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Sprat and Winkle Line AI simulator
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Sprat and Winkle Line AI simulator
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Sprat and Winkle Line
The Sprat and Winkle Line was the common name of the Andover to Redbridge railway line which ran between Andover and Redbridge in Hampshire, England. In the Romsey area it joined, and then left, the Salisbury to Southampton line. It was built by the Andover and Redbridge Railway (A&RR), which was incorporated in 1858. In 1863 the uncompleted railway was taken over by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR), which opened the line in 1865. The line had been conceived as part of a trunk route from Manchester to Southampton, but when the Midland and South Western Junction Railway (M&SWJR) opened, the anticipated long-distance traffic was disappointing.
The M&SWJR line closed in 1961 and the Andover line was unable to survive on purely local traffic. The part from Andover to Romsey (Kimbridge Junction) closed to passengers in 1964, and completely in 1967. The section from Romsey to Redbridge had become part of the line from Salisbury to Southampton; it remains in use at the present day.
The Andover Canal was fully completed in 1794, running from near Andover to Redbridge. It never paid a dividend. A writer commented that "traffic carried on by means of this canal is very trifling".
Southampton was an important international port, and a railway connection from Manchester was proposed by promoters of the Manchester and Southampton Railway in 1845. It would run through Andover and they agreed to buy the Andover Canal for £30,000, to use its route. The LSWR's line was from London to Southampton, with a branch line from Bishopstoke (later named Eastleigh) to Gosport. Already in 1846 the allied Southampton and Dorchester Railway was being promoted, extending westward from Southampton. In 1846 the LSWR proposed a branch line from Redbridge (on the unbuilt Dorchester line) to Romsey, also using the bed of the Andover Canal. During the parliamentary process for authorisation, this was turned down by a Commons committee in favour of the Manchester and Southampton Railway scheme, which would cover similar ground around Romsey but had much greater strategic significance. However, in subsequent hearings in the Lords Committee, the Manchester scheme was also rejected.
After the parliamentary battle the LSWR came to an agreement with the Manchester directors: the Manchester line would stop at Andover, and the LSWR would build the line from Andover to Southampton. The Manchester company would have unrestricted access over the LSWR line. On 2 July 1847 the London and South Western Railway obtained powers to build the line, but in fact the financial collapse following the Railway Mania resulted in complete inability to start the construction.
Because of its importance as a port, Southampton continued to be an objective for other lines. The continuing decline in the profitability of the canal led to its proprietors forming a proposed Andover Canal Railway company, later changed to the Andover and Redbridge Railway Company. This was done with the connivance of the Great Western Railway (GWR) and it was assumed that the line would be broad gauge, and might connect to the GWR at Pewsey. A tussle followed between the LSWR and the GWR, but finally the LSWR took possession, and the line would be narrow (standard) gauge. On 12 July 1858 the Andover and Redbridge Railway was authorised by Parliament in the Andover and Redbridge Railway Act 1858 (21 & 22 Vict. c. lxxxii).
The Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston, cut the first sod on 28 September 1859, accompanied by an eleven gun salute; Palmerston had an estate at Broadlands, near Romsey. The A&RR went on to propose an extension from Redbridge to Southampton Royal Docks. However actually securing the necessary share subscriptions proved extremely difficult, and several successive acts of Parliament extended the time limit for completion of the construction, and permitted the cancellation of forfeited shares. This situation dragged on between the A&RR and the LSWR with mutually hostile proposals, until the LSWR acquired the local company, by the Andover and Redbridge and South Western Railways Act 1863 (26 & 27 Vict. c. cix) of 29 June 1863, absorbing it and converting the authorised track gauge to the narrow (standard) gauge. The LSWR adopted the debts of the Andover company and guaranteed a 3% annuity on the outlays already made. Now that the Andover line was no longer to be broad gauge, it could use the existing Salisbury line between Kimbridge Junction and Romsey.
The line was opened on 6 March 1865 as a single line. There were four trains each way daily, one of which was mixed passenger and goods; there was an additional Southampton to Romsey trip. There was one passenger train each way on Sundays. The trains called at all stations, taking 90 minutes for the 28 miles journey; the mixed trains took two hours.
