User:Steepleman/sandbox/Narquay, Goodsmarket and Lowesk Railway

The Narquay, Goodsmarket and Lowesk Railway was a railway company which was created in 1851 that operated in north Loweshire, linking the port town of Narquay to Lowesk with a branch to Quarry. In 1932, it merged with the GNR to form the Great Northern Railway Group which still operates many lines in north Nortain. It has been credited to the creation of the Signal Valance where the signal arm is actually formed in part by the wooden valance.

History
The Narquay, Goodsmarket and Lowesk Railway, was formed in 1851 to serve passenger steamers to the Isle of Rerd. It was incorporated in an Act of Parliament in 1852 and work begun on the May of that year. The network was linked at Lowesk to the Lowesk and Brenham Railway. Originally, there was planned to be an additional station between Blackwhite Rye and Goodsmarket serving the two tiny hamlets of Treburn and Howes however it was deemed too costly and was never built. The stations were built to a design by Richard Coole, a draughtsman working for the Board of Railways.

The stations included small white valances with black arches, a redbrick building and a booking office. Some larger stations had a waiting room too, as well as porter rooms, workrooms and offices.

Injuries
There was a fatal injury during the construction of the line when a wooden scaffolding bridge collapsed down a ditch, sending a hammer down on the mason below.

Opening
The railway opened in 1854. Passenger numbers were at first low however as the decade went on, they rose dramatically as the Isle of Rerd became a popular holiday destinations for families.

A new station was built at Arsby-on-the-Bourne to cope with the growing popularity of the line.

This station was built in a different style to the other buildings as it has cream coloured bricks with a maroon lining. The valances were cream too with red cast iron arches. The station was the first to incorporate stone pavers; the other stations had cobblestones before switching to stone in 1861.

Nationalisation
The early 1900s saw the partial nationalisation of the railways of Nortain with the Nortain Railways Act 1901. This effectively grouped the railways under a common banner of Nortain Railways alongside the individual railway company. It was designed to regulate the industry and to make tickets universal under the NR banner across the entire network, allowing stations in Loweshire to sell tickets for a trip in Rhydes. The railway network signage would incorporate the Nortain Railways logo. This was soon changed to the Royal Nortan Railways logo after receiving royal assent in 1902.

GNR and Merging
In the early 1910s, when the GNR reached Ashwood, a rather grand and large station was built with the financial help of both the GNR and the NG&LR. Ashwood Railway Station provided express links to Heaston, Norhale and Cadell. It was a great success and cattle from Lowesk became a common sight in butchers around the north. The two companies merged in 1932 to form the Great Northern Railway Group. Stations, which had previously been painted cream and red or black were given a new colour scheme of dark cream and green to fit with the GNR colours.

A new signal box was built at Ashford and direct services from Cadell to Narquay commenced in 1933.