West Somerset Railway General Discussion

That is until you have accident because you haven't got the braking force to stop quickly enough!

 

Is that Brunel-style baulk road in the 1900 picture?

 

The first pic helpfully shows the Up platform at its "original" height. For the first twenty years or so, the line was single through Crowcombe. I have a long-held theory that Crowcombe's layout was similar to Stogumber, that is, the station building was away from the original and only platform (which I believe was the current Down platform). Ian Coleby's research (and documents he unearthed) suggests otherwise. Why then did Brunel lay the first rails on the current Up loop alignment, rather than the current, straight Down loop alignment. Or was it just remarkable foresight allowing for a future loop to be constructed at Crowcombe some thirty years after his survey/design work. If only I could track down a map covering the first twenty years of the railway...

Steve

 

It does look like Baulk road with the tiebars but it seems to be standard gauge when compared with the later photos.
Am I right in that thought?

 

Yes.

It lasted until the late 1920’s here.

Robin

 

I guess it depends whether you rub up to stock at speed then zero the brake or practice more defensive driving techniques.
6619 ran at 21" with no problems and I think 5224 did likewise. If the loco is steam braked then it's academic.

 

I understood the gauge conversion on the Minehead Branch (and elsewhere?) was simply(!) the inward movement of rails and timbers on one side only, thus re-using the current materials. Interestingly, as the early pic shows, the new loop trackwork (installed some time after the conversion) was also laid to the same style .

Steve

 

Those maps are mine but I'm happy for them to be copied here.
Ian Coleby

 

Yes I understand most of the narrowing of the gauge in the south west was done in the way Steve mentions. In that way lines west of Exeter and the branches were able to be completed in a week end.
http://www.broadgauge.org.uk/history/pops/bg_pic_gauge_conversion.htm
Bristol to Exeter - which would include the Minehead Branch was earlier. I think.

 

Great photos. I especially like the first one as I've not seen a photo of Crowcombe in broad gauge days. On the last (small) photo, is it an optical illusion, or is the down line a long way from the platform edge?

 

What about reinstating some baulk road?

And yes, I gather it wasnt one of the great mans more successful ideas

 

And what would the ORR think of that idea!!!!!

Sent from my Lenovo TAB 2 A10-70F using Tapatalk

 

Maybe it was still in situ and that was what the ORR was concerned about!

 

Didcot already has.

 

Brunel was a rotten railway engineer.

There, I’ve said it. An economic visionary, and a notable civil engineer, but everything he did directly railway equipment related turned out to be an evolutionary dead end at best, and much of it (his own specified locos; the atmospheric railway) turned out to be outright disastrous.

Tom

 

As it was in use for over 50 years I'd say that qualifies as being moderately successful at least (& it's still in use at Paddington).
Agreed he was pretty rubbish at mechanical engineering, & project management as well.

 

I've often thought that in a way the atmospheric railway is the ancestor of today's modern electric locos. After all, on both the device that moves the loco is on the loco, but the power source is at the side of the track somewhere and is supplied by something the loco has to connect to.

 

There was a broad gauge display on the Down platform at CH until a few years ago. For some reason, it was removed (not a good background for films, perhaps?) & is hopefully in storage.
There was a plan to install it at Watchet, the original BG terminus, but there was to be a very expensive delivery charge, which I don't understand.

 

Heresy. Wash your mouth out!

 

So, logically, third rail electric broad gauge would have been the way to go!
(Just kidding).