August, 2017
The viaduct carrying the Portland Branch, and later, Melcombe Regis Station, would once have been seen to the left.
Block & Quayle’s store now stands on the site of the goods shed.
The scout got talking to a fellow in a pub before catching the Weymouth Wizard and he had a lot to say about the town, its people, its inept council and self-serving politicians. He bought the scout a drink, thankful he imagined that the fellow had found someone to listen. He seemed honest, but a son of Dorset not perhaps its brightest representative. His Jack Russell grazed on the pub carpet. The scout told the fellow that he’d only come to Weymouth for the first time a few years ago and that he’d been riding about getting to know the place. He’d been out to Abbotsbury, ridden down from Dorchester and followed the line around to Easton on the island. When the scout told him that he was sort of mopping up all the stations in Dorset, the fellow asked: “Why would anyone do that?”
“Well,” the scout said, “I’d done Devon and then thought I would do the three neighbouring counties. It gets me out on the bike and there is always other interest.”
With that, the tramway being right outside, they started discussing its future. The fellow couldn’t remember panniers but had seen the boat trains behind diesels.
“I know a few people around here,” he said, like some wise guy. “And I’m privy to things.” The scout nodded.
“Anyway, I can tell you this is fact.”
“What is?” asked the scout, looking up at the clock behind the bar.
“Nettflick Rail, is it?” The scout corrected him. “OK, Network Rail. They’re planning to extend the third rail down to the harbour.”
The harbour tramway can be followed around the edge of Backwater.
A warship lies at anchor in Portland Harbour, above.