The North Western Main Line travels from Vicarstown westwards to Knapford and Tidmouth via Sodor's southern coast. It is approximately 80 miles long.
Route[]
David Mitton Map[]
The Main Line begins from Tidmouth - home to the main engine sheds and junction for several branch and loop lines, including Toby's Branch Line, The Little Western, The Loop Line and the Headland Line. Heading directly south, the Main Line goes through a tunnel reconvining with the Headland Line at Knapford, which is home to a secondary roundhouse along with a large shunting yard and harbour.
Leaving Knapford, the line passes by Bertie's Bus Yard and the junction for Thomas' Branch Line and curves westwards, through the tunnel where Henry stopped and towards Crosby, where Duck crashed into a barber shop with a runaway train. The line then continues westwards over the bridge where Henry and Gordon came across a stray cow and through Henry's Forest. The line then passes a junction where the Loop Line reconnects with the Main Line and crosses the Viaduct over the River Merry, where Gordon lost his dome in the wind, before reaching Wellsworth, the junction for Edward's Branch Line.
Leaving Wellsworth, the line passes by Suddery Junction and climbs Gordon's Hill. After reaching the peak, the line descends the other side towards Maron. As the 1991 map only shows the western side of Sodor, little is known beyond this point, other than that the line eventually reaches Crovan's Gate, the transfer station for the Skarloey Railway, before continuing to the Vicarstown on the far side of the Island where only the diesels work.
Sam Wilkinson Map[]
First, The Main Line crosses over the rolling lift bridge across the Walney Channel where it offically starts at Vicarstown, before passing by the junction to the Dieselworks and through Henry's Tunnel.
The line then passes the junctions for the Norramby Branch Line and the line to Great Waterton, before continuing south-west past the Lumber Mill and through Henry's Forest. After crossing under Neville's Bridge - which carries Stepney's Branch Line - the line reaches Crovan's Gate, the transfer station for the Skarloey Railway and home to the Sodor Steamworks.
From Crovan's Gate, the line travels south-west through Chestnut Orchard to Kirk Ronan Junction - where trains along the branch line split off to the branch line to Kirk Ronan, Kellsthorpe Road the junction for the branch, and through the Whispering Woods, which has its own halt. The Main Line Loop splits from the Main Line just west of the woods, while the Main Line continues north-west through the stations of Kellaby and Balladrine. The line then passes the junction to the Killdane Branch Line and the nearby Sodor Ice Cream Factory, before reaching the station at Killdane, the junction for the Peel Godred Branch Line.
Curving west, the line passes through Cronk and over the Viaduct, past the junction where it reconnects with the Main Line Loop and into Maron. The line then passes the junction for the Ulfstead Branch Line and climbs Gordon's Hill. Trains then descend the hill and pass through two junctions that lead to the Coaling Plant Branch Line and Edward's Branch Line respectively. Trains then arrive at Wellsworth.
Leaving Wellsworth, trains cross the Sodor Suspension Bridge and pass Sir Topham Hatt's Shed, then pass the junction for the Loop Line, before reaching Crosby. After Crosby, the line continues west past the Sodor Dairy and washdown, before curving northwards through the Crosby Tunnel, under Thomas' Branch Line and into Knapford, the junction to Thomas' Branch Line.
Following Knapford, the line continues through the Shunting Yards and northwards, through Lower Tidmouth and then a short tunnel before reaching the main station at Tidmouth, home to the railway's main engine sheds where the Steam Team live and the junction for Duck's Branch Line.
Locomotives[]
(Note: This list does not include shunters and station pilots for stations such as Knapford and Vicarstown or maintenance of way equipment)
Current[]
Former[]
Rolling Stock[]
(Note: this list does not include maintenance of way equipment such as the Breakdown Train)
Current[]
Former[]
| Locomotives | Steam | Thomas | Henry | Gordon | James | Donald and Douglas | Emily | Murdoch | Molly | Nia | Rebecca |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | BoCo | |
| Former | Edward | |
| Rolling Stock | Passenger | Annie and Clarabel | Emily's Coaches | Green Express Coaches | Red Express Coaches |
| Former | The Spiteful Brake Van | Slip Coaches | |
| Trains | Passenger | The Express | The Local | The Great Waterton Special |
| Goods | The Flying Kipper | The Midnight Goods | |
| Infrastructure | Stations | Tidmouth | Lower Tidmouth** | Knapford | Crosby | Wellsworth | Maron | Cronk** | Killdane** | Balladrine** | Kellaby** | Whispering Woods Halt** | Kellsthorpe Road** | Crovan's Gate | Great Waterton** | Vicarstown | Barrow-in-Furness** |
| Sheds | Tidmouth Sheds | Tidmouth Yard Sheds | Knapford Sheds | Crovan's Gate Sheds* | Vicarstown Sheds | |
| Tunnels and Bridges | Tidmouth Tunnel (South) | Henry's Tunnel | Crosby Tunnel** | Crosby Bridge* | The Viaduct | Sodor Suspension Bridge** | Maron Bridge* | Standard Gauge and Narrow Gauge Viaduct | Vicarstown Bridge** |