North Western Railway

The **North Western Railway** (**NWR**) is the main standard gauge rail network on the Island of Sodor. From nationalisation on 1st January 1948 until privatisation in 1997, it was the **North Western Region** of British Railways.

## History:

The North Western Railway was formed in 1914 by the Government-sponsored amalgamation of the three standard gauge railways on the island - the Sodor and Mainland, the Wellsworth and Suddery and the Tidmouth, Knapford and Elsbridge.

Sir Topham Hatt was appointed Chief Mechanical Engineer and the NWR began operating in 1915. Much construction work was needed in order to connect the three absorbed railways and meet the Admiralty's requirements. The NWR cut a single bore tunnel through the Ballahoo Ridge, allowing it to extend to Vicarstown, where it established its Administrative Headquarters and main Motive Power Depot. A rolling lift bridge, designed by Topham Hatt, was subsequently erected across the Walney Channel, finally connecting Sodor with the Mainland. Repair shops were also established at Crovan's Gate, while many of the routes of the former railways were converted from single to double track.

In 1914-1915, the NWR constructed a single line extension of the Main Line up to Arlesburgh by Government Order. The line was a key part of the NWR's obligations as a strategic railway, for it allowed the Admiralty to regularly patrol the West Coast of the island with armoured trains. It was originally intended to reach Harwick, but by the time Arlesburgh was reached, the immediate threat had passed and a further extension was dropped. Apart from the four "Coffee Pots" of the TK&ER and the four 0-6-0 tank engines of the W&SR, the NWR when formed had no locomotives of its own. Throughout the First World War, it was worked with locomotives and rolling stock borrowed from the Midland and the Furness Companies, such as Edward.

By 1921 most of these locomotives had to be returned and replacements needed to be found. This was a time of great difficulty for the NWR as with the end of the war the NWR's military value was ended and Government support withdrawn. This resulted in a locomotive crisis and Sir Topham Hatt, now also a Director, was placed in charge of finding new motive power. In 1922, he attempted to buy a Robinson Atlantic but ended up with Henry, an engine riddled with flaws. Hence, Sir topham Hatt bought two engines to assist heavier services. In 1923 he acquired gordon, as an experimental prototype, for pulling the express called Wild Nor' Wester.

In 1924, Thomas was bought by sir topham hatt, worked as the station pilot at Knapford Station, while in 1925, both Alfred and Crovan were sent packing in disgrace. In the same year, James was bought in black livery. Later, he shot away with a goods service, sparking at his brake blocks without any control thanks to his trucks, and derailed in a field west of the station. Thomas fetched the Breakdown Train and rushed to James' aid and he helped to clean up the broken trucks and bring James back to the shed when he was re-railed. As a reward for his actions, Thomas was given two new coaches, whom he calls Annie and Clarabel, and the responsibility of running the Ffarquhar Branchline, much to his delight[1]. On the other hand, James was fully repaired and given a new coat of red paint with no.5 on his tender.

At some point in the late 1920's to early 1930's, following a series of incidents resulting in a strike[2], Percy was acquired from a workshop to be Knapford's new station pilot after Thomas was allocated to the Ffarquhar Branch line.

When the railways in the United Kingdom were nationalised, Sodor was affected too with the North Western Railway becoming the North Western Region of British Railways. However, the railway was allowed to keep a large degree of independence from the rest of the network, this is why steam traction was preserved on the railway.