Knapford Harbour

Knapford Harbour is a small port located in Knapford. It is the Harbour Line that is near the Main Line terminus. This port is served by both the Main Line and Thomas' Branch Line. Henry picks up the Flying Kipper from here.

History
Knapford Harbour began as a wharf around 1885, connected to another wharf at Elsbridge by the lightly built, horse worked Knapford and Elsbridge Railway. It initially served as a base for A. W. Dry's drainage operations in the area, but eventually proved a disappointment. It needed constant dredging and by 1905 the cost had become prohibitive. They abandoned it and extended the line along A. W. Dry’s road to Tidmouth to use the port there. From then until 1956, the harbour remained little used.

By the mid-1950s, there was severe congestion at Tidmouth, so Sir Charles Topham Hatt launched his Knapford Harbour Improvement Scheme, using plans created by his father, to redevelop the harbour and relieve the congestion at Tidmouth. Percy was transferred from Tidmouth to assist in its construction and ultimately stayed on the branch line. All the while, Trevor was loaned from the Vicar of Wellsworth. The work caused a considerable realignment of the entire branch line and was finished in 1957.