Hamworthy Branch
| The Hamworthy branch leads to the freight terminal for the town of Poole. This line has had a chequered history, being the original line to Poole, with the station on the west side of the harbour. Passenger services were short-lived with the station closing on 1st July 1896, some 22 years after Poole Town station opened on the east side of the harbour, on the "direct" line from Bournemouth on 15 June 1874 (prior to this date Bournemouth could only be entered by rail from the east), although the old Poole station building survived for some time before it was pulled down. Subsequent to the station's closure the line became known as the "Hamworthy Goods Branch" which sees hardly any goods traffic now, although the odd railtour makes a trip along the branch, which is still operated by single line token, which curves off the main line at Hamworthy. The branch signal at Hamworthy is still a semaphore and the points at the Quay are manually operated. |
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Class 66 Nº66131 arrives at the
site of the original Poole station with the Kings Canute railtour on 21st August
2004. The train is standing next to the crumbling platforms of the station
which closed 1st July 1896.
photograph by Paul Ferbrache |
| Another view shows Nº66131 with the embarkation signs for the
Brittany and Condor ferries alongside.
photograph by Paul Ferbrache |
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On the return journey Nº66245 is leading the railtour as it approaches
Hamworthy. With the lines to Weymouth on the right, the branch turns to the
left behind the platforms of Hamworthy station, formerly named Hamworthy
Junction station.
photograph by Paul Ferbrache |
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This page was last updated 31 August 2004
