European Railroad Discussion > West Highland Line 1960

I was tipped off by an article in today's Daily Telegraph to seek out a movie with the title for this discussion. Type it into your favorite on line video web site and enjoy a 30 minute nostalgia trip.

I learned something along the the way - the western most UK station was built by the London Northeastern Railway - now wonder we sometimes get our wests and easts mixed up!

There are a number of railwaymen featured on the soundtrack and some descriptions of how the line should be fired and driven. The same classes of locomotives used then are still around for the summer steam trains, including the LMS work horse, the 4-6-0 Black 5. Since my only visit to the Highlands was for a week in the late 1960s when I did not see one mountain peak, I have never been back, but perhaps in retirement I will have the time to wait the necessary number of days for clear weather!

The West Highland was inherited by the London and North Eastern from the North British Railway at the 1923 grouping. Although it was undoubtedly the westernmost in Britain, at the time it was built the westernmost in the UK, and in Europe, was Valentia Harbour in County Kerry in what today is the Republic of Ireland.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/13 13:41 by 86235.

Just to clarify.

The United Kingdom consists of England, Scotland and Wales. Not the island of Ireland.

The British Isles consists of England, Scotland, Wales and all of Ireland - it is not a political definition

Britain is loosely defined but British citizenship includes Northern Island (as stated on British passports).

England in no way is an alternative name for any area other than England, though many foreigners have been misled by a lazy media into thinking that England equals any and all of the British Isles. This particularly applies to the US media and is a source of irritation to the Scots, Welsh and Irish.

The claim that the West Highland Line has the westernmost station in the UK is mentioned in the film.

Focalplane Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just to clarify.
>
> The United Kingdom consists of England, Scotland
> and Wales. Not the island of Ireland.

I disagree...its the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Great Britain is the common reference for England, Wales and Scotland.

> The British Isles consists of England, Scotland,
> Wales and all of Ireland - it is not a political
> definition
>
> Britain is loosely defined but British citizenship
> includes Northern Island (as stated on British
> passports).
>
> England in no way is an alternative name for any
> area other than England, though many foreigners
> have been misled by a lazy media into thinking
> that England equals any and all of the British
> Isles. This particularly applies to the US media
> and is a source of irritation to the Scots, Welsh
> and Irish.
>
> The claim that the West Highland Line has the
> westernmost station in the UK is mentioned in the
> film.

I would suggest its actually Londonderry on the Northern Ireland Railways.

Dave

DavidP Wrote:

> I disagree...its the United Kingdom of Great
> Britain and Northern Ireland. Great Britain is
> the common reference for England, Wales and
> Scotland.
>
> > The British Isles consists of England,
> Scotland,
> > Wales and all of Ireland - it is not a
> political
> > definition
> >
> > Britain is loosely defined but British
> citizenship
> > includes Northern Island (as stated on British
> > passports).

> > The claim that the West Highland Line has the
> > westernmost station in the UK is mentioned in
> the
> > film.
>
> I would suggest its actually Londonderry on the
> Northern Ireland Railways.
>
> Dave

Dave is right. The UK very much includes Northern Ireland. Just to add to the confusion there is a further definition out there - the British Islands which is strictly legal and consists of England, Wales and Scotland (the island of Great Britain) Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey (including Herm, Alderney, Sark and the other minor inhabited Channel Islands).

Just becasue something is mentioned in a film does not mean it is right. I suspect I'd be able to stump half the population of the UK by asking which country we had a land border with.

OK, let's call a truce and watch the movie!