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RAIL
  
These three books by Brian Jackson form a comprehensive history of Portland’s railways systems.
The railway system on Portland can be divided into three parts. The branch line which connected with the national network went from Weymouth to Easton. Pictures of this railway can be seen by clicking here.
The Merchants Railway was a gravity powered tramway which brought stone blocks down from the top of Portland to Castletown where the stone was loaded on to ships. Pictures of this tramway can be seen by clicking here. Apart from a comprehensive description on this tramway in Volume 1 of Brian Jackson’s book (see above) an interesting summary of the line and its operation can be read here.
The Quarry Tramways were temporary tracks laid extensively over the top of Portland to gather the stone to the top of the Merchant’s Railway at Priory Corner. Please click here for pictures of the quarry tramways.
See the ‘Other Sources’ page for more Portland railway pictures - please click here.
WEYMOUTH to EASTON BRANCH LINE
FERRY BRIDGE WHERE THE RAILWAY ARRIVED ON PORTLAND
BERNARD LEE IN SIGNAL BOX? HE HAD JUST LEFT HIS SHIFT WHEN THE ORIGINAL BOX WAS BOMBED KILLING A MAN FROM QUEENS ROAD WHO HAD REPLACED HIM. THIS MAY BE A REPLACEMENT BOX AS THE PHOTOGRAPH IS DATED 1946
BOOKING HALL, VICTORIA SQUARE. THE PICTURE BELOW SHOWS A RECENT VIEW OF THIS AREA.
NEAR THIS SPOT IS THE PLAQUE SHOWN BELOW COMMEMORATING THE EXISTENCE OF THE RAILWAY.
BALACLAVA BAY AND INCLINE ROAD. IN LATER YEARS THIS WHOLE AREA WAS TAKEN OVER BY THE NAVAL DOCKYARD AND THE SONAR RESEARCH DEPARTMENT OF THE ADMIRALTY UNDERWATER WEAPONS ESTABLISHMENT (AUWE). PICTURES BELOW SHOW THIS AREA IN THE 1990s.
THE ABANDONED BUILDINGS OF THE SONAR RESEARCH DEPARTMENT OF AUWE. THIS OCCUPIES THE SITE SHOWN IN THE ABOVE OLD PICTURE. THE RAILWAY BRIDGE WAS JUST BEYOND THE END OF THE BUILDING.
THE RAILWAY RAN ON THE BRIDGE ON THE RIGHT AND THEN OVER ANOTHER BRIDGE LONG SINCE REMOVED ON THE LEFT OF THE PICTURE.
AT THE BOTTOM OF THE INCLINED ROAD WAS THE REAR ENTRANCE TO THE DOCKYARD AND THE AUWE BUILDINGS. THE RAILWAY RAN OVER A BRIDGE AT THIS POINT. THE OLD PICTURE BELOW SHOWS THIS SAME AREA. IN THOSE DAYS INCLINE ROAD WAS AN INCLINED RAILWAY TRACK AS SHOWN BELOW.
PORTLAND HARBOUR CIRCA 1905 SHOWING RAILWAY LINE TO CHURCH OPE
THE TRACK CLIMBED STEADILY UP UNTIL EASTON STATION WAS REACHED. THE BUILDINGS ON THE TOP OF THE CLIFF WERE PRISON STAFF HOUSES. CLICK HERE TO SEE PICTURES OF THESE BUILDINGS.
THE RAILWAY CLIMBS AND HANGS CLOSE TO THE CLIFFS. ON THE FAR LEFT EDGE OF THIS PICTURE IS DURDLE PIER.
VIEW OF EAST WEARES, TAKEN FROM THE VERNE. THE RAISED BUILDING CENTRE LEFT IS UNIDENTIFIED.
LANDSLIP AT EAST WEARES NEAR GROVE POINT 27th NOVEMBER 1907. IT WAS CALCULATED THAT OVER 30,000 CUBIC YARDS OF EARTH AND ROCK HAD MOVED OVER A 300 YARD LENGTH - THE LINE REMAINED CLOSED UNTIL 23rd DECEMBER 1907.
YEOLANDS BRIDGE, NOW DEMOLISHED
TRAINS AT EAST WEARES. LOCO 30197 WITH ANOTHER HEADING TOWARD EASTON
EASTON RAILWAY STATION AFTER FIRE 1903. BURNED OUT NOVEMBER 28TH 1903
EASTON RAILWAY STATION
EASTON RAILWAY STATION
VIEW OF EASTON STATION FROM THE BRIDGE AT REFORNE
THE TRACK CONTINUED NORTH UNDER REFORNE TO A COAL YARD AND ENDED AT A STONE WORKS OPPOSITE THE DRILL HALL.
LOADING OR UNLOADING COAL AT EASTON RAILWAY STATION.
THE PICTURES ABOVE AND BELOW SHOW THE MODERN DAY STATE OF THE TRACK NORTH FROM EASTON STATION.
THIS IRON STUMP IS ALL THAT NOW REMAINS OF THE CRANE NORTH OF EASTON STATION. THIS PHOTOGRAPH WAS TAKEN IN 1989 BUT THE STUMP IS NOW BURIED IN STONE.
BELOW ARE RECENT PICTURES OF THE SITE OF EASTON STATION
ABOVE AND BELOW - LOOKING NORTH TOWARDS THE REFORNE ROAD BRIDGE.
LOOKING NORTH TOWARDS THE SITE OF EASTON STATION.
THE ABOVE MAP SHOWS EASTON STATION. AT POINT ‘A’ WAS A SHORT SPUR LINE TO TAKE SERVICE THE SAWMILL WHICH IS NOW THE SITE OF THE TESCO SUPERMARKET. THE PICTURES BELOW SHOW THE END OF THIS TUNNEL IN THE LATE 1990s.
THIS TUNNEL WAS DESTROYED WHEN THE TESCO SUPERMARKET WAS BUILT.
THE MERCHANTS RAILWAY
THIS PART OF THE TRACK BETWEEN THE THREE BRIDGES IN NOW VERY MUCH OVERGROWN AS SHOWN IN THE RECENT PICTURES BELOW SHOWING THE VIEWS UP AND DOWN THE TRACK.
THIS VIEW LOOKING UP THE INCLINE WITH THE THREE BRIDGE IS VERY DIFFICULT TO TRACE FROM THE ORIGINAL VIEWPOINT. NOT ONLY IS THE TRACK OVERGROWN BUT THE VIEWPOINT IS ONLY ATTAINABLE BY TRAMPLING THROUGH WAIST HIGH BRAMBLES!
BELOW IS A MODERN PICTURE TAKEN FROM THIS SAME POINT.
THE WAGONS LOADED WITH STONE AT PRIORY CORNER NOW STARTED THEIR GRADUAL WINDING PATH TO THE HEAD OF THE MAIN INCLINE.
BELOW WE SEE A RECENT VIEW OF THIS SCENE.
CASTLETOWN - STONE WAITING TO BE LOADED
THE NORTHERN END OF THE MERCHANTS RAILWAY AT CASTLETOWN. BELOW SHOWS THE AREA IN RECENT TIMES.
THE RAILWAY TRACK CAN JUST BE SEEN TO THE LEFT OF THE HOUSES ON THE SKYLINE.
THE QUARRY TRAMWAYS
JOHN CLEMENT CLARK STANDS IN FRONT OF THE ENGINE WITH HIS SON AND DAUGHTER-IN-LAW.
STONE TRAIN ON MERCHANTS RAILWAY. DATE UNKNOWN.
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