Oswestry Update

Can I ask all CHR members who read this to go and look at the forum for an important piece of information.
http://www.cambrianrailways.com/forum/

Another blog post will be coming shortly, so much is going on it's getting hard to keep track. This week sees the start of the Twilight Shift on the extension, hours are from 6:30 to 8:30 pm on Thursdays, before long there will be a suggestion for a night shift...! That was only a joke and not a serious suggestion before anyone mentions neighbours!

 

Just to confirm that we are now on day 2 of the preworks for the big dig. The site office has moved on to site so the tea station is in full working order, meaning that we are almost ready to start.

Now comes the fun!

 

Pictures from the close of play today have been uploaded to the blog

https://ilvaporista.blogspot.it/

 

The top layer of ballast has been scraped off, the crowd protection barriers are up and all has been cleared away from the supports. We are ready to go!

Yesterday evening the first twilight shift of the year worked on various jobs and further progress was made ticking off jobs from the list. More photos will be loaded over the weekend.


https://ilvaporista.blogspot.it/

 

Further pictures of the enabling works to start the dig plus a round up of other jobs done this week.

https://ilvaporista.blogspot.it/

 

First picture of the actual dig. Now we are underway! We are hoping that we can get the drainage right otherwise with the heavy rain we will be opening an open air swimming pool.

https://ilvaporista.blogspot.it/

Much activity is going on in the background getting ready for the next steps.

 

Presumably (from the photo) this was a double track(?) bridge which has been strengthened/supported in a way that requires a single track dip in the trackbed. Out of interest did you consider what would be needed to replace the bridge properly, and might that still happen one day? It's probably fine for a heritage line but it'll be a bit of a bodge, won't it?

 

Any reason for the pegs to be so close to either side of the track.
Too vulnerable to attack by a rampant digger bucket or a swinging load on a hook.

 

I'm sure that someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the bridge is Shropshire Council's responsibility, and it was them that put the supports in some years back. This is an acceptable compromise that saves the council having to replace the bridge. I think.

Steve B

 

Yes the line to the South was double track. As the overbridge is the responsibility of Shropshire County Council it will fall to them to eventually replace the deck. This solution is a medium term fix to allow both CHR and SCC to meet their objectives. CHR to extend to Weston and SCC not to have a very expensive repair which is not in their budget.

 

Sorry I can't view or post from my mobile due to the adverts issue. The level boards may well get swiped during the dig, I think the issue maybe with the slopes on the sides being so close sighting across the boards becomes much closer to the ground. Aged backs could play a part here..!

 

More work and digging last week, things are moving under the bridge, or rather disappearing. I am waiting for some pictures and then will update the blog. Around the site other jobs continued and work inside the shed continues. You may have noticed that Llynclys station is for sale. The timing is not great for CHR but if you fancy a genuine station on a heritage railway then let us know. Ideal for retirement! My six numbers were the correct ones in the last draw but the machine got it wrong... again...

 

£ 325,000 apparently, no mention of the eventual intentions of the preservationist group in the blurb, is this a one off opportunity, although the stretch south is not part of a link to the Tanat Valley.

 

Indeed the asking price seems very optimistic and is very different to local valuations. The give away might be track at both ends of the garden and searches will reveal the state of legal documentation.

 

For those asking: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-54848055.html

Seems to make a lot of sense to try and acquire it. Gobowen to Llynclys is a solid run with an original station as a terminus. Surely the CHR has a wealthy benefactor that could make some money out of it as a B&B, much in the same way the Lynton and Barnstaple have with some land acquisitions

 

If you can find one please let us know! Despite many contacts over a long period it has not been possible to find an agreement at this time. What funds there are have been invested in the TWAO (£40K) and the Weston extension. Our membership is not large and the millionaires are keeping very quiet.

Remember that CHR for the bank turns over £30k, makes next to no profit and has very few capital assets. Trying to get a loan/mortgage for £300k through commercial funding is very unlikely. The offering for sale of the station has perhaps come a bit too early.

I can agree that purchase of the station would be ideal but we suffer from the same problems as 99% of the people in the world that would like to own a Ferrari. Yes it's beautiful, yes it is what I want, but when it comes to handing over the cash it's just not there, so it will continue to be a dream that one day will be possible.

 

Given the positive relations with the council, is it in any way shape or form worth sticking out a feeler to see what their view of this is? I am not sure that they can do anything (councils are cash strapped so I think 350,000 for a house is perhaps expecting to too much especially when services are being cut to the bone) but often this is the kind of thing that slips by councils/local public supporters, making them aware maybe a first step to finding some way to obtain the former station.

 

Strikes me that you just need to persuade someone friendly to buy the house to live in. So long as the buyer is amenable to the loss of their garden and allows the track to be put back down, it doesn't really matter if you don't have the use of the main station building for the next few years. There are stations on other preserved railways in a similar state (Glyndyfrdwy and Hardingham spring to mind). Surely amongst the Cambrian membership there must be someone currently looking to move house?

 

Indeed that would be the best option and it is one reason for bringing this to a preservation orientated forum!
I would love to move house to the area just the small problem of no money and no job to go to.. retirement is only 15 years away!

 

I think we can have nothing but praise for the local and county councils with all the support that they are currently giving (Oswestry; £120k, Shropshire with the dig). It's the reason why I mentioned timing above, we have tapped in to many local funding sources who will now want to see some real progress before any further investment.
I would love to think that public funds could become available but you can just see the headlines that could be created by a unfavorable reaction . '£300k to Play Trains but Hospital Closes Ward'.