Sprat and Winkle Line
The Sprat and Winkle Line was the common name of the Andover to Redbridge railway line which ran between Andover and Redbridge in Hampshire, England. In the Romsey area it joined, and then left, the Salisbury to Southampton line. It was built by the Andover and Redbridge Railway (A&RR), which was incorporated in 1858. In 1863 the uncompleted railway was taken over by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR), which opened the line in 1865. The line had been conceived as part of a trunk route from Manchester to Southampton, but when the Midland and South Western Junction Railway (M&SWJR) opened, the anticipated long-distance traffic was disappointing.
The M&SWJR line closed in 1961 and the Andover line was unable to survive on purely local traffic. The part from Andover to Romsey (Kimbridge Junction) closed to passengers in 1964, and completely in 1967. The section from Romsey to Redbridge had become part of the line from Salisbury to Southampton; it remains in use at the present day.
The Andover Canal was fully completed in 1794, running from near Andover to Redbridge. It never paid a dividend. A writer commented that "traffic carried on by means of this canal is very trifling".
Southampton was an important international port, and a railway connection from Manchester was proposed by promoters of the Manchester and Southampton Railway in 1845. It would run through Andover and they agreed to buy the Andover Canal for £30,000, to use its route. The LSWR's line was from London to Southampton, with a branch line from Bishopstoke (later named Eastleigh) to Gosport. Already in 1846 the allied Southampton and Dorchester Railway was being promoted, extending westward from Southampton. In 1846 the LSWR proposed a branch line from Redbridge (on the unbuilt Dorchester line) to Romsey, also using the bed of the Andover Canal. During the parliamentary process for authorisation, this was turned down by a Commons committee in favour of the Manchester and Southampton Railway scheme, which would cover similar ground around Romsey but had much greater strategic significance. However, in subsequent hearings in the Lords Committee, the Manchester scheme was also rejected.
After the parliamentary battle the LSWR came to an agreement with the Manchester directors: the Manchester line would stop at Andover, and the LSWR would build the line from Andover to Southampton. The Manchester company would have unrestricted access over the LSWR line. On 2 July 1847 the London and South Western Railway obtained powers to build the line, but in fact the financial collapse following the Railway Mania resulted in complete inability to start the construction.
Because of its importance as a port, Southampton continued to be an objective for other lines. The continuing decline in the profitability of the canal led to its proprietors forming a proposed Andover Canal Railway company, later changed to the Andover and Redbridge Railway Company. This was done with the connivance of the Great Western Railway (GWR) and it was assumed that the line would be broad gauge, and might connect to the GWR at Pewsey. A tussle followed between the LSWR and the GWR, but finally the LSWR took possession, and the line would be narrow (standard) gauge. On 12 July 1858 the Andover and Redbridge Railway was authorised by Parliament in the Andover and Redbridge Railway Act 1858 (21 & 22 Vict. c. lxxxii).
The Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston, cut the first sod on 28 September 1859, accompanied by an eleven gun salute; Palmerston had an estate at Broadlands, near Romsey. The A&RR went on to propose an extension from Redbridge to Southampton Royal Docks. However actually securing the necessary share subscriptions proved extremely difficult, and several successive acts of Parliament extended the time limit for completion of the construction, and permitted the cancellation of forfeited shares. This situation dragged on between the A&RR and the LSWR with mutually hostile proposals, until the LSWR acquired the local company, by the Andover and Redbridge and South Western Railways Act 1863 (26 & 27 Vict. c. cix) of 29 June 1863, absorbing it and converting the authorised track gauge to the narrow (standard) gauge. The LSWR adopted the debts of the Andover company and guaranteed a 3% annuity on the outlays already made. Now that the Andover line was no longer to be broad gauge, it could use the existing Salisbury line between Kimbridge Junction and Romsey.
The line was opened on 6 March 1865 as a single line. There were four trains each way daily, one of which was mixed passenger and goods; there was an additional Southampton to Romsey trip. There was one passenger train each way on Sundays. The trains called at all stations, taking 90 minutes for the 28 miles journey; the mixed trains took two hours.