Another update: I just realized the Little Rock - Eunice line would be a better fit with the ATSF or as a shortlinr.
Alternate Railways: V3
- Thread starter Duke Andrew of Dank
- Start date
@TheMann In addition to my ideas for splitting up the Rock Island, another idea I had was to have the New Haven and Boston & Maine merge.
How early would such a merger have to happen for it to work?
How early would such a merger have to happen for it to work?
@Devvy @QTXAdsy @FritzXMachina
Would having the Brecon Mountain Railway be rebuilt to 3' 6'' gauge be feasible for a tourist era? Then it uses equipment from South Africa? Or is that line a bit too twisty for anything more than 2' or 2' 6'' gauge?
I had asked as part of my idea for a 2ft gauge tourist line or two in the US.
Would having the Brecon Mountain Railway be rebuilt to 3' 6'' gauge be feasible for a tourist era? Then it uses equipment from South Africa? Or is that line a bit too twisty for anything more than 2' or 2' 6'' gauge?
I had asked as part of my idea for a 2ft gauge tourist line or two in the US.
The BMR is actually relatively straight given its on the former Merthyr - Brecon/Hereford line. (In an ideal world it would stay open but either way cape gauge is possible) - you could also possibly get away with extending it down to Talybont-on-Usk or even as far as Brecon itself.
Your problem mainly is the gradient and the Torpantau Tunnel which is on a curve and fairly tight if you want to go past its current terminus but you can always increase clearances since you are in an area with a lot of mining expertise.
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Another idea would be that I had an idea for the Sierra Leone Govt. Railway to convert to 3' 6'' in the late 1960s, with them selling off a lot of their 2' 6'' stock to cover costs. Perhaps some of that stock could end up on Brecon Mountain if 3' 6'' isn't small enough?
Cape Gauge is fine im just concerned that if you extend it past Torpantau that you are going to experience sudden tunnel disassembly the second you put anything bigger than the British loading gauge through it. If you are keeping the line the same length though there is absolutely nothing stopping you. (as for 2 ft 6 in there is always the Welshpool and Llanfair or if you knock 1.5 in off the gauge they could run on a hypothetical preserved Snailbeach District Railway or Glyn Valley Tramway)
I mean depends on the logistics of surrounding lines but it is the easiest way to get Brecon a rail connection
I'd personally just do the heritage route for you since it sounds like your TL still has a fair few closed lines.
Looking it up it appears the line beyond Torpantau was abandoned long before the preservation era, so I'd be more inclined to keep it standard gauge and instead extend south to Bargoed Junction.
Admittedly, @Devvy's 12:08 Redux is my main inspiration if that's a good indicator of how much of the UK rail network is still active.
I mean so was the line between Pant and Torpantau - the trackbed is still relatively intact from what I've seen of it personally since to Talybont its mostly just forestry track. The only unknown quantity is the tunnel since both ends are filled in OTL.
Fair point. Perhaps all the more reason to keep it standard gauge?
your only obstruction north of Talybont is the A40 but if you kept that road to its original width and did not go through with the realignment past the Three Bears Houses then the track is perfectly intact as far as Talyllyn Junction
Added bonus that Talyllyn has a Wye built in so you could easily turn trains around and have a turntable at the other end
@FritzXMachina I also imagined the S&DJR surviving as a sort of counterpart to the GCR Heritage lines.
I'm not saying no to that...
It would be a "Just Outside Merthyr" to "near Brecon" experience since Pant has the best location for a shop complex and stuff and the Brecon end is blocked by the A470, an Army base and half the town
You could start the Merthyr end at Cefn Coed-y-Cymmer but that would mean that the Pontsarn and probably Cefn Coed-y-Cymmer viaducts would be on the maintenance bill