Railways and Tramways in the Forest of Dean

[rogerfarnworth]

I hope that my posts on this theme and discussion around them will promote ideas for modelling Forest of Dean themes. Inevitably these posts look back to an era when tramways and railways ruled supreme in the Forest. Many of the routes which will be highlighted can be accessed on foot, some are now part of an extensive cycle network in the Forest.

My wife and I take holidays in the Forest of Dean every year. We have been there almost every year since the year 2000 and I have become fascinated by the history of life and industry in the Forest. I have particularly been struck by the extent of tramways and tramroads in the Forest. We have enjoyed exploring a number of the different railway routes in the Forest and the complex network of tramways which supported the standard gauge railways which themselves had replaced much earlier tramways. I hope this thread will be of interest to some.

This is the first of a series of blog posts about the forest and its railways and tramways and focusses on Lydney Harbour and its transport links, particularly rail and tramway/tramroad. ...

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/20 ... ey-harbour

[Mountain]

Is interesting. Extensive is not the word as though there is interesting industry there, it seems a small complex of rails and industry compared with what was in my part of the country. However, compared to what we have today, it is large.
It is sad that we have moved away from prosperity, as though in many ways we are richer in general, our prosperity as a country has disappeared. (And if I hear someone say "Its a sign of the times" one more time.... )
I hear people say that we are no longer in the industrial era, but take a look at India, China and other countries round the world that have exceedingly prosporus industrial complexes. India is one of the fastest growing economies and China? It has been for many years. (It is only because the west can't pay them what is owed to them that they have a down turn in the last few years. Goes to show that the west is broke).
What do we have in Britain today to trade with? The artificial financial markets. Trading with imaginary merchandise which have no worth in themselves and could go up or even collapse at any moment! And we call it progress? We must be out of our minds!

[rogerfarnworth]

There is a real sadness over what we have lost.

Here is the next post in the series .... It relates to the immediate area around Parkend in the middle of the Forest of Dean.

Parkend in the Forest of Dean is currently the terminus of a preservation line, the Dean Forest Railway (http://www.deanforestrailway.co.uk).

Historically it was a small through station on the Severn and Wye Joint Railway with a short branch to transhipment wharfs that allowed tramways to transfer good to the main line. Further back still it was the centre of some major forest industries which were heavily served by tramways.

Parkend had quite a concentration of tramways associated with local collieries and iron works as well as hosting the terminus of the Oakwood Tramway at Marsh Sidings.

The first image on the blog below is a map of the tramways at Parkend in its prime as an industrial centre in the Forest.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/20 ... st-of-dean

[Mountain]

It is sad.
Schumacher (I dont mean the racing driver brothers!) was onto something when he said "Small is beautiful". That is the way forward. Global trading with large companies is self destructive. If it carries on, it ends up with only a few people owning companies left in the world, and robotic machines making everything with nobody left to sell the products to as no one will be in work to earn money to buy any products the machines make.

[Pete]

(I dont mean the racing driver brothers!)

So who do you mean? Google doesn't get you much further than those of racing fame.

P.

[6C]

If small is beautiful - I'd go for Eddie Schumacer the famous US jockey

[Mountain]

Was my mum who mentioned it. I think he came out with a book but not sure. Was a man who used to give talks. It was part of the ' '70's back to the land movement so smallholders are likely to have heard of him. The basic idea was that communities were self supporting having their own shops and businesses which served their own needs. Is the opposite to globalism. Globalism is geared towards big or nothing. In most cases the nothings are plentiful and the bits are few. Once globalism has taken over, the nothings need to be reduced as they begin to drain the wealth out of the few.
The Schumacher plan was for the nothings to be somethings where everyone could thrive in their own talented areas. The Schumacher plan was hated by those who are for a globalistic plan as big can't compete with small on the same playing field (As large companies need a much higher profit margin to function due to the share market sapping all its profits).

[rogerfarnworth]

Hi all, I think Mountain is referring to Ernst Schumacher. Please see the Wikipedia link below.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Is_Beautiful

Roger

[rogerfarnworth]

Prior to the introduction of standard gauge railways in the Forest of Dean there was an extensive network of tramways or tramroads. These tramways were of a variety of gauges from 3ft 6in to 4ft. One of these was the Severn and Wye Tramroad. This post details the various branch and feeder tramways associated with this line. The tramway was replaced by the Severn and Wye Joint Railway. ...

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/20 ... e-tramroad

[rogerfarnworth]

There was a significant network of tramroads close to Parkend in the Forest of Dean.

To the West and South of Parkend, privately owned narrow gauge tramways that were not part of the Severn and Wye owned system extended away from transshipment wharves to various different industrial complexes. These were known as the Dike’s and Oakwood Tramways.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/20 ... s-tramways

[rogerfarnworth]

Moseley Green Tramways

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/20 ... n-tramways

[rogerfarnworth]

This is a post on New Fancy Colliery in the Forest of Dean ....

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/20 ... t-railways

[rogerfarnworth]

In the last few weeks I have been looking at the route of the Forest of Dean Tramway which was a major innovation in its day. Haie Hill Tunnel which was built for it in the very early 19th Century was for a short while the longest tunnel in the world. It was also one of the earliest tunnels built.

The tramway linked significant industrial concerns in the Forest of Dean with the Severn Estuary at Bullo Pill. The owners of the tramway were also behind the first serious attempt to tunnel under the Severn Estuary.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/20 ... an-tramway

[Bufferstop]

Back in the 1970s some friends lived in lower Soudley, I can pick out the house in the aerial photo. It was just about possible to walk along the trackbed of the railway where it passed through the village, either side of it were the various former tramway lines which had become footpaths or unpaved roads. Looking across the valley from the road there were several houses still standing which had belonged to the ironworks and one or two which had subsequently been built on levelled areas where factory buildings had been demolished.

[rogerfarnworth]

I love the Forest. I think it has something to do with what can be discovered about its history while enjoying beautiful scenery and walks.