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Dartmouth Steam Railway General Discusssion

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by TorbayTrains, Jan 10, 2015.

  1. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    I remember talk in the mid 70's of handing the line over as far as Newton Abbott to what was then the DVR

    I wonder if there might have been an element of 'Hum the DVR have the money to take this over if we plan closure so lets float it and see what happens?'
     
  2. goldfish

    goldfish Nat Pres stalwart

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    Fortunately much cheaper in Devon…

    ;)

    Simon
     
  3. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    I didn't say that it was commercially viable when it closed. It's just that a steam tourist railway offers far more than a bog standard train line with little diesel units running up and down it every day even when a heritage line would be closed.

    As for the 'going concern' bit I think that it was taken over so it was working and hadn't been dismantled. It was, of course only a short line as is the Lymington branch.

    But sorry, it was a long time ago and you really need a local historian to answer it properly.
     
  4. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    I believe it was, and back in pre-preservation days it used to completely ruin the branch line atmosphere and realism by regularly playing host to big chuffers ...

    https://railphotoprints.uk/p457612214/hE3E9F5D5#he3e9f5d5 (not one, but two Castles, I am sure someone can find a photo of a King).

    Tom
     
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  5. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    How inauthentic! Not naming any names, but certain historic railway companies could do with taking a closer look at the bottom line and take a less starry-eyed gricer-ish approach. I bet they ran long trains with buffet cars too in some poor attempt to justify the big engines. Probably even tried to poorly excuse it by pointing at "passenger numbers"....
     
  6. Pete Thornhill

    Pete Thornhill Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Administrator Moderator Friend

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    Yes, MK1s were also regular visitors too ;)
     
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  7. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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    In "The Newton Abbott to Kingswear Railway by C.R.Potts " there is picture of 6023 at Churston in 1931, and one of a King ( no name or number given) on Goodrington Bank in 1935
     
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  8. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    Most heritage lines would not be remotely viable without large amounts of donations and volunteer labour.
     
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  9. Johnb

    Johnb Nat Pres stalwart

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    Exactly my point and they can run their trains according to the season.
     
  10. JBTEvans

    JBTEvans Well-Known Member

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    Does anybody know if BSK 34550 is just on hire to the SDR or is it a permanent move/swap?
     
  11. The Dainton Banker

    The Dainton Banker Well-Known Member

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    Arguably, the line was a main line as it took long-distance passenger trains. The branch line was Churston to Brixham, originally built for the fish trade.
     
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  12. 5944

    5944 Resident of Nat Pres

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    The best description I heard for Kingswear was it's a branch of the mainline, rather than a branch off the mainline.
     
  13. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Yes, I was being slightly sarcastic given the contention (in some quarters :rolleyes:) that large express locos and single line railways are historically inappropriate.

    There was a notable difference between the GWR and SR networks west of Exeter, in that the GWR line had the character of a herringbone, with a single defined mainline axis (Exeter - Penzance) with a series of branch lines radiating from either side. At the branch stations, the mainline train would go through and be met by a branch line set at each junction. By contrast, the SR network was more like a tree, with lines splitting and splitting again to the various destinations, but it is hard to definitively say what was the "main" line and which were "branch" lines. The service pattern was also different: instead of a main train met at junctions by a branch line train; you had trains which split into more or less equal parts at junctions; or joined in the opposite direction.

    In that regard, Kingswear in some ways had more in common operationally with the SR network than with the rest of the GWR network - in my eyes.

    Tom
     
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  14. westernrenown

    westernrenown New Member

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    However the DSR is possibly unique as it is run on a commercial basis without volunteers or a supporting membership group. Much of its trade is combined with river cruises
     
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  15. Martin Perry

    Martin Perry Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator Friend

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    It’s a wonder that they dared to do that and risk the opprobrium of the Great Preservation Guru
     
  16. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    An interesting discussion. I have never thought of the line to Kingswear as anything other than a main line through from Exeter that diverged from the Plymouth/Penzance route at Newton Abbot. In that context the key stations of Torquay, Paignton and Kingswear are the entirety of Torbay that was essentially the destination from London.

    To illustrate my point, I have read that the 5.30 pm from Paddington in the 1950s, ran to Newton Abbot where the train divided with a portion for Plymouth and the rest running down to Kingswear.
     
  17. sturdon

    sturdon New Member

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    There has been is a small group of volunteers maintaining Churston station since the DVR took over the line.
     
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  18. westernrenown

    westernrenown New Member

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    Didn’t know that. Last time i was there I got talking to the legendary Geoff Kitchenside (former MR editor ) who was working as the Kingswear booking clerk and he said there wasn’t any volunteer input, so maybe it’s changed? Still not aware of a society as such
     
  19. Mike Birch

    Mike Birch New Member

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  20. Pete Thornhill

    Pete Thornhill Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Administrator Moderator Friend

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    I believe they are still volunteering. there isn’t many of them, less than ten.
     

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