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Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum

Discussion in 'Narrow Gauge Railways' started by tobes3803, Jan 7, 2013.

  1. bishdunster

    bishdunster New Member

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    I can remember it running in about 1970ish, crossing the A351, it had 4 straight through exhaust pipes then, and what a lovely sound it was too, i seem to recall that the top exhaust pipes were either brass or copper at that time. Myself and a couple of friends used to go over to Norden and other mining sites in the Purbecks a lot at that time and had an officially organised tour of one of the underground adit mines at norden and several unofficial visits to other sites, including Greenspecks, Cotness and other mines but the most amazing was Povington, which was abandoned at least 10 years prior to us visiting it, as it was within the military ranges! Absolutely amazing place, with wooden framed N.G. surface rolling stock with trees growing through them, unguarded vertical shafts with rickety wooden ladders and our non safety rated torches, no H&S for us in those days, our main concern was not being bitten by the multitude of adders we came across, ah such innocence of youth !!!!!
     
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  2. Daddsie71b

    Daddsie71b Member Friend

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    I can feel a pamphlet or short story winging its way from Dunster
     
  3. bishdunster

    bishdunster New Member

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    Perhaps i should scribe a few notes before starting on the epic "What will I tell them at the Yacht Club", a collection of tales from the pioneering days of various unnamed, preserved railways and other such "interesting" stories !:eek:.
     
  4. Daddsie71b

    Daddsie71b Member Friend

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    Touche
     
  5. biggles200

    biggles200 Member

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    Povington is one of the places that the Mining museum has no photos of. I guess being on military land cameras would have been a no no, but any information, you care to write down, would be of interest to the museum. You can contact them via their website. (they may take a while to reply due to a complete shutdown due to the virus) Chris Legg's book "The Furzebrook Railway" only mentions Povington once on page 20 when he says "Povington became and remained an important mining area to the Pikes. In the 1930's the Furzebrook railway extended westwards to the mines, and clay is still being extracted open-cast today"
     
  6. biggles200

    biggles200 Member

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    It looks like the website has problems. I think covid 19 has got to it. Rolling Screens and contact pages not working etc. Hopefully they will get things working again as soon as Covid 19 goes
     
  7. DcB

    DcB Well-Known Member

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    Guess the museum could now partially reopen for outdoors only? Maybe with one of the diesel locos on static display.
    The inside might need a few more measures in place?.
     
  8. biggles200

    biggles200 Member

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    Last edited: Jul 1, 2020
  9. biggles200

    biggles200 Member

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    Last edited: May 29, 2021
  10. DcB

    DcB Well-Known Member

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    Bump for this thread concerning Middlebere/Newton/ Fayles narrow gauge tramways as there is another in Heritage centres.
    On Facebook the museum said will reopen with a Ruston loco every last Sunday of each month.
     
  11. buzby2

    buzby2 Well-Known Member

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    Exactly - plus August Bank Holiday Monday apparently. According to the website -
    The museum will be open and the Industrial narrow gauge railway will be running on the following Sundays from 11:00 to 16:30 on the 30th May, 27th June, 25th July, 29th & 30th (Bank Holiday) August & 26th September.
     
  12. DcB

    DcB Well-Known Member

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    Now closed to Easter, but from the FB page working parties every Friday and they have got the Snapper loco working and the passenger coach out (edit photo from Facebook page added)
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Nov 12, 2021
  13. biggles200

    biggles200 Member

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    Passenger Coach will probably not be used as it does not comply with regulations.
     
  14. DcB

    DcB Well-Known Member

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    What will be needed to make it comply, looks similar to the coach being used at Kew steam museum (edit: and other NG lines)? (Photo by Bob Appleton)
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Nov 16, 2021
  15. redbarron

    redbarron New Member

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    Which coach is that, the ex WHR one that was rotting in the siding or the Penrhyn style one that has brakes on all wheels and a guards seat and has spent most of its time covered over with a waterproof cover? Or is it the fact that it was completed by previous volunteers that have since left the issue with it?

    Whats this I hear about the tunnel being closed as it has collapsed due to lack of maintainance?
     
  16. DcB

    DcB Well-Known Member

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    Last edited: Dec 4, 2021
  17. redbarron

    redbarron New Member

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    It wasn't built by Toby, as good as he is at building things. The unfinished chassis came from Devon. The brakes and wood work were completed by two volunteers who have since departed.

    The tunnel was not built according to the plans, by someone who apparently knew what they were doing so didn't follow them. Lol.
     
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  18. DcB

    DcB Well-Known Member

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    Thanks, still does not answer about Biggles saying it does "not comply with regulations." and why?
    The srstock.co.uk website has a photo of the 8 seat coach before restoration and the volunteers did a good job.

    There is also a photo of the ex WHR covered 12seat coach, is it still stored at the museum?.
     
  19. redbarron

    redbarron New Member

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    I would like to know what about the carriage doesn't meet regulations too. Again I suspect it is more a case of "we didn't make it, the other lot did, so it can't be right" than anything else. Bit like the engine of the Ruston being taken apart by the new "experts" again as the volunteers that were forced out hadn't done it properley (despite the chap who actually repaired it being a mechanic for most of his working life, and getting it running on all four cylinders for the first time in years). Apparently the gear box needed to be repaired as the gears were not being changed properly, no explanation as to the how or why of this ever being given.

    All none museum stock was ordered off site when the volunteers left on mass, athough this didn't apply to every one of course. I have been informed that the WHR coach has now been removed.

    I am not sure how a passenger train can be run given there is no length of track to run, the orignal intention was do complete the track over Skew Arch bridge, until it got demolished then apply to run passenger trains. The existing track needed a lot of maintainance years ago, so I cannot imagine what state it . IT is a real shame as I suspect the museum will die a slow death as it gradually falls apart.
     
  20. Daddsie71b

    Daddsie71b Member Friend

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    Its always darkest before the dawn
     

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