Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development

It occurred to me that with the more recent L&B publications, and particularly the Trust's tertial magazine, we have begun to move away from straightforward railway history, and more into the realm of social history, studying a lost way of life, and it becomes all the more fascinating for that. it's almost like archaeology, going down another layer.
Looking at some of those old family snapshot photographs, with the railway almost as just a background, the past becomes quite sensory, studying the smiling and often suntanned faces of the subjects as they enjoy their holidays in that far-off world of the distance enchanted...
A pair of children in an observation saloon, excitedly watching the locomotive rocking and twisting ahead of them as it runs down the gradient... A couple of sunburnt hikers in shorts and stout boots waiting for, or leaving the train at Blackmoor, or an attractive girl, her face partly shadowed by a cloche hat, smiles to the unseen photographer, a pair of narrow-gauge tracks behind her. Faces which have all but passed beyond memory, immortalized forever by the lens, and as a consequence, become as much a part of our railway as Yeo, Exe, Taw, Lew and Lyn.
The Lynton and Barnstaple trust is in a unique position in that it's aims are to recreate the railway as closely as possible to its previous incarnation. No other railway, as far as I can recall, has had such a lofty ambition. Perhaps as time goes on, we can take that a step further and create a truly immersive experience for our visitors- on certain days of the year, encourage them to turn up and travel in period dress. Not a new idea, I'll grant, but one which the railway, with its unique ideal, could take that step further in bringing us closer to our forebears. After all, the landscape has hardly changed- the same hedgerows are standing, the same birds are singing in the same fields.
Please forgive the waxing lyrical- I just get like that sometimes!

 

Visitors will have to come by Motorbike and sidecar?

 

Sounds like my idea of a perfect day out!

 

Quite a few years back, maybe ten or fifteen, Crich held a number of 20's/30's events which had a name along along the lines of 'Age of Decadence and Depression', which might be worth purloining! If anything, reenactor-wise there's more interest in this era these days than there was back then. For myself the era(s) the L&B existed in has always been part of the appeal, the fact that it never became another 50's/60's railway helps make it special, almost as if it's some sort of time-capsule.

Meanwhile back in 2020, another bit of the puzzle comes back into the fold: Shareholders funding update. – Exmoor Associates (exmoor-associates.co.uk)

I must say I wasn't expecting this quite so soon!

 

Well spotted, Mr V! This is great news, and just the sort of cheer-up we all need after these dire, dismal months of wall-to-wall covid.
Whilst there is still some way to go before acquiring new lengths becomes "filling in the gaps", it does feel as though critical mass in support is close to being reached, and each new appeal hopefully results in an ever readier supportive reaction. It is now a matter of "when" rather than "if".
Your comment about the L&Bs exclusively pre-war time period strikes exactly the same chord with me. It does make it a very different entity to all the other railways (the revived WHR having gone for a different approach).
One of the dafter things I've imagined doing, is taking off down to Snapper halt one summer evening with my old HMV wind-up gramophone, and just soaking up the atmosphere for an hour or two, with a selection of pre 1935 records! That really does sound batty. Should I worry?

 

Yes, you should "worry" as the idea might be more popular than you imagine and you end up being persuaded to organise such events.

 

To complete your vintage reverie, perhaps a picnic? To go with, a bottle of 1896 Hine Champagne will set you back £4091, the 1935, a snip at £1295 .... but what's to celebrate about 1935?

Of course, if taking the memsahib with, procurement of suitable contemporary attire will be required, 'ware though. Googling 'pearl necklace' to top off the finery may not return the desired result.

Ooh .... just thought .... Does the L&B currently issue platform tickets?

 

On the EA website, in the comments section, this has been written re the latest purchase.
"The length of trackbed is just over 1/3rd mile and further details will be provided as soon as the paperwork is complete!".
Well Done to all who are making this happen.

 

I'm not sure that the subsequent need to visit a Victorian urinal has much appeal though....

 

Not all railway traditions valued equally, eh?

 

The one on Horsted Keynes platforms 3/4 is perfectly ok. Or it was the last time I visited, some years ago

 

Oh, so that was YOU, was it?

My last visit, fifteen months ago, involved an al fresco 'gents', in perfectly presentable order. Sadly, my memory is so bad these days I can't recall whether that was SP or HK. Honestly, we're kinder to horses!

 

The full Victorian experence would have been to take the mainline to Barnstaple, a quick comfort break, grab some drink and food, then catch the L and B train for a few days stay in Lynton.
Was interesting seeing "Full steam ahead" last Saturday what the Victorian tourist put up with.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07mdj31
Some of the journey now will be by bus, but at least another part of the track route has been rescued.

 

Surely a victorian experience would be horse drawn in the gaps? Horse and cart?

Looking at the line in its bigger socio-economic local context rather than just its technical/railway history context is a really good path to go down. It is a trick missed all too often in favour of somewhat rose tinted recreations.

 

Quite. I can't afford the '21, so I'll go for a '34 Pol instead. Not that I could tell one from Tescos Prosecco, anyway. So I'll just donate the cash to the railway, and buy beer!
Fortunately the memsahib has her own string of pearls (see what I did there?) inherited before they became something else entirely

 

I think my '21' will be anything that you can get in 2021 by simply walking into a pub (remember them), preferably within sight and sound of steam trains

 

Platform 5 at Horsted Keynes.

 

Certainly not at Snapper, as there isn't/wasn't any such "facility". The open-air (I don't believe it had a roof) gents at Chelfham is, however, being recreated, but it will be quite a hike - especially with a full bladder! .

 

I think a 30s thing sounds rather splendid. It would make a nice change from all the wartime events (which are not to my taste).

Good to hear the bits of the jigsaw are slowly being collected