PLANNING
I’ve been a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth since I first read Lord of the Rings in 1958. In addition to an enthralling story, Tolkien created landscapes, economies, languages and an entire world. The cohesiveness of the creation was fascinating, but there was a glaring omission. There was no transportation system other than the Elven ships, the Rohirrim horses, and an occasional pony cart. Middle Earth needed a railroad!
Setting a railroad in the Third Age when the majority of the Ring trilogy is set would require the introduction of technology into a sword and sorcery world. What if we carried the world forward to a more modern time? Tolkien hints at the development of Middle Earth in the Fourth Age as the “Age of Men.” The Elves had left Middle Earth, the hobbits were growing larger by generation, and magic was no longer a force with the defeat of Sauron and Saruman and the departure of Gandalf. Their memories remained, as did the geography, the history, the economy, and the people.
The quality and quantity of scholarly and fan research on Middle Earth is perhaps without equal in the world of fiction. Since the advent of the Internet, much of this material has appeared on line and the Peter Jackson production of the trilogy only added to the wealth, breadth, and depth of information. Some of my favorite works and Internet sites are collected in the notes to this article.
Using such sources as the Encyclopedia of Arda, the venerable Atlas of Middle-earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad and Christopher Tolkien’s multi-volume explication of his father’s work, we get a clear picture of the geography of Middle Earth and the likely location of rail transport. A look at several of the maps in these and other works was all I needed to lay down a basic track plan for the AT&SF.
Maps 1, 2, and 3 are examples of the maps I used. Map 4 shows the route I chose.
I knew that I wanted the railroad to deliver coal and iron ore from the former land of the Witch King in Angmar to the forges of Fanduin and the ports of Gondor. I also knew that Bree would be a focal point of the railroad. Even in the Third Age, Bree was a meeting place of the races and a center of commerce. By the Sixth Age, it would be a metropolis with a large industrial center, ready for rail connection to the other major population centers of Middle Earth.
After studying numerous maps and re-reading Tolkien’s descriptions of the lands of Arda, it became obvious that we could not go directly south to the sea. Following the river would expose the railroad to far too great a seasonal flooding danger. In fact, cartographers know the area south and west of Bree as “The GreyFlood.” The westerly marshlands also prevent laying rail in that direction.
If we chose to stay north of the mountains and go east, our next chance to go south would take us through either Fangorn Forest or Mirkwood and the Rhovanion Wilderland, both places to avoid. In addition, we would lose the markets at Cârn Dum, Fornost, Bree, and Tharbad. Remember that the Ent laws prohibit the cutting of living trees, so any route through a forest presents a problem.
Our chosen route takes us south from Cârn Dum through Athilin, Fornost Erain, and Fanduin. When we reach Bree, we meet the BEER Line, although we do not interchange with this antique railway. Just south of Bree, we cut through the mountains of Tyrn Gorthard, passing Minas Malloth as we do. We then turn southeast to skirt the flood plain to Thalion and then on to Tharbad, home of a prosperous community whose farming expertise takes advantage of the alluvial plain.
Continuing southeast, we pass through the hamlet of Dun Larach on our way to the banks of the Isen. Crossing the river, we head east and enter the Gap of Rohan, the only safe route through the mountains.
Our next station is at Edoras, home of the Kings of Rohan. By the Sixth Age, Edoras has grown in size and prosperity. It’s a worthy goal for any railroad!
Beyond Edoras is the subdivision yard at Anorien. At Mordor Junction, the railroad shares trackage with the M&O, which brings ore and mithril from Osgiliath and Minas Ithil. The main line continues on the tracks of the former Gondor & Rohan through Pelargir (where the Black Fleet was defeated) and then along the Bay of Belfalas to Lond Ernil and to the terminus at Lond Galen.
Note that the railroad bypasses the entire center of Gondor. The original G&R was built to move goods from port to port along the existing trade routes. Because of the rugged terrain, no major railroad routes were ever constructed though the heartland of Gondor. Several short, narrow-gauged railroads connected Sarn Erech, Calembel, and Ethring to the main line railroad, but traffic never grew and they all folded.
