The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-10-24 00:00:00

OPENING OF THE WEYMOUTH AND

PORTLAND RAILWAY.

tr has been truly said that all earthly things must
have an end, and inch at last is happily the case
with the doubts respecting the opening of the
Weymouth and Portland Railway. The opening of
the line for passenger traffic, is now an event of the
past, the, doubts and surmises respecting it being
finally settled on Monday murning, by the 7.30
train from WeymOuth, drawn by the good engine
Nile. conveying the first freight of living souls to
Portland. Dewing the, past week bills containing
the starting and arrival' of trains to and from Port-
land were most liberally circulated throughout the
town and neighbnurhowl, bat as there was •rip
official signature attached to the document, some
people did not believe that even then the hue would
be opened at the time fixed. These doubts arose in
consequence of the public baying been once before
duped, and at the unnecessary delay which has
taken place in the opening of the line, it having been
completed and ready for traffic a twelve months
since, but owing to some dispute between the Great
Western and South Western Railway companies,
this was deferred from time to time, until at length
I the public lost all patience with the companies.
, The line of • railway is about four and a quarter
miles is length, the contractors- being Messrs. Aird
; and Sons, of Lambeth, the cost of construction being
aboatAl6,oo(l per mile. At present, only a single
line nf rails is laid, but all the bridges and other
portions of the line hive been constructed for a
double line, which, .no rtioubt„ will be soon laid,
when the traffic shaft hilve morel tretreloped itself.
rhe route is most -picturesque,- combining most
beautiful land and sea views.
The Backwater is crossed by a wooden viaduct,
about 420 yards in length, and then a very high
embankment, known as the "Marsh embankment,"
is reached, from wbenee a beautiful view of the
inland country is obtained. This embankment is
50 feet in height, and caused great trouble in
the construction of the line, owing to
the sinking muddy nature of the ground. The
line passes under the Wyke Road, close by
the Union, by means of a tunnel, and the
traveller then finds himself in a very wide and
deep cutting —which by the bye is the only dis-
agreeable looking spot on the lioe—of stone and
clay, the whole of which had to be blasted before
being worked. A mutineer two's travel Bonn brings
one to smother high embankment, from whenee, as
far as the eye can trace, are the West Bay an
Channel, whilst only • mile or two distant is the
famous Breakwater, under whose protection home-
ward and outward, bituod vessels -moat gladly seek
blusher from the stork and tem'pest 'A prettier bit

of scenery it is scarcely possible to met with in
..railwity travelling; oa the right hand steads that
wonderful harrier &wined hy the hand of nature, the
d:litesil Bob, against which the storms fiercest fury
,heatis in vain, but on which many a gallant craft has
been stranded, and minty I brave British tar found •
grave. On the left is the Portland Roads, the sea
of Which Comes close to the railway embankment in
some places, whilst stretching in the rear are the
white cliffs of old Albion. in the fore-ground if/
Portland with its sombre Lill towering to the sky,
upon the top of which are diatinctly seen the ArE,
Barracks and some ptrtion of the
.Conviet flatsb
inent. Whilst the visitor is contemplating t
objecte.of interest, the ".iron.-4erse'? brings the ex.
!unionists to Portland, where at the entrance to the
Village of Chesil a neat station is erected, wig+
&though small, is moat conveniently fitted up.
Having briefly glanced at the canuitry throo1;.
which the line passes, we may perhaps be allowedrool
touch opon the cenveirienoe sperded the public byi
the railway compasy Mtg.** Wend 'fro* Portland.;
'Twenty-two trains'ren daily, which, in addition to
the tripe made by the suiatnersoifford every ougwbni
fedi inclined ample opportunity of "going Ifithee and.
thither. This most be a great boon to businessmen !
1 one no doubt, which will be greatly aPprocinted:i
only disadyiptsge,which the line will have to,
...or trade*** of/Pdrtleedneill be this—that people
viill creme to Weymouth to purchase goods instead of
buying them at Potties&
As we have said, the first train to Portland 'eau
early on Monday morning, 'but the passengers con.
misted chiefly of -*amen and children. The train
'Mira froulthellocitb-Weritern shed, but a great deal
of Vile *wa_didrialimpliag 'boat iti solar VD get
the Pretlisei dialu:rvirlie mead ranaing
wet* noesp4eir in
is
ttinalifsieilii;ool3oe64
--eblibe same time by the Wey
T At present IS is
ieb)satioi
be done

were 1

the I

I early.

