CHIPPENHAM TO CALN RAILWAY WALK
(11th June 2018)
By Bill Reid.
STANLEY BRIDGE HALT SITE TO CALNE
Walking the secondary road between Stanley Bridge Halt Site. and rejoining the track bed for Calne.
You walk on past this
old farm house.
Cycle way post at the
entrance back onto the track bed.
The entrance to the track bed. There s a
gate to get through to continue he track bed walk.
Over bridge on the
secondary road between Studley, to the west and Dumpost Inn to the
east.
Modern foot bridge over the A4.
The Caln - The
A4 from the railway over bridge. Now a modern metal foot bridge.
Approaching Blackdog Halt from
Chippenham.
The passenger 'Up
Platform. Came in when the general public were allowed to use the
station.
Blackdog Halt. 1936. Author Unknown.
The original private
platform.
Leaving Balckdog Halt.
After the mostly flat track bed from Chippenham I was surprised how
steep the gradient from here to Caln station had been. You feel it
when walking.
Left: The gradient is
noticeable towards
Caln.
Right: Looking back towards Blackdog Halt.
Ditto. As above.
At the summit the
track bed leveled out for entering the station. It is now a
modern housing estate.
Left: The platform and buildings
were to the left the the goods siding on the right. Right: Right hand
side of the station looking towards Chippenham.
The Ex station concorse and
entrance.
Caln station in the
60's. Author Unknown. Almost the same spot as 1960's photo, above.
Caln station. Pre
1912. Author Unknown.
Caln station 1947. Author Unknown.
Caln Station. Near the end. 1960's.
Author Unknown.
Caln station. c. 1950's. Author
Unknown.
Calne station layout.
(NLS Maps).
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Link to a YouTube video of the branch line:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw2ztmfiadE
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Links & Reading:
The Dundee & Newtyle Railway by Niall Ferguson. Still available from some books shops and on the Internet.
The Dundee & Newtyle (A history by Elliot Simpson)
http://www.auchterhouse.com/history/railway.htm (Includes and excellent map of the railway)
http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=7762615 Excellent 'remains' photos including the Law Tunnel, Balbeuchley Incline and Dronley
http://www.hows.org.uk/personal/rail/incline/dund.htm Explains the inclines but sketches are very poor quality and almost useless.
Video Screen grabs from the The Railways Of Scotland Volume 8 "Dundee". An excellent video available on DVD, from Cinerail at: http://www.cinerail.com/cinerail/railways-of-scotland.html
There are many great archive scenes of almost every Scottish route you can think of. Well worth a look.The Cromford & High Peak Incline railway in Derbyshire has been luckier in having much of it's buildings, including an Engine House preserved. This is what could have happened, indeed,
should have happened with at least one of the D&N inclines. However, the C&H gives an excellent comparison of what the D&N would have looked like.http://www.hows.org.uk/personal/rail/incline/hop.htm
Boddam To Ellon Branch (Walks) By Bill Reid.
Bath To Wellow Rlwy Walk By Bill Reid.
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