Southwold Railway

Hi - we don't have a steam loco yet. That's not to say we have not pursued many 3-footers all over the UK - but we have not succeeded in obtaining one yet. We came closest with Handyman from the NRM, but that's owned by Statfold now. We do have a long-term plan to build SS Halesworth of 1879 design - but that's financially impossible at the moment - we do have the replica nameplate, works plate and number - and we do own the Sharp, Stewart Company - but that's all.

If you are referring to the replica SS Blyth at Steamworks in Southwold - that's a different organisation, the Southwold Railway Trust (although related - some of us are members of both, and I am a founder member and major funder of that organisation) - it's hard to see exactly where the SRT are with that, as the boiler ticket is ticking away steadily, with no steamings this year and only one last year. I have an interest, as I provided some funding for the loco - but it's probably better if I leave any further comment here to the SRT themselves.
James

 

Ah, more than one Southwold scheme. That’s confusing. Thanks for the clarification.

 

Unlike the Glyn Valley lot... one railway, two preservation schemes and two different gauges. Still unsure of the gauge they are planning to use.

 

Reminds me of that classic Monty Python sketch "Are we the People's Front of Judea or The Judean People's Front?"
Ray.

 

Splitters!

 

It would be lovely to see the railway return to Southwold but as Southwold seems to have become Notting Hill on Sea, somehow I doubt it.

Good luck to the two ventures though

 

A couple of shots taken at Blythburgh this morning when I was on my way to Carlton