Fort William

[Hugh Spicer]

Bringing the 'Puggy' back to Lochaber

The Oban Times
Published: March 18, 2005

Plans are afoot for the revival of the old railway line from Fort William to
Nevis Range.

MORE IN THIS WEEK'S OBAN TIMES



From this week's "Oban Times" - does anyone know more ? This would have been
the old railway which ran from Fersit (Loch Treig) to Fort William.
--
Hugh Spicer
________________________________
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www.hughspicer.fsnet.co.uk
check out the latest images at:
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________________________________

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[David Marsh]

Hugh Spicer wrote in free.uk.scotland.transport-railways
about: Fort William

Post by Hugh Spicer
Bringing the 'Puggy' back to Lochaber
The Oban Times
Published: March 18, 2005
Plans are afoot for the revival of the old railway line from Fort William to
Nevis Range.
MORE IN THIS WEEK'S OBAN TIMES
From this week's "Oban Times" - does anyone know more ? This would have been
the old railway which ran from Fersit (Loch Treig) to Fort William.

Sounds like it would be a good idea.

I've long-thought it would have been a sensible move by ScotRail to try
to encourage passengers on the Sleeper during the winter, as it journeys
from Glasgow to Fort William, by marketing it as an easy way for skiers
to snooze their way to the winter snows. Fling on an extra carriage and
an extra guard's van if necessary..

None of this hassle of having to haul yourself out of bed in the middle
of the night and <snort> then have to stay awake to drive there..

Thing is, would this proposal be for a branch off the real railway,
allowing the ski-train to arrive right at the entrance to the ski area,
or some silly narrow-gauge toytown plaything, meaning that everybody has
to haul themselves off the train at Fort William anyway, with the
likelihood that the toytown train wouldn't be able to accommodate the
skiers anyway..?

Post by Hugh Spicer
--
Hugh Spicer
________________________________

[..]

Post by Hugh Spicer
phone - [..]
[full address]

I'd suggest that's probably more information than you really ought to be
handing out in a public newsgroup. There are some nutters out there..

[Hugh Spicer]

If it is the route of the old Fersit to Ft William (narrow guage) railway

(http://www.railscot.co.uk/Lochaber_Narrow_Gauge_Railway/frame.htm)

then, yep, it probably will be a "toytown" railway as you say.

Hugh (who didn't intend to put out that much personal/contact info !!)

Post by David Marsh
Hugh Spicer wrote in free.uk.scotland.transport-railways
about: Fort William

Post by Hugh Spicer
Bringing the 'Puggy' back to Lochaber
The Oban Times
Published: March 18, 2005
Plans are afoot for the revival of the old railway line from Fort William to
Nevis Range.
MORE IN THIS WEEK'S OBAN TIMES
From this week's "Oban Times" - does anyone know more ? This would have been
the old railway which ran from Fersit (Loch Treig) to Fort William.

Sounds like it would be a good idea.
I've long-thought it would have been a sensible move by ScotRail to try
to encourage passengers on the Sleeper during the winter, as it journeys
from Glasgow to Fort William, by marketing it as an easy way for skiers
to snooze their way to the winter snows. Fling on an extra carriage and
an extra guard's van if necessary..
None of this hassle of having to haul yourself out of bed in the middle
of the night and <snort> then have to stay awake to drive there..
Thing is, would this proposal be for a branch off the real railway,
allowing the ski-train to arrive right at the entrance to the ski area,
or some silly narrow-gauge toytown plaything, meaning that everybody has
to haul themselves off the train at Fort William anyway, with the
likelihood that the toytown train wouldn't be able to accommodate the
skiers anyway..?

Post by Hugh Spicer
--
Hugh Spicer
________________________________

[..]

Post by Hugh Spicer
phone - [..]
[full address]

I'd suggest that's probably more information than you really ought to be
handing out in a public newsgroup. There are some nutters out there..
--
David Marsh, <reply-to-email is valid at time of writing> |
Edinburgh, Scotland. [en, fr, (de)] | http://www.viewport.co.uk/ |
» Please feel free to help me by correcting my foreign language errors «
» Don't seem lazy & stupid: Please trim & interleave quotes in replies «

[Alasdair Mulhern]

Post by Hugh Spicer
If it is the route of the old Fersit to Ft William (narrow guage) railway
(http://www.railscot.co.uk/Lochaber_Narrow_Gauge_Railway/frame.htm)
then, yep, it probably will be a "toytown" railway as you say.

I have talked about this on the scot-rail group, and if it the plan is to
run it to the waterfront in Fort William, I simply do not think it is
possible due to the fact An Aird is no longer wasteground and is an
important part of the town with Morrisons, Lochaber College, The Nevis
Centre and the An Aird housing scheme. Indeed, the trackbed on the old
bridge that carried the line over the West Highland Line in/out of Fort
William is still intact and with clearing of tree growth, and ground work to
fill the footpath which has now evolved over the years. But building a
bridge carrying the line over the A82 beside the oil depot would be a huge
problem as Ben Nevis Industrial Estate now stands in the way

If it's possible, standard gauge as far as Torlundy where a new line would
spur off towards the Nevis Range complex would seem like a better idea if
pathing could be arranged in/out of Fort William station. Also, another
proposal was to build a station at Ben Nevis distillery which once had a
rail connection. Rebuild the line into the distillery site connecting with
the West Highland Line so it could be accessed from Fort William and by
trains coming from Nevis Range. The original siding could only be accessed
by trains leaving Fort William or reversing in from the south

I simply do not see where a narrow gauge station could be built in Fort
William with no connection at all to Network Rail, if a route could be
found, it would mean they would have to build their own maintenence sheds
and fuel/coal/watering points etc. With standard gauge it would mean they'd
have access to the current depot if needed if locomotives/coaches needed
removal by road

No thanks in response to a diddy wee toy railway...

Regards
Alasdair

[Niall Wallace]

Post by David Marsh
Thing is, would this proposal be for a branch off the real railway,
allowing the ski-train to arrive right at the entrance to the ski area,
or some silly narrow-gauge toytown plaything, meaning that everybody has
to haul themselves off the train at Fort William anyway, with the
likelihood that the toytown train wouldn't be able to accommodate the
skiers anyway..?

Looking at Landranger sheet 41, the route passes under the Gondolas on
Aonach Mor, however as a Standard Gauge route it wouldd make a lot more
sense to place a rail halt on the West Highland at the foot of the road up
to the ski center. The closest it gets to anywhere after Fort William is
the Glen spean Hotel before turning south into the wilderness before
stopping at the outlet of Loch Treig near Fersit, soemwhere else that if it
needed passenger rail access a Halt on the West Highland would make more
sense.

I would have to presume that any reopening would be either to carry Tourists
through Glen spean and back again or as something related to the Aluminium
works.

Niall