Knapford

Knapford is a small town or a large village with a population of 2,000 on River Els estuary, south of Tidmouth. It is known for its farming, fishing, and fowling. Knapford is also home to the largest station on Sodor, and also has another station at Knapford Harbour.
==History==
There are four stations in Knapford, North Knapford Junction is the third one built in the town, and was built in 1956 when the harbour development scheme was launched due to congestion at Tidmouth Harbour. The station serves as the junction of The Main Line and Thomas' Branch Line. There is also a freight-only station at Knapford Harbour, where Percy went to sea after asking his trucks to push him past a warning board and where Bulstrode nearly drowned in a nasty accident with some stone trucks.
The harbour line from Elsbridge to Knapford was opened in 1885 and used horse-pulled wagons. In 1905, A. W. Dry and Co. extended the line to Tidmouth with a road-side tramway using "Coffee Pot" engines. Although the line was destroyed by a gale three years later, the "coffee-pot" engines remained, even after the formation of the North Western Railway.
In 1912, the Tidmouth, Knapford and Elsbridge Railway joined with the Wellsworth and Suddery Railway and a connecting line was built from Knapford to Crosby. When the North Western Railway opened, a bay platform was opened at Knapford for the line to Elsbridge.
The rundown of the lead mines at Toryreck began in 1925, but opportunities of stone traffic from Ffarquhar opened and the line to Elsbridge was extended. The lead mines closed in 1930. In 1956, the improvement scheme of the harbour at Knapford was started, the branch was rebuilt on an easier gradient and the stations were moved north of the river. The first line is now used for goods.
Knapford is useful as a harbour, but not ideal, which is why Duck's Branch Line was reopened in 1966.
The Knapford station is the fourth one, built in the town in 1984. It has two platforms, a glass roof, and about eight trains a day.
Knapford has a refreshment kiosk, the Engine Drivers locker room, M.C. Bunn and a bookstall.
Category:Stations
Category:Landmarks
Category:Inhabited Areas
Category:The Main Line
Category:Thomas' Branch Line
Category:North Western Railway
Category:Tidmouth, Knapford and Elsbridge Railway