Railway companies outliving their railway

[Andy Kirkham]

I can think of a few instances of a railway company that has remained
in existence as a legal entity after the closure of the physical
railway.

The old Welsh Highland company remained in existence until recently
(and perhaps still does). I recall reading on one website that the
moribund company continued to pay rent for the passage of its trackbed
over Crown land for fifty years or more after the lifting of the
track.

The Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway Company remained in business
as a bus operator after the closure of the line.

About twenty years ago I saw an advert in the Railway Magazine
advertising for sale the Snailbeach District Railway. There was no
mention of the fact that the line had been closed and demolished in
about 1950.

Does anyone know of any other "ghost railways"?

Andy Kirkham
Glasgow

[John Rowland]

Post by Andy Kirkham
Does anyone know of any other "ghost railways"?

BRB remained as the owner of various plots of land when the live railway was
sold to Railtrack.

[R.C. Payne]

Post by John Rowland

Post by Andy Kirkham
Does anyone know of any other "ghost railways"?

BRB remained as the owner of various plots of land when the live railway was
sold to Railtrack.

I believe it still exists, as far as I know, certain contracts to do
with the channel tunnel exist under French Law that requires there to be
a BRB (someone probably can explain this better than me, IANAL).

Robin

[Amos E Wolfe]

Post by Andy Kirkham
I can think of a few instances of a railway company that has remained
in existence as a legal entity after the closure of the physical
railway.
<snip>
Does anyone know of any other "ghost railways"?

How about the Guernsey Railway Company? It ran a replacement bus service
since Day 1 - the actual railway was never built, but the buses were still
operated by Guernsey Railway Company - when I visited in 1987 I was very
puzzled because I saw lots of "station" benches at bus stops but no evidence
of the railway.

-=# Amos E Wolfe #=-

[Graeme Wall]

Post by Amos E Wolfe

Post by Andy Kirkham
I can think of a few instances of a railway company that has remained
in existence as a legal entity after the closure of the physical
railway.
<snip>
Does anyone know of any other "ghost railways"?

How about the Guernsey Railway Company? It ran a replacement bus service
since Day 1 - the actual railway was never built, but the buses were still
operated by Guernsey Railway Company - when I visited in 1987 I was very
puzzled because I saw lots of "station" benches at bus stops but no
evidence of the railway.

The Guernsey Railway Co did have a railway at one time, opened in 1879,
closed in 1934. Actually a tramway system though early operations used
Merryweather or Hughes built steam locos hauling trailers. Converted to
electric operation in 1892.

[Prai Jei]

Graeme Wall (or somebody else of the same name) wrote thusly in message

Post by Graeme Wall

Post by Amos E Wolfe

Post by Andy Kirkham
I can think of a few instances of a railway company that has remained
in existence as a legal entity after the closure of the physical
railway.
<snip>
Does anyone know of any other "ghost railways"?

How about the Guernsey Railway Company? It ran a replacement bus service
since Day 1 - the actual railway was never built, but the buses were
still operated by Guernsey Railway Company - when I visited in 1987 I was
very puzzled because I saw lots of "station" benches at bus stops but no
evidence of the railway.

The Guernsey Railway Co did have a railway at one time, opened in 1879,
closed in 1934. Actually a tramway system though early operations used
Merryweather or Hughes built steam locos hauling trailers. Converted to
electric operation in 1892.

Was it reused for any purpose by the Germans during WW2? This happened to
their counterparts on Jersey, which were relaid and used for ferrying
munitions around the island, with the result that the railways are
"tainted" in the local mindset and are unlikely to ever be revived.

[John Ruddy]

Post by Prai Jei
Was it reused for any purpose by the Germans during WW2? This happened to
their counterparts on Jersey, which were relaid and used for ferrying
munitions around the island, with the result that the railways are
"tainted" in the local mindset and are unlikely to ever be revived.

I assume the airport, roads and ports are not likewise tainted? Because
I doubt the Germans managed to conquer the islands using steam
locomotives alone.

[Graeme Wall]

Post by John Ruddy

Post by Prai Jei
Was it reused for any purpose by the Germans during WW2? This happened to
their counterparts on Jersey, which were relaid and used for ferrying
munitions around the island, with the result that the railways are
"tainted" in the local mindset and are unlikely to ever be revived.

I assume the airport, roads and ports are not likewise tainted? Because
I doubt the Germans managed to conquer the islands using steam
locomotives alone.

I think the lack of railways has much more to do with the unviability of the
system than any perceived taint of German use. Although a tourist line on
the old route from St Helier to St Aubyn might well be viable for a summer
service.

[Graeme Wall]

Post by Prai Jei
Graeme Wall (or somebody else of the same name) wrote thusly in message

Post by Graeme Wall

Post by Amos E Wolfe

Post by Andy Kirkham
I can think of a few instances of a railway company that has remained
in existence as a legal entity after the closure of the physical
railway.
<snip>
Does anyone know of any other "ghost railways"?

How about the Guernsey Railway Company? It ran a replacement bus
service since Day 1 - the actual railway was never built, but the buses
were still operated by Guernsey Railway Company - when I visited in
1987 I was very puzzled because I saw lots of "station" benches at bus
stops but no evidence of the railway.

The Guernsey Railway Co did have a railway at one time, opened in 1879,
closed in 1934. Actually a tramway system though early operations used
Merryweather or Hughes built steam locos hauling trailers. Converted to
electric operation in 1892.

Was it reused for any purpose by the Germans during WW2? This happened to
their counterparts on Jersey, which were relaid and used for ferrying
munitions around the island, with the result that the railways are
"tainted" in the local mindset and are unlikely to ever be revived.

The Germans built two occupation lines on Guernsey, one 60cm gauge and,
oddly, the other was 90cm gauge, whereas the Jersey lines were 60cm and metre
gauge. The main purpose on both islands was initially for the transport of
stone from the quarries to the crushing plants and distribution to the
location of the defensive works, ammunition and other stores transport was a
secondary use. Part of the 90cm line from St Peter Port to St Sampsons was
along the same route as the former tramway. Once the fortifications were
completed in 1943, most of the lines were abandoned, the track lifted and the
locos returned to the mainland except for two retained to operate the
remaining sections of line (presumably 90cm gauge as this was the line that
served St Peter Port).

Some twenty locos were used; 16 steam, half on each system, plus 8 diesel
locos on the 'broad' gauge.

[Barry Salter]

Post by Andy Kirkham
Does anyone know of any other "ghost railways"?

How about the following, all of which are subsidiaries of the SRA
(Source: SRA Annual Report 2003/04):

British Rail Limited
British Railway Limited
British Railways Board Limited [1]
Crossrail Limited
Thameslink 2000 Limited
OQS Rail Limited
Goldings Rail Limited
Hays Rail Limited
Abbey Rail Limited
Broadway Rail Limited
Orchard Rail Limited
Strutton Rail Limited
Westminster Rail Limited

And, for non-operators:

Rail Property Limited
Cross Channel Catering Limited
Strategic Rail Authority Company Limited
SRA Transport Limited
RailDirect Limited
British Rail Engineering Limited
British Transport Hotels Limited
Britravel Nominees Limited
RFD (Channel Tunnel) Limited
The Pullman Car Company Limited

HTH,

Barry

[1] The "active" company being BRB (Residuary) Limited

[Peter Masson]

Post by Andy Kirkham
I can think of a few instances of a railway company that has remained
in existence as a legal entity after the closure of the physical
railway.
Does anyone know of any other "ghost railways"?

Although it no longer exists, the London & Greenwich Railway managed a
remarkable longevity after it ceased to operate a railway. It was
incorporated in 1832, obtained its Act in 1833, and opened the first part of
its line in 1836. It leased its entire undertaking to the South Eastern
Railway only 9 years later in 1845, and for the next 78 years until the
Grouping its directors used to meet annually to receive the rent, declare a
dividend, and have a good lunch.
Peter

[Arthur Figgis]

Post by Andy Kirkham
Does anyone know of any other "ghost railways"?

I think the Derwent Valley Light Railway managed this, by renting out
the land where the stations had been for light industry and such,
which made more money than the trains.

[Kester Eddy]

Post by Arthur Figgis

Post by Andy Kirkham
Does anyone know of any other "ghost railways"?

I think the Derwent Valley Light Railway managed this, by renting out
the land where the stations had been for light industry and such,
which made more money than the trains.

Whatever happened to this line ? I think we visited it in 1968 or 69
on a school trip. got a funny feeling it was only half open by then.

Kester

[Arthur Figgis]

Post by Kester Eddy

Post by Arthur Figgis

Post by Andy Kirkham
Does anyone know of any other "ghost railways"?

I think the Derwent Valley Light Railway managed this, by renting out
the land where the stations had been for light industry and such,
which made more money than the trains.

Whatever happened to this line ? I think we visited it in 1968 or 69
on a school trip. got a funny feeling it was only half open by then.

It died in the early 1980s. There is a short preservation scheme on
part of the route.

[Ralph Rawlinson]

Post by Kester Eddy

Post by Arthur Figgis
I think the Derwent Valley Light Railway managed this, by renting out
the land where the stations had been for light industry and such,
which made more money than the trains.

Whatever happened to this line ? I think we visited it in 1968 or 69
on a school trip. got a funny feeling it was only half open by then.
Kester

The DVLR which opened in 1912 ran between York (Layerthorpe) and Cliff
Common on the Selby - Market Weighton line. It escaped both the grouping and
nationalisation. When BR closed Cliff Common to goods traffic in 1964 it
prompted the DVLR to cut their line back to Wheldrake, followed by further
sections back to Dunnington in 1973. In 1977 a summer tourist train was
introduced between York and Dunnington in connection with the National
Railway Museum but this ended in 1979 and the remaining line to York
Layerthorpe closed in 1981.
In 1989 the Yorkshire Museum of Farming bought half a mile of line next to
their site at Murton (GR651537) and two years later the Great Yorkshire
Railway Preservation Society established a base there. A new station (with
the station building from Wheldrake) was built on the opposite side of the
level crossing to the original Murton Lane station. Trains run, top and
tailed, under the name of the Derwent Valley Light Railway along this last
remaining section of line.

Ralph

[Graeme Wall]

In message <***@posting.google.com>
***@LTScotland.com (Andy Kirkham) wrote:

[snip]

Post by Andy Kirkham
Does anyone know of any other "ghost railways"?

Does the Guernsey Railway Co still operate the bus services on the island?

[Peter Lawrence]

Post by Andy Kirkham
I can think of a few instances of a railway company that has remained
in existence as a legal entity after the closure of the physical
railway.
Does anyone know of any other "ghost railways"?

I believe the Southwold Railway Cpmpany continued to exist after its
closure in 1920something until 1960something. (Sorry about the vague
dates.) It could not be abolished wihtout an Act of Parliament and
there was no money for that, or indeed for anything else. Finally
Suffolk County Council had to fork out when they wanted to use some of
the trackbed for road improvements.