Arlesburgh West is a seaside station on Sodor's west coast based on both sides of the River Arle Estuary. The station is served by both the North Western and Arlesdale railways and is the exchange station for both railways.
History[]
The North Western Railway originally interchanged with the Mid Sodor Railway at Arlesburgh Harbour in 1916, and after the latter was abandoned in 1947, roadworks and urban development in the town virtually erased the former narrow-gauge mainline between Arlesburgh Bridge Street Station and the harbour.
When the Arlesdale Railway was being built around 1964-1965 along the MSR's old trackbed, a deviation had to be made from the old Bridge Street station along the outskirts of the town towards the NWR's line to the harbour, and an interchange point between the standard-gauge and the miniature gauge at Arlesburgh West. Passenger connection between the two railways was provided for by a foot-bridge, and the NWR laid in a standard gauge spur to the Transfer Gantry.[1]
The Arlesdale Railway also has their own steam engine shed, diesel engine shed, carriage shed, turntable and yard at the station. A ballast chute is used for depositing ballast from the Arlesdale's hopper wagons into the NWR's waiting standard gauge trucks. It had a single platform on the south at first, but it has been supplemented by another on the north side of the station. A wall behind its whole length was erected together with a platform canopy giving much needed shelter in blustery weather. There is also a cabin that not only houses the point and signal levers controlling all movements in the station area, but is also used for traffic control and holds the radio transceiver apparatus necessary for this purpose.
Appearances[]
The Railway Series[]
- Small Railway Engines - Ballast, Tit for Tat, Mike's Whistle and Useful Railway
- Oliver the Western Engine - Donald's Duck, Resource and Sagacity, Toad Stands By and Bulgy
- Jock the New Engine - We Need Another Engine, Jock and Teamwork
- Wilbert the Forest Engine - Wired-Up
Companion Volumes[]
- 1970 - Twelve Happy Engines
- 1976 - Famous Engines
- 1987 - The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways (mentioned)
Trivia[]
- Its Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway counterpart is Ravenglass Station.
- Before Arlesburgh West first appeared during Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure in the television series, the depiction by Gunvor and Peter Edwards was the basis for Callan station in the fourth series.
Station Guide[]
| Preceding station |  North Western Railway
|
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haultraugh | The Little Western | Terminus | ||
| Preceding station | Arlesdale Railway
|
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminus | Arlesdale Railway | Arlesburgh Bridge Street | ||
References[]
- ↑ RWS "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" p. 86-87, p. 40-41
| Locomotives | Duck | Donald and Douglas | Oliver | |
|---|---|---|
| Rolling Stock | Passenger | Alice and Mirabel | Isabel and Dulcie |
| Goods | Toad | Fred Pelham | |
| Former | S.C. Ruffey | |
| Non-Rail Vehicles | Bulgy | Bulgy's Friend | |
| Stations | Tidmouth | Haultraugh | Arlesburgh West | |
| Locomotives | Steam | Bert | Rex | Mike | Jock |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | Blister I and Blister II | Frank | Sigrid of Arlesdale | |
| Rolling Stock | Passenger | Open-Topped Coaches | Semi-Open Coaches | Saloon Coaches |
| Goods | Hoppers | Bogie Flatbeds | |
| People | Fergus Duncan | Ivan Farrier | Col. Ranald Drixon | |
| Stations | Arlesburgh West | Arlesburgh Bridge Street | Ffarquhar Road | Marthwaite | Arlesdale Green | Arlesdale | |