The Island of Sodor: The New Stories.

The Arlesdale Railway (Arlesburgh - Arlesdale)

Background

When the MSR closed in 1947, most of the line was ripped up and abandoned. It wasn't until ten years later when both Sir Stephen and Sir Handel Brown got together to discuss what to do with what was left. Sir Walter was occupied with other matters, and so abstained from discussion at first. Eventually he was on board. Despite being abandoned, the waste heaps of some of the old mines proved effective for ballast. They all agreed that a railway should be built to transport it. They couldn't decide what gauge the track should be. Then Sir Walter made an offhand comment about making a minimum gauge line. The other controllers loved it and immediately started work to convert the line. First they appointed Mr. Fergus Duncan, formerly the NWR's deputy controller, as the new controller of the Arlesdale Railway. The wharf for the MSR was restored and repurposed for minimum gauge track. Donald and Douglas helped a lot with this part of the project. After this was done, 3 diesels were bought from a workshop in Cumbria to help build the line and were named Frank, Brynn and Brenda. They were helped out by Jenny Packard's predecessor, and mother, Natalie Packard and her machines, the original Pack. They helped deliver the new ballast to the construction sites. Once the line was completed, 3 more engines were ordered for general duties. Until they arrived, Frank and the twins collected ballast from the mines to be shipped across the island. Soon Mr. Duncan explored the idea of running a passenger service, so the old station was restored, and coaches were purchased. In 1966, Rex, Mike and Bert arrived on the line. They ran passenger and freight, while the diesels were relegated to maintenance and general duties. One thing I forgot to mention was how they unloaded the ballast into standard gauge trucks. They use a special platform they call a chute. An engine pushes trucks on top of it over the big railway's trucks. Then the bottom of the ballast trucks slid out and dumped the loads into the trucks. It's a strange process, but it works well. Then in 1969, the AR became crucial in finding Duke, since their rails ran over the old MSR track bed. They had other things that happened, like the arrival of Sigrid in the 70s, but the AR is usually an unproblematic and relaxed railway, besides the occasional banter between engines.

ARLESBURGH WEST STATION

(See The Arlesburgh Branch Line part)

BRIDGE STREET STATION

Bridge Street is the first station that is fully on the AR. There's not really much to say about this stop. There is a nice café here called Bridge Street Café. There's another one that's all the way in America. Both are famous for their live music. The American location was put in the short-lived show Tugs. There are also some coach tours that start from here.

FFARQUHAR ROAD STATION

The next stop is Ffarquhar Road. Like Bridge Street, there is not much to say about this stop. This station is named like Ulfstead Road or even Skarloey Road. All three stations run close to the roads and are just outside their namesakes. There is also a watermill from the old days still there.

MARTHWAITHE STATION

 Marthwaithe is the middle station on the line. Some people who haven't read the books may say I have spelled Maithwaithe wrong. Unlike many things I have mentioned, Maithwaithe is a strictly TVS creation. The road runs very close to the rails on the run up to it. This is where Bert was splashed by Rev. Awdry and his friend Rev. Teddy Boston. This is the most interesting thing to happen here. There's an old, dilapidated signal box from the old MSR days. Tourists usually flock to this place because of it.

ARLESDALE GREEN STATION

Arlesdale Green is the penultimate station. It was actually the only station that was built from scratch. It was put here to give the engines a rest. The line climbs significantly after Marthwaithe before the descent down to Arlesdale. Right after the station there is a wooded area (hence the name). Sometimes people get married in the clearings during the summer. There are usually wedding trains chartered during that time.

ARLESDALE STATION

Arlesdale is the final station on the line. It was actually the middle station for the MSR. The line used to go throughout the mountains and up to Peel Godred. When traffic started to decline, parts of the line were closed and ripped up as time went on. Mr. Duncan considered extending the line back to King Orry's Bridge but changed his mind. The MSR sheds were also a mile or two away. This is where Mr. Duncan, Rev. Awdry, Rev. Boston and the Duke of Sodor found Duke. The small engines actually got a chance to talk to him before he left. He shared stories from when the MSR was still in service. Eventually he was put on a truck on the standard gauge tracks and sent to the SKR. A group of hikers from Arlesdale hiked up to the mine at Ulfstead Road. They found Bertram in a shed outside the mine. Arlesdale was a pretty populated area before the MSR went belly up.