Ffarquhar Branch Line (T&F)

The Ffarquhar Branch Line, commonly known as Thomas' Branch Line, runs between Knapford and Ffarquhar and was awarded to Thomas after recovering James from an accident.

History
The line was first seen in the first series. It was given to Thomas, the station pilot at Knapford at the time, after rescuing James from an accident. He ran the line with only himself and his coaches Annie and Clarabel, until one day he got into trouble with a policeman since he was not allowed to travel to Ffarquhar Quarry without cowcatchers and sideplates. The Fat Controller acquired Toby to work the road side extension to the quarry.

In the second series, the Fat Controller decided to build a new harbour, located north of Tidmouth, to relieve congestion at Knapford Harbour. Thomas, Toby and Trevor helped rebuilding it. Percy was also transferred from the big station at Knapford to help with the construction. A line was used to connect the harbour with the main branch line south of Hackenbeck, and it mostly carries freight, together with occasional excursions for Thomas' passenger trains. Sometime later, Daisy, a diesel rail-car, was built and brought specially to work on the branch line, after Thomas crashed into a house.

Sometime during the third series, Toby's Old Line was reopened, and a new branch line was built to connect Arlesdale End to a new quarry next to the old one at Ffarquhar seen in the second series. Thomas' branch line was closed temporarily after the hot temperature buckled the rails one day, causing Thomas to come off the tracks. Bertie took charge of Thomas' passengers in the meantime. Some days later, however, the line is repaired. Sometime later, to cope with increasing production of stone from the quarry, the Ffarquhar Quarry Co. bought a diesel named Mavis, who not only shunts the quarry sidings, but also from time to time ventures down to the branch line.

1991 Map
Beginning from Tidmouth, the line travels west around the coast until it reaches a junction. The line continues southward, while the junction to the east takes trains along Duck's Branch Line. Continuing south, trains reach the intermediate station of Lower Tidmouth. From Lower Tidmouth, the line changes from three tracks to two, continuing south-west under the road bridge where some schoolboys dropped stones on Henry's train and passing Knapford Sheds before reaching the main station at Knapford, where it reconnects with The Main Line.

The branch line starts at Knapford, where it connects with the Main Line, splitting off at a bus yard and crossing over a level crossing. From here, the branch line leaves the town of Knapford and swings north-east, following the River Callan until it reaches the first stop at Dryaw. An airfield is located next to the station.

Leaving Dryaw, trains pass under a wide-arched bridge and come into Elsbridge, where the branch meets up with the Loop Line. Crossing the viaduct over the River Els, the branch continues north-east over a second bridge crossing over another loop line, passes Terence's Field, goes through a tunnel and past the cottage where Mrs. Kyndley lives before reaching Hackenbeck. The station at Hackenbeck features a small open shed where Daisy sleeps as well as stonecutting sidings for trucks from the quarry.

From Hackenbeck, the line forms a wye. Continuing to the east, trains terminate at Ffarquhar, the top station of the branch line. The northern end of the wye - which can be accessed via junctions at both Ffarquhar and Hackenbeck - continues along the quarry tramroad, which leads to both the old and new sites of Ffarquhar Quarry. A line continues north of the quarry which connects with Toby's Branch Line at Arlesdale End. A line back down from the quarry also exists, crossing the bridge where Toby became stuck after being pushed by the trucks and reconnecting with the main branch just outside of Hackenbeck Tunnel's north-eastern portal.

Additionally, the branch also has a harbour line. The harbour line splits off from another junction at the south-western end of Hackenbeck Tunnel, which travels west past the watermill and Crowe's Farm Crossing. It then passes under the bridges carrying Toby's Branch Line between Tidmouth and Lower Arlesburgh before terminating at New Harbour.

2014 Map
Thomas' branch line begins at Knapford, where it splits off from the Main Line near the bus yard, like on the 1991 map. Leaving Knapford, the line goes over Crowe's Farm Crossing and passes a windmill before coming to Dryaw, where the airfield and football field are located.

Next, the branch line reaches Toryreck, before continuing north past McColl Farm and the Sports Field Halt. The line then reaches Elsbridge, where there is a junction for the Loop Line. Continuing along Thomas' branch line, trains cross the Elsbridge Viaduct and pass the nearby Watermill and Farmer Trotter's Pig Farm. North-east from the farm is an old quarry mine and a forest which precede the station of Maithwaite.

From Maithwaite, trains pass through the Hackenbeck Tunnel before reaching the station of Hackenbeck and finally terminating at Ffarquhar, where a balloon loop is present to allow trains to turn around for the return journey. The quarry tramroad carries the line north of Ffarquhar, winding around the hills to the quarry where Mavis works. A line north of the quarry extends to Arlesdale End on Toby's Branch Line. Then the line extends passed Toby's Village to Terminate at Ulfstead.

Going south from Toryreck, there is a goods-only line to Knapford Harbour, which passes by the lead mines where Thomas fell into a mineshaft and a goods station near Dryaw.

Operations
The branch carries passengers, quarry stone, farm produce, dairy products, general goods and lead from the mines. Some passenger trains work into Tidmouth to pick up a through coach from the The Express. Thomas and sometimes Daisy run passenger duties with Annie and Clarabel. Toby, with Henrietta, run trains to Ffarquhar Quarry.

The branch also has a goods-line from south of Hackenbeck Tunnel to New Harbour, worked by Percy, who is in charge of goods duties, although when Thomas is absent he takes over passenger duties. He and Toby also appear to share the workload of stone trains to New Harbour. Thomas is also seen a few times with Annie and Clarabel taking passengers along this line, probably for trains that connect Tidmouth directly to Hackenbeck and Ffarquhar.

Stepney, Duck, James and Emily have also worked on the branch at various points. Edward once made a trip to the quarry before the policeman stopped Thomas for being "unsafe". The branch line has been temporarily taken away from Thomas as punishment twice; once after his accident at the lead mines, and again after he derailed Gordon’s express coaches in a failed attempt to play a trick on him. In the latter case, the line was temporarily given to Ryan.

This line also has a connection to the Lead Mines south of Knapford, used for mining lead. The Quarry Tramroad extends five miles from Hackenbeck and Ffarquhar, into the hills to the private sidings of Ffarquhar Quarry. This tramway is property of the North Western Railway and was formerly worked by Toby, but more recent arrangements have allowed for Mavis to operate trains on it.

The section between Knapford and Elsbridge is also shared with Main Line traffic. Edward, Henry, Gordon and James were seen quite a few times taking passenger trains from Knapford, through Dryaw and into Elsbridge, to connect with Thomas' own passenger trains that go to Ffarquhar.

Trivia

 * The branch line was created during the writing of Tank Engine Thomas Again when Christopher Awdry, Hilary Fortnam, and Veronica Chambers claimed the race between Thomas and Bertie in the book's fourth story, "Thomas and Bertie" was unfair. To fix this, Wilbert Awdry drew up the branch line to show that Thomas and Bertie had the same amount of obstacles to overcome in order to win the race. As a result, the children deemed the race "fair".
 * The branch line was the first part of Sodor to be mapped.
 * According to a magazine fact file, Rosie is said to be working on the Ffarquhar Branch Line.
 * The word 'Ffarquhar' means Far Away Quarry.

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