linen the nuisance.. The rrivai of the first train q.t.
Portland wed not Very warmly received, and _AO.
demonstration of any kind took place in honour- ais
that place beinginnacmoted to Weymouth by raki,;
This is owing to the opening of the line having been
iilo-11)14 deferred. as it wits _contemplated, some time.
tel have A pubhe rejoicing when It was thought
.41te, line would be opened*, t.uh, as in this, the Port.:
ianders were disappointad,and they determined not to
getup one lest aey should againsuffer disappointment.
Aut,..ho weirer, rail communication wi th Portland cow
an aotuel fact, it is not improbable, jrniging from
hipts which we heard throwo out on ki,inday, that
• some kind of demonstration will be got up to cele-
brate such an important event in the history of
Portland. So doubtful even were people that the
long looked-for event had at last arrived—that good
time for which they had waited so long—that
actually they did not believe it until their doubt*
were removed by the frequent passages made by
steam to led from Portland. When, however, this
was known to be the fact, from half-past nine in the
morning until the last train at night, the railway
officials were very hard worked, hundreds of people,
"on pleasure bent" for the most part, whilst those
whose business called them to Weymouth, all coming
by rail. The appearance of a railway train at Port-
land eansed the street Arabs there to assertible at the
station, and on the Chesil Beach in large numbers,
and who most heartily cheered the trains its they
passed to and fro. On arrival at the station there
was Portland 'bus and plenty of cabs waiting to
°awe .the visitor to every pert of the place, but
the
.eilass of persons who &yelle4 themselvea of the
first dity's'liyavelling to Portland by rail was not
such )4 'la require calm, and the Jehne, who ex
Pected t• ,inixte reaped a good harvest looked very
uhap- fallen.

t-2141uktii!ilzired._aa:.

Po-rt-

. --
The raniiiig over the line is very smooth and easy,
much more so than ie the case with new hues
generally, but this is to be accounted for by the line
having been 80 long made, that it has had time to
settle, the line having been finished for two yeare.
The South-Western Company works the line,
although there is a broad and narrow guage laid, so
that the Great Western can go over the line when
required.
It is impossible to estimate the value which the
opening up of railway accommodation to Portland
pretence. Portland has so many natural advantages
that it cannot fail soon to be a place of great im•
portance. Its magnificent harbour and Breakwater
afford shelter and accommodation for crafts of all
nations, no matter of what size, and now that iti
only abontsix hours' journey from London, why thp
chances are that homeward bound vessels, indeed itie
leering to wake a tedious passage up the chained, Ira
said their passengers and cargoes at Portland, final
Ildnince in a few hours they will arrive at their des-
tination. It is already rumoured that Portland will
-be the spot where vessels trading with foreign cattle
will land, as the beasts can reach the places to whieh'
tilhy are destined muck quicker, and with lees
'lnjury, by rail than by sea. If such should prove
tote correct this will be a great advantage to Port.
land and will in all probability only be the precursor
of many more sources of revenue.
We believe we are also correct in saying that very
shortly it is intended to place some tine steamships
at Portland, to make regular pages between that
port, and the South of France. If this scheme be
carried out there is every probability that Portland
will soon rise as a place of importance in the main-
time world, and the only thing required is for a f. w
enterprising men to make it one of the best ports in
England. The heavy harbour and wharfage dLee
which keep away vessels from Weymouth, are
happily not even known at Portland, and utilise
the Town Council of Weymouth do not abolish or
reduce these heavy impoets upon vessels entering our
harbour, they will soon find out that they will have
no opportunity to impose them at all, as vessels can
as conveniently —nay, much more so—discharge
their cargoes at Portland than in Weymouth
harbour. Let the Corporation of the latter place,
therefore, take heed, that in endeavouring to extort
too much, they do not loose all. What harm these
excessive dues have been the means of effecting,
can be only too plainly seen in the few merchant
'shine which now COlllO into the port.
Another great feature in convection with the
opening of the line is the new field which it will open
up for the produce of the island—the stone trade—
which hitherto has been obliged to be consigned by
ships to various places. Now, no doubt, large
quantities will be conveyed by rail to inland towns,
thus giving a greater impetus to the trade, and conse-
quently affording employment for inure met, and in
the end causing much money to be spent to the ad-
vantage of the tradesmen of the place.
The railway to Portland. too, must be regarded as
a most important step when viewed in connection
with the great fortifications which are there in coarse
of construction. In case ever of anything happening
to disturb the peace and harmony which now happily
prevail, troops can be conveyed to Portland from
Portsmouth or elsewhere in a very short time;
whilst should an outbreak ever take place amongst
the convicts the military from Wizy MOUth would be
so quickly at hand that any attempt at insubordiera-
lion must epeedily be crushed.
The connection of a town by railway must always
be considered as an important event in the history of
that town, but with Portland it is especially so; it
only requires time to make it one of Eogland'a
greatest ports, and ins few years who can tell what
changes may come over this once unimportant place.
There is every facility for making magnificent docks
and quays, warehouses, and stores; the only thing
required is energy and enterprise. Portland is not
destined to be known only as a convict establish-
ment, but ea .& port where vessels and crews of all
natioes and chines shall bring the products of far-off
oountriea, and the only thing required is for time to
mike its advantages known and appreciated.
Another pleasing fact in connection with the open-
ing of the line is also that of the harbour tramway,
which was opened for tratheon the same day. This leads
from the railway station to the quay, and ie laid for
either the broad or narrow gauge trucks to run over.
Several trucks, laden with coal for the Channel
islands steamers, passed over the line on Monday.
We are gratified to learn that the first day's receipts
amounted too much as £25.