when opened in 1869 only went as far as Carne Point, and that only for goods traffic, the Cornwall Railway would not fulfil the agreement and so hired a locomotive to the railway instead. The Lostwithiel and Fowey considered this arrangement as too expensive.
In February 1870 the directors reported that "the temporary arrangement made with the Cornwall for carrying on the traffic did not leave the company sufficient profit to pay the cost of maintaining the permanent way. The directors had hired an engine - the only one they could obtain at so short a notice - it is not, however, of sufficient power, and it has become necessary to obtain a more efficient one. With this view, the directors were negotiating for the purchase or hire of an engine of greater power."
Present day trains are usually powered by EWS
EWS
DB Schenker Rail , before 2009 known as English, Welsh and Scottish Railway is a British rail freight company. EWS was established by a consortium led by Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation in 1996 by acquisition of five of the six freight companies created by the privatisation of British...
' Class 66
British Rail Class 66
The Class 66 is a six axle diesel electric freight locomotive developed in part from the British Rail Class 59, for use on the railways of the UK. Since its introduction the class has been successful and has been sold to British and other European railway companies...
locomotives.