The 009 Society - Members Layouts
Yate Rocks Tramway by Colin James

Yate Rocks Tramway – South Gloucestershire
Tramway, nr Wickwar, Gloucestershire
In the late 19th century there was a tramway, probably horse drawn and about 3ft gauge, that linked two limestone quarry just north of the east end of Tan House Lane with some limekilns alongside the Midland Main line just south of where the existing Limekiln Lane crosses the railway line. Although the tramway had been dismantled by 1900 the route is still easily discernable across the fields. There was also a small tramway, although not connected, alongside the quarry on the south side of Tan House Farm. This quarry is now a well known Carp fishing lake, having flooded when the quarrymen hit a spring.
As I have yet to establish if it had a name, I have created a name for it, the Yate Rocks Tramway.

From fact to fiction
Yate Rocks Tramway – 009 narrow gauge
This 009 layout takes the tramway as its basis. However I have turned it into a steam and diesel hauled 2ft 3ins gauge mineral light railway. I have also connected it to the Midland railway main line, which passed the limekilns, via a standard gauge spur. The buildings on the layout are mainly from the area, the idea being to create an image of part of the quarrying history of the area as it might have been in circa 1950.
Colin F.J.James - 009 Society & Sodbury Vale Model Railway Club
Jan 2011

Text and photographs by Colin James

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