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Dean Forest Railway

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by Talking to Bears 00, Sep 16, 2018.

  1. Talking to Bears 00

    Talking to Bears 00 New Member

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    Had a Great day out today at the Dean Forest Railway Diesel Gala, thank you to everyone involved, the D832 Onslaught put a smile on my face. :)

    Photo: Dean Valley Railway Diesel Gala British Rail Class 42 Warship No.D832 Onslaught Norchard Station

    Dean Forest Railway British Rail Class 42 Warship D832 Onslaught 16.09.18.jpg
     
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2018
    Martin Perry likes this.
  2. brennan

    brennan Member

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    Makes a fine sight and congrats for reminding the forum that this is supposed to be a hobby and there are other railways besides a big, faction-riven one in Somerset
     
  3. Kingscross

    Kingscross Member

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    I was disappointed not to be able to make this one - never ridden behind warship. How's the proposed extension to Speech House Road going? Any sign of action on the ground?
     
  4. Martin Perry

    Martin Perry Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator Friend

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    Did a D8xx ever visit the Forest in BR days?
    The staple power after the end of steam was the D95xx with occasional D63xx, before the Class 25s and 37s of later years.
     
  5. Bifur01

    Bifur01 Member

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    Nothing yet - I think the ORR are taking their time re: derogation for the Travellers' Rest level crossing. Then, according to the latest DFRS magazine, a retaining wall has to be shored up just north of Parkend, which won't be cheap, either.
     
  6. Talking to Bears 00

    Talking to Bears 00 New Member

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    I do like a Freight Set :)

    Photo: Dean Valley Railway Diesel Gala British Rail Class 14 D9521 Norchard Station

    Dean Forest Railway British Rail Class 14 D9521 16.09.18.jpg
     
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  7. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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    I'm surprised there's nothing on their website about the future expansions. Only thing I can find is a link off Wikipedia to some proposal, but nothing solid noted anywhere... Odd considering the article stated a 2023 target.

    http://www.theforestreview.co.uk/ar...nto Cinderford&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2016
     
  8. Railboy

    Railboy New Member

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    I've got some questions concerning the donation of around 3 miles of disused track to the DFR from NR from the remains of the branch lines of the Wye Valley and Glascoed.
    The donation is mentioned in the Dean Forest Rail Society project website.
    https://www.dfrsociety.org.uk/northern-extension
    With this donation of materials they'll be able to extend the current railway line significantly.
    I wondered from where exactly the remains will be collected.
    First I will mention the remains of the Wye Valley Railway. There are remains left from Wye Valley Junction to Tintern Quarry. I believe the reclamation of the rails needs to be done due to the planned path on the abandoned section of the Wye Valley Railway.
    http://www.theforestreview.co.uk/ar...or tunnel path&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2019

    The remains of the track can be seen in this popular video.

    Will they also get rails from the remains of the branch line from Little Mill Junction to Glascoed (last Train ran 1993 to Royal Ordonance Factory) (are there even rails left??)?

    When will the huge task of retriefing the donated materials be done (in 2019 or later?)?


    Thanks in advance for eventual corrections and answers.
    Cheers
     
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  9. Great Western

    Great Western Member

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    They’ll be to clear a hell of a lot of undergrowth and landslide to recover the track on the Wye Valley Line, the track through Tidenham Tunnl is seriously degraded into the trackbed.
     
  10. mdewell

    mdewell Well-Known Member Friend

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    I'd suggest the first place to ask such questions ought to be the railway themselves (rather than an open forum) ;). Having said that, I'd be interested in any answers that you received from them. :)
     
  11. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    Having looked at the video, I don't envy them the task of recovering the rail. In fact, if you offered it free to a scappie, he'd probably want paying a lot to take the job on.
     
  12. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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    And further to this post I noticed the following -:

    https://www.dfrsociety.org.uk/north...wQcV-3i8iVI-OzP0-50_jn3POVQpA5vZmjfzrepWZLNyY
     
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  13. Great Western

    Great Western Member

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    Although it’s a lovely gesture from NWR to gift so much track to the DFR, you have to wonder how much will actually be in a fit state to use.

    Rail maybe okay, but sleepers they’ll be rotten as hell in the main especially those on the Wye Valley section.

    It seems to me that NWR doing themselves a favour by getting someone else to remove the track at their cost than NWR.
     
  14. Davo

    Davo Well-Known Member

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    Is some of the track though concrete sleepers on the video from wye valley jct at the beginning of the video b4 the fellow exploring the line gets somewhere b4 tidenham tunnel not sure at which point it changes from bull head to flat bottomed rail whilst he is walking the trackbed
     
  15. Great Western

    Great Western Member

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    I think you could discount the train inside the tunnel, it’s solidly set into the rock that now forms the trackbed.

    It’ll take days if not weeks to cut enough vegetation down to even access the track, let alone remove it.
     
  16. 61624

    61624 Part of the furniture

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    From what I can see from the film quite a lot of the track is flat bottomed rail secured to concrete sleepers with pandrol clips, so I think some of the gloom expressed on here is misplaced. Nor, I suspect, would the vegetation present much of an obstacle to a crawler digger.
     
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  17. 45076

    45076 Member

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    he Royal Forest of Steam returns for 2019!

    Our steam extravaganza will take place on Friday 7th - Sunday 9th June, with up to 4 locomotives in steam.

    We are pleased to welcome BR 'Large Prairie' no. 5199 from the Llangollen Railway, the first time any member of this class has visited the DFR in steam! Built in 1934, no. 5199 ended her British Rail career at Gloucester Horton Road in 1963 before being returned to working order in North Wales 40 years later.

    Visiting locomotives will be accompanied by our home fleet of locomotives:

    - Ex-GWR 'Small Prairie' no. 5541
    - LMR 'Austerity' no. WD152 "Rennes"

    This year, visitors will have the exclusive opportunity to visit the locomotive restoration shed, where the DFLGs twin Pannier tanks no. 9681 and 9682 will be on display for the first time. No. 9681 is due to return to steam later in 2019. It may also be possible to view overhaul progress on 14xx no. 1466, from the Didcot Railway Centre.

    If that's not enough, for just £10, you can take control of a full-size steam locomotive at Norchard Low Level station! Truly an opportunity not to be missed.

    Further attractions include:
    - Freight trains
    - Double-headers
    - Intensive timetable
    - Traction engine display
    - Model railway display

    All locomotives and attractions are subject to availability; more information will be available soon!
     
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  18. free2grice

    free2grice Part of the furniture Friend

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    Visitor numbers should hopefully rise at the Dean Forest Railway this year due to the toll charges being axed on both the M4 and M48 Severn bridges. :) <BJ>
     
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  19. H Cloutt

    H Cloutt Member

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    Just wondered what the current situation is with the purchase of the 2 Mark 2 coaches. The website suggests that funds are still required - but I understood that there was now enough to complete the purchase and fund the conversion of the braking system. Can anyone provide an update?
     
  20. H Cloutt

    H Cloutt Member

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    Now that I have looked at the right websie I have answered my own question. The link is https://www.dfrsociety.org.uk/mark-2-coach-appeal which has a good picture of the first Mark 2 which has been repainted and looks very smart.
     

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