Which heritage lines purchased (part of) their line intact?

Hello all,

there is a thread about the Bluebell Railway on the German forum Drehscheibe-Online: http://www.drehscheibe-online.de/foren/read.php?108,7020559,page=1

Some observations seem to be just wrong, among others that the Bluebell purchased the complete line from East Grinstead to Sheffield Park together with substantial workshops. To my knowledge the Bluebell purchased Sheffield Park to Horsted Keynes complete and later the trackbed from Horstead Keynes to Kingscote and much later the trackbed to East Grinstead. As far as I know the workshop facilities are all new as well.

All this leads to two questions: Is my understanding correct? and, more important, which lines purchased their lines or part of intact, i.e. with track and maybe signalling equipment in place? I know the K&WVR did and so did the Talyllyn, but which others are there?

Thanks in advance for all replies.

Regards from Germany

Christoph

 

The Severn valley was bought intact except for a little track lifting at Bridgnorth and the Isle of Wight Steam Railway was intact from Havenstreet to Wootton

 

You are correct about the Bluebell. Off the top of my head railways which purchased lines with part or all of the track in place:

SVR
MHR
RHDR (as built)
WLLR (Raven Sq to Llanfair intact....reopened in stages New workshops at Llanfair)
Festiniog (Re-opened in sections. Original works preserved)
Vale of Rheidol
NYMR (I think)
WSR
Wensleydale
Mid Norfolk
North Norfolk (maybe??)
Bodmin and Wenford
South Devon
Paignton and Dartmouth

 

Christoph

Your understanding about the Bluebell is pretty much correct. Initially, the Bluebell leased the line between Sheffield Park and Horsted Keynes from British Rail. The line north of Horsted was still in existence, but was dismantled (with the Bluebell providing a loco to the contractor!) in late 1964 / early 1965. The land was then sold off piecemeal, divided down the centreline.

The Bluebell then bought the freehold of the SP - HK line round about 1968 / 1969.

The old engine shed (that was demolished last winter) was built by the Bluebell in the very early days. The loco works and the initial bit of the C&W works date from the 1970s, along with the beginnings of the new engine shed, which slowly grew walls under the roof (!) as funding allowed. Then, when the push north started, the various parcels of land had to be purchased to slowly reassemble the land needed, and the track work and signalling is obviously new. The carriage works extension dates from the early 2000s.

So effectively the Bluebell ultimately bought the line from Sheffield Park to Horsted Keynes complete and in working order, but everything else was sold off and has been subsequently re-purchased and rebuilt from scratch or restored.

Tom

 

However the SVR, as with the DFR, was not all bought at the same time.

 

Not sure SVR was bought completly intact. Think 1st bit to Hampton Loade was purchased in 1969/70. BR were still using Kiddy- Bewdley until 1970 and connection at Alvely sidings was lifted. I then think line Hampton Loade to Bewdley was purchased soon after and opened to Bewdley in about 1974? Then the bit to Kiddy was leased from about then until just before privitisation in 1994 when bought outright. Apologies for any mistakes this is all from the top of my head. SVR are quite fortunate in the line is their own from bufferstop to bufferstop. I could be wrong but I also think track bed as far as Burlish on the Stourport line is in SVR ownership. Happy to be corrected

 

The NYMR initially bought the track bed from Grosmont to Pickering (High Mill, I think, due to a dispute with the local Council who wanted to demolish Pickering Station, delaying the transfer until they lost a public enquiry) and a single track from Grosmont to Summit (about 2.5 miles south of Goathland). However, the North Riding of Yorkshire County Council bought a single track from Summit to Pickering and sold it on Lease Purchase to the NYMR Trust.

The line was far from "complete" - apart from Levisham to Pickering, it had been double track and the second track was lifted as only one was included in the sale. Hence, there was no signalling and no working signal boxes, as well as no depots, no sidings to speak of and just the one running line.

Many lines have a similar story - track and land but usually limited or no signalling.

Steven

 

Lakeside was purchased with track intact, and indeed first stock deliveries were delivered over the connection from Plumpton junction...

 

I think it was intact in the sense it was never lifted, so the SVR never had to relay when extending. As for Burlish, that's what I understand it as, and I've never heard about the leasing of Kiddy.

 

True up to a point Gary - The land was acquired from BR by the County Council and the track from just east of Havenstreet to just east of Wootton was left in place when the rest of the line was dismantled and subsequently bought by the railway. There was a loop at Havenstreet but no sidings, signals or electricity and just the small station building with intact lever frame. Development, extension and land purchase of the whole current line followed in later years.

 

Kidderminster Town was on a 25 year lease, Alun Rees had a phone call from an auctioneer on behalf of BRB asking to measure up hence the share issue in '94. All this just after the Micheal Draper episode.

 

KWVR first and foremost

 

Would I be right in thinking Keighley to Oxenhope is THE complete Branch line? Ie as it was pretty much length wise and more or less complete, orginal stations (apart from Ingrow, the famous spinning turntable and Damens) and didnt Oakworth once have passing loop?

 

Perhaps equally to the point, how many managed to acquire the freehold without complications of separate holding companies, operations companies and supporters companies? I can think of three offhand.

Unless this is very carefully arranged the potential for fraternal strife in the future is great, as we have seen in all too graphic detail recently in the west country.

P.H.

 

Wouldn't the shorter list be those preserved lines which started with no track?

Avon valley and swanage are the only two that spring readily to mind, although I am sure there are others.

 

The Kent and East Sussex was complete, as stock was pulled in from Robertsbridge before the section up to Bodiam was lifted.

 

The North Norfolk Railway initially purchased Church Street Bridge to 1/4 mile west of Weybourne in 1967 - the trackbed from there west to Holt was on a care an maintenance basis from BR until the LRO for the extension was granted when the agreed price was paid to BR. Sheringham station was initially leased from BR by was then sold to a property company in the early 198os. The NNR secured freehold in about 2002 when the site was sold to a supermarket chain who resold all except a small parcel of land to the NNR. In the NNR's case all of the land and track belongs to the North Norfolk Railway plc. So NNR is 1/2 original and 1/2 rebuilt.