Lundy Tramways (Part 1). Continuing
the island theme established by Photo Galleries 92,
93, 94 and 95
which showcase the Isle of Man's former railways, we present a selection
of photographs of the North Light Tramway on Lundy, a rocky outcrop
which stands in the Bristol Channel about 10 miles north of the Devon
coast. The island is about 3½ miles from north to south, and
½ mile across, with a resident population of ca. 27. While
we are looking at offshore trackbeds, we have slipped in a couple
of pictures of Yarmouth station on the Isle of Wight, whose renewal
and extension is now complete (July 2015). |
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Above:
The main subject here is Lundy's northern lighthouse, but
what's that in the foreground? A pair rails from the tramway which
we believe was used to transport building materials to the site when
the lighthouse was being constructed in the late 1890s. The vegetation
is encroaching but the permanent way is still there, together with
a rough-and-ready buffer stop in front of the green-capped pillar
on the right. 24th May 2015. (Jeff Vinter) |
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Left:
This view looking south east along the tramway
shows the rusty rails to good effect, while revealing how
a combination of moss and grass are gradually absorbing
the track. The pink flowers are thrift or 'sea pinks', which
thrive on the north and west coasts of Lundy and flower
in late spring. 24th May 2015. (Jeff Vinter) |
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Right:
At first glance, this photograph is a little confusing,
but it was taken standing directly above the track, looking
down on to one of the few metal sleepers which remains visible.
The upper rail can be seen clearly, but the lower one has
disappeared largely beneath a bed of moss. 24th May 2015.
(Jeff Vinter) |

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Above:
The tramway runs along a ledge which can be seen clearly
here. What looks like a low fence is actually a series of supports
carrying the electricity cable which was installed in 1971 to supply
power to the lighthouse. Also of note is the substantial stone-faced
embankment (in shadow) which can be seen just right of centre. 24th
May 2015. (Jeff Vinter) |
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Above:
At the seaward (south east) end of the line, the tramway
turns left and stops at the head of a steep incline. There is no sign
now of any rails on the incline, so how anything reached this spot
is debatable. One Internet
site say that the tramway was used to transport supplies to the
lighthouse keepers: 'Ships would land at the platform down below and,
while people would climb the steps, goods were hauled up the crack
between the rocks then loaded onto (sic) carts to be pulled along
the tramway'. We accept that the tramway was used to deliver supplies,
but that does not seem a valid reason for building it given the remoteness
and difficulty of the location, and the consequent high construction
cost. 24th May 2015. (Jeff Vinter) |
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Above:
The head of the incline referred to in the caption above.
Note that the curve here was achieved by laying straight rails at
an obtuse angle, a practice which must have made it quite difficult
to get wagons to negotiate the turn. 24th May 2015. (Jeff Vinter) |
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Above:
The head of the incline reveals both a deep gouge where a
metal rope must have gone down, and also the abrupt end of the rails.
It is difficult to determine what exactly the arrangements here were
since there are few published sources, and those on the Internet are
very brief. To compound the problem, the photographer has no head
for heights, and the strong winds during this visit made peering over
the top for a photograph down the grade a very unattractive proposition!
24th May 2015. (Jeff Vinter) |
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Above:
Behind where the photographer was standing in the photograph
above, these large metal links are fixed into the rock face. There
can be little doubt that they were instrumental in hauling up materials
from sea level, but quite what the system was, and how it worked,
are unclear. It does not help that Lundy had other tramways on the
eastern side of the island, which have attracted rather more interest
and attention from historians and industrial archaeologists. As a
result, the North Light Tramway remains little known and with only
a sketchy history. 24th May 2015. (Jeff Vinter) |
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Above:
It is a credit to the Ordnance Survey just how much detail
they cram into their maps, although one needs youthful eyes to see
it all on the printed product. The small detail highlighted here
does not stand out on Explorer Map 139 (Bideford, Ilfracombe &
Barnstaple), although it is there, but with the new online product
– 'OSMaps' – one can zoom in and get around any shortcomings
of ageing eyes. Here, quite clearly, is the OS symbol for a 'narrow
gauge railway or light rapid transit system (LRTS)', although one
can discount the possibility of a rapid transit rail system on Lundy
where sheep, goats, horses and cattle outnumber the human residents
by maybe 20 to 1. (From OSMaps, annotated by Jeff Vinter) |
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Above:
Yarmouth station on the Isle of Wight is now a popular
café and bistro on the railway path from Thorley Bridge to
Freshwater. It is good to see the Southern Railway's green and cream
livery in evidence, but it should be noted that the canopy and signal
box are only one year old, and the signal box is actually a hide
for 'twitchers'. The station has been doubled in size, with only
the section up to the first gable being original. The West Yar River
flows just out of sight on the right, passing under the bridge whose
metal parapet can be seen in the right foreground. 1st July 2015.
(Brian Loughlin) |
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Above:
What a difference a year makes! This is Yarmouth station
in early spring 2014, after its closure as the local youth centre
and before the transformation depicted above. It is interesting that
the weather in March was so much brighter than in July, proof –
were it needed – that summer walkers do not necessarily get
the best light, or the best photographs. 5th March 2014. (Brian Loughlin) |