Knapford Harbour

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**Knapford Harbour** is a moderately sized port located in Knapford. It is served by the Harbour Line of Thomas' Branch Line.

## History

### *The Railway Series*

Knapford Harbour began as a wharf around 1885, connected to another wharf at Elsbridge by the lightly built, horse worked Knapford and Elsbridge Railway. It initially served as a base for A. W. Dry's drainage operations in the area, but eventually proved a disappointment. It needed constant dredging and by 1905 the cost had become prohibitive. They abandoned it and extended the line along A. W. Dry’s road to Tidmouth to use the port there. From then until 1956, the harbour remained little used.

By the mid 1950's, there was severe congestion at Tidmouth, so Sir Charles Topham Hatt launched his Knapford Harbour Improvement Scheme, using plans created by his father, to redevelop the harbour and relieve the congestion at Tidmouth. Percy was transferred from Tidmouth to assist in its construction and ulimately stayed on the branch line. All the while, Trevor was loaned from the Vicar of Wellsworth. The work caused considerable realignment of the entire branch line and was finished in 1957.

Knapford has been useful as a supplementary harbour, but its exposed position did not enable it to provide the best answer to Sir Topham Hatt’s problem. That was why in 1966 he went north to see what could be done at Arlesburgh.

The southern quay is accessible from the goods branch stemming off from Thomas' Branch Line in Dryaw. According to the Thomas' Branch Line Surprise Packet Map, the northern quay has a spur from The Main Line, going over a bridge in front of the main line one and into the northern quay; however, the two quays are connected by a small bridge crossing the river which is not present on the book illustrations, but it is present on Sodor maps. There is a small railway station located by the docks, separate from the main line station.

## Appearances

* Railway Series
* Television Series
* Other Media

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## Trivia

* In storyboards by Robert Gauld-Galliers, the area that appears in the twelfth and twenty-first through twenty-third episodes of the second series is referred to as "Brendam Harbour and Station". It also appears in *Cows* and *Woolly Bear*.
* Additionally, the concept art for the harbour features many differences from the final set, including:
	+ The harbour station is much bigger, with a similar appearance to Knapford station, albeit with three roads on the two outside bays and the office building removed.
	+ A turntable leading to the third road of the station.
	+ A two-road shed, which was to be created using part of Ffarquhar Sheds and also leads to the station turntable.
	+ Two wye formations: a big one leading to the station and a small one at The quay where Percy was bumped and has two tracks situated in front of it.
	+ An additional spur near the station, likely leading to the China Clay pits.
* In the second series, the new harbour that appears in *Thomas and Trevor* and *Percy and Harold* has a different appearance from the above.
* Big Mickey and S.S. Vienna's models from TUGS were seen at this harbour during the third series, but since the fifth series they have been seen at Brendam.