double track at other heritage railways

The PBR also had a section of double track running up from Blaenavon High level to Tyre Mill Sidings but many many years ago it became two seperate single tracks.

When BR removed the sidings and singled the track they did the trick as has been mentioned previously of picking the best bits of each track/trackbed and linking them together by slewing the track. We inherited this and it is now part of our running line.

http://www.aligrieve.fotopic.net/p67384908.html

The above shot shows the thumper unit approaching the site of Tyre Mill sidings and just in front you can see the slew in the tracks.

regards
Alistair

 

Agreed, but railways seem to have an inbuilt drive to extend and improve. When they can't extend any more because of an insurmountable problem, like a housing estate built across the old trackbed, then doubling up might be tempting, assuming the route was double track in the past and bridges etc. are suitable.

 

Most unlikely!
The GCR was only able to reinstate the extra track because it was benefactor funded. It does provide a unique novelty value for the (diminishing due to ageing) enthusiast hardcore. The novelty would diminish if this was replicated on other lines.

Elsewhere where passenger numbers are made up predominently of non enthuiasts on a day out the extra attraction of double track is negligible and well off any priority spending list. Through the current economic climate most railways are strugling to even maintain their existing infrastructure. I don't think most people posting on here realise just how marginal in financial terms most of our heritage lines are. As a prominent GM recently commented off mike - many railways are wearing out their infrastructure at a faster rate than they can afford to replace it in a desperate attempt to generate more £££s to try to pay the current bills!!!

 

The Avon Valley Railway is on the double tracked ex Midland Railway line from Bath to Mangotsfield etc.

 

I know its not the same as a long length of double track but even adding double track long passing loops at some stations makes them look better and more "complete", especially when there are two platforms spaced appart for double track.

For example I think Thuxton on the Mid Norfolk is already looking much better now the loop has been relaid and the second platform being brought back into use. When standing on the station the "double track" trails off into the distance so it makes it look much more like in the past, Whereas, for example Yaxham looks a bit odd because one of the platforms is still unused with no track. Hopefully one day there may be another passing loop put there too to make it look as it did in the "good old days"

 

If other railways had double track runnng then yes they should

 

Llangollen Goods jnc to Station has I believe been chewed over more than once as a candidate

 

Why does this thread keep popping up in "what's new" when the last post was 15-02-11 ?

 

I was just about to ask that too.

 

If it counts as the Bluebell also Horsted Keynes to Haywards Heath was orginally double track until one was used as a headshunt for stock. Ardingly to Haywards Heath however is now only single track to serve the Stone Terminal.

 

Every time someone votes in the poll the forum software counts it as a new post. Therefore it keeps popping up to the top of the listing. Same thing is happenign with the Flying Scotsman livery poll.

Regards,

Dan

 

Thanks for that explanation, I was starting to think I was going mad! Kept clicking on "first unread post" yet there appeared to be no new messages. There's a brain up there in my head, honest!

 

I'm not sure if it's been reported here, but it looks like work to double track at least part of the Weardale line is now underway:

The major works underway to prepare the line for freight traffic are illustrated throughout this Newsletter. David Million, General Manager, gave the following interview to the Northern Echo, here are excerpts : -

“Passengers using a rural rail service are to benefit from the installation of an extra line on its route. When the engineering work is complete, an extra morning service will run from Wolsingham to Bishop Auckland, departing from the station at 8.35am, Monday to Saturday. Normal service between Stanhope, Wolsingham, Frosterley and Bishop Auckland is due to resume on Saturday, March 12. David Million, Weardale Railway's general manager, said: "At the moment, it is pretty much a single line all the way through, but the extra one will mean more than one train can operate at the same time between Stanhope and Wolsingham. The new points and junction will be going in next week. Once the line upgrades are complete, it will be possible to run additional services at peak times and for special events, such as the agricultural shows in Stanhope and Wolsingham. We want to provide a better service for the whole community. It is their railway after all, and if we can support local events then that's all the better."

Plans are also in the pipeline to install two new stations, at Witton Park and Witton-le-Wear.


http://www.weardale-railway.org.uk/

 

They are adding a passing loop and a siding i believe, not double track.

 

Reading their site a little more carefully you're right...I guess I misread it the first time (or it was slightly misleadingly written - take your pick!).

 

The poll shows that doubling some longer heritage lines might be worthwhile once they've reached their maximum feasible length. Obviously this would only make sense where the route was originally double track and enough trains could be run to warrant doubling.

 

Not sure I follow your logic there. 141 folk on a web forum say they'd like to see double track on other preserved railways - how does this make it 'worthwhile'? I'd like to see free beer for life, but I doubt that would make it worthwhile to the pubs concerned. It will only happen if the railways concerned can put together a sound business case and raise the finance to both construct the second line and then maintain it in the future. What people on here would like to see is largely irrelevant I'm afraid. In fact I don't really see the point of this poll quite honestly.

 

Could not agree more! There have been a couple of instances recently of damage being caused to rolling stock by badly worn rail.

Some heritage railways are going to face a real challenge to replace existing life expired rail and this is a far greater priority than providing double track simply because it would be "nice".

P.H.

 

You're right. Some railways haven't even undertaken rail grinding - and some have rail that wouldn't take it anyway. In general I worry that heritage railways have collected more and more stuff, from buildings to locomotives and I wonder if we can even keep up with the repairs let alone do anything more. And yet the very essence of preservation is to preserve, and that means collecting. Bit of a puzzle really. Still I don't think there are many places that should even think about doubling the track.