Bluebell track laying South from EG?

I'm beginning to wonder if the stress of this project isn't getting to people. Richard Salmon doesn't normally write posts like this.

Regards

 

Ok Guys, the reasoning has been stated time and time again since the project started, but as it seems not to have sunk in, I'll explain it for you. When Bluebell sought planning permission to reopen to East Grinstead, the locals in Sharpthorne village, site of the former West Hoathly Station opposed the railway. To placate them, it was agreed not to have a station or stopping point at that site. The railway didn't own, or expect to own the station at Kingscote, so it wasn't included in the permission either. As a result, permission was granted with a terminus at East Grinstead only.

There was temporary permission granted for a run round loop at New Coombe Bridge (just on the edge of West Hoathly Station site) until the railway got to Kingscote. The councils then gave permission for a temporary terminus at Kingscote until such time as the extension to East Grinstead was completed. This temporary status has been updated numerous times, and each time has been reported to the membership.

While no one expects the use of Kingscote will cease, its use as a terminus can't continue indefinitely. Thus, if the railway gave up on the northern extension, despite owning the land, the councils could force train back to Horsted Keynes by not allowing the railway to have a terminus on what has been built since 1985. The threat isn't made up by the railway to gather funds, its the reality of the planning permission. Had the councils not been receptive to the Bluebell, and had we not placated the neighbours concerns, we could have been back at Horsted Keynes years ago, with a very long northern siding!

No one wants a 5 mile siding, so please, lets stop the negativity, get behind the people who have dedicated years of their life to the project, and get the job finished. Everyone is doing their best, but everyones resources and time are stretched. The project team are working hugely long hours just dealing with the logistics of getting rid of the cutting waste. The webmaster is doing his best while doing a huge number of other jobs on the Bluebell and trying to have a life too. I'm sure the railway would love to have someone dedicated to promoting the project more on the website, but there aren't the people, and there isn't any spare money to pay someone. Information does come through on a regular basis, just not detailed enough for everyones liking. What would you rather have, more information on the website, or a cutting still filled with rubbish next April? As far as I can see, as a member and long distance spectator, those are the options.

Daniel

 

Whaaaaaat? :shocked: You mean that there are actually people who get their hands dirty in railway preservation who want to (gulp!) have a life outside of it? Like families and friends and living a normal life occasionally?

Dear oh dear. That's absolutely terrible! How very dare they! :nono:

(I suppose they'll be asking for time off to eat, sleep and s.. you-know-what next?!) :wink:

 

Thank you Pete for your reply and much appreciated.

I know that I am a fine one to talk in the past and we all make mistakes, (apart from my Wife of course who thinks she is perfect ), , and we all disagree sometimes. However it is so nice to be able to discuss this like adults.

Kind regards
Chris:

 

My dealings with Richard when I was submitting photos to the Bluebell showed him as a really decent guy. But we all have off days from time to time, and maybe Richard is just human and had one too.

 

Daniel, as I stated clearly in my recent post, the first time I found out about the reasoning behind the Kingscote issue was here on Nat Pres, when someone, (maybe yourself), told me after I had expressed my annoyance at the relevant paragraph in the Members' Magazine. I felt then it could perhaps have been put across a little better in the magazine. It was something that I just hadn't picked up in the previous years after I joined the Bluebell and started making very regular visits again as a member and supporter.

Maybe it was/is an issue that is well publicised somewhere within the Bluebell itself. But I have an increasing life away from the UK steam scene and these days don't have the time or inclination to tease out the reasoning behind every statement made by the Bluebell or any other railway etc.

Of course I wish them every success with the project. But for reasons that I have stated a good few times here and which have by now maybe sunk in, my interest in UK steam is moving more and more to "lukewarm". I can take it or leave it, and if today was the last day a steam loco ever turned a wheel in the UK I'd miss it no more than a bad headache, and have more time to spend in areas that I now consider far more worthwhile. Like getting involved in owl conservation work. Something that I feel will take an increasing amount of my time and spare money as I seek out the best way to support those devoting their lives in such a worthy manner.

But for the present, if it's still there, I do expect to spend a small amount of time, as I have done today, "cherry picking" those limited parts of the UK steam scene that interest me.

Anyway must go. It's getting on for tea time and I need to go out and get myself some short tailed voles. (That's humour by the way).

 

Yet another update from Mr Philpot today......

http://www.philpot.me/cutting3.html

 

Last week (week 5 of the current dig) saw 5,134 tons removed, taking the total over 70,000 tons. There are two more days planned for Monday / Tuesday, to recover from the two days in this current dig that were lost due to non-availability of the train, so the likely total will be over 72,000 tons by the end of this phase.

An announcement about WBR 5 (the next, and hopefully final, phase of digging) is expected in due course.

Tom

 

I wonder if the Bluebell will use this next announcement, as it covers the "last" digging phase, to mention contingency plans that they must surely have in place if finance from the current sources has not been raised.

I've not got time to go back through this entire thread. But the question of raising loans, from "informal" via well wishers" up to formally via the Banking Sector, (maybe a better bet than them lending to Greece or Italy LOL), must have been covered here a good few times. Including by me no doubt! And maybe even by the Bluebell Railway themselves already? But I'm not up to speed on all of that these days.

The enormous increase in cost of removal after March next year makes the financial justification of doing that rather easy. Not so, of course, actually getting the money and paying it back. But if there is still a reasonably steady stream of incoming cash for the project, (albeit over an expected much longer timescale than to the end of next March), that could help ensure loans could be repaid at way under the cost of paying the vast increases from April next year.

Previously it would not have made a great deal of sense to announce commercial loans etc were on stand by, as that could have seen complacency among actual and prospective funders. But maybe at this late stage when final plans have to be made, the time is right to take that step.

PS. Ask Barclays! The news I'm listening to has just mentioned they made a £5bn profit in the last nine months. LOL!

 

I can't see any reason why the Bluebell should announce that they have commercial loans available, until such time as they put them to use. Such an announcement would serve no useful purpose and probably dilute the potential income stream. The longer they wait, the more money they are likely to get and the less the loan would need to be.

 

Indeed.

I'm not in any position to know of any plans along that line, but so far this year, as far as I am aware the railway has raised £1.2million in 9 months, and needs about £500,000 more by the end of the year to commit to the next stage of digging. So if fundraising carries on at the same rate, we won't be far short without recourse to a loan. Once the dig is completed, about another £500k is needed to finish the extension (track work, signalling etc) but that isn't time limited to the same degree.

Tom

 

Does anyone know what percentage of waste still remains with in Imberhorne cutting?

Thanks

 

As far as I'm aware:

Starting position - about 115,000 tons.

About 70,000 tons removed so far, leaving about 45,000 tons still in situ as of now.

About 20 - 25,000 tons to be removed in the next phase (WBR 5), leaving about 25 - 20,000 still in place (and landscaped) at the end of the project.

Those are approximations; I believe that at the end of the current WBR 4 phase (ends tomorrow) a more accurate estimate will be made so that the full scope of WBR 5 can be finally assessed. But it is likely to be 4 - 5 weeks (at 5,000 tons per week), hence the likely requirement for around £500k still to raise.

Tom

 

I've been on the Bluebell web site tonight and there is an update about the extension. The railway has accepted for the Reed’s Big Give Christmas Challenge. The railway needs to raise £30.000 in five days from 5th Dec and the Reed Foundation will match pound for pound.


http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/whats_new.html

 

Three more weeks of excavation are scheduled for Nov 14th - Dec 2nd. Another 15,000 tonnes gone!

 

That is great news. A close friend of my father's, Tim McGraw, died recently and asked that donations in memoriam be sent to the appeal... I am afraid I have dragged my feet doing this but now I can see that if I wait until December I could double the money!

Foxy

 

Maybe Steve. Or it could be that announcing, "we have now been forced to negotiate towards a loan that will become a millstone around our necks" , would actually increase the income stream. No way of telling of course.

Anyway. I was only wondering out loud. Like Yetis are prone to do sometimes.

Me not keeping up to speed on this makes this a complete surprise to me:

I've obviously missed something as that has come totally out of the blue as far as I'm concerned.

 

Can't find any reference to that on a quick visit to the Bluebell web site Matt. Can you point me in the right direction please.

Thanks.

 

An excellently good surprise for me too! Maybe on account of the selling of part of the West Hoathly site?????(rumours!)
regards
noel