Arlesburgh Branch Line history (My headcanon)

The history

The Little Western (also known as the Arlesburgh Branch, or Duck's Branch Line), is the newest on the NWR, having been reopened to regular services in 1967.

The branch was at first a one-line extension of the North Western Railway built after a Government order in 1916. It connected with the Mid Sodor Railway where material from the Arlesdale mines was needed for the war effort. It was intended to reach Harwick; however, by the time Arlesburgh was reached, there was no longer need for further extension.

Lily, a LSWR O2 class 0-4-4 from the old Wellsworth & Suddery was put in charge of the branchline. Hughes, a L&YR Class 28 2-6-0 Hybrid was put in charge to look after the mine trains from the Mid Sodor Railway at Arlesburgh.

This went on for several years until during the 1930's, when the great depression was still in effect, Lily was sold off, along with the other older engines to other places to make money and hughes was left to look after the line, although some of the other engines helped out in shifts when they are not busy. Eventually, hughes had left to help out on the mainland with the war traffic in 1939 when world war 2 started, leaving other engines to help out on the line.

When the Mid Sodor closed in the late 1940s, there was not enough traffic. Permission was requested to close the line, but this was refused and thus a minimal service was operated. The Arlesburgh branch became used only very rarely.

In 1964 need for a new harbour arose and the line was reinstated. It was given to Duck, as he knew the Small Railway Engines and had done excellent work in the yards. Donald and Douglas came to help, as did Oliver after his rescue in 1967.

Eventually, years later in the middle of the 1990's, traffic began to pick up and there was a need for more motive power, and so William, a GWR 61XX Class 2-6-2 was bought in to work suburban services on the little western as well as the main line.

Years went by and the line had remained unchanged until years later the fat controller had finally decided to connect the old town of Harwick like the railway planned to back in the first world war, but never did. The tracks were laid and the line was extended all the way to Harwick alongside the sudrian coast and the town was finally connected by rail. All great western engines on the North Western Railway were transferred to the Arlesburgh Branch to help out with the construction of the extension and to work on the line.  

The line

The line begins at Tidmouth, where it uses the through platform. From there, the line travels up the coast to Haultraugh and ends at Arlesburgh.

Arlesburgh is a seaside town based on both sides of the River Arle Estuary. Arlesburgh was an ancient port once stockaded by King Orry. The town is a popular tourist attraction on Sodor, mainly because of the Arlesdale Railway, of which one of the two stations here, Arlesburgh West, is the top station of Duck's Branch Line. This is also the terminus of the Arlesdale Railway and was once served by the Mid Sodor Railway. The Mid Sodor operated a steamer service to Douglas on the Isle of Man. The other station is Arlesburgh Bridge Street, which is served only by trains on the Arlesdale Railway.

In ancient times, the town was created as a port, stockaded by Godred MacHarold, and remained so for several centuries. The Mid Sodor Railway once operated a steamer service to Douglas, Man for passengers and freight, but its traffic dwindled after the railway's passenger traffic stopped and completely dissolved when the railway closed in 1947. The port was re-opened by Sir Topham Hatt in 1967 to transport ballast from the old mines at Arlesdale.

The NWR engine sheds at Arlesburgh are home to Duck, Oliver and sometimes Donald or Douglas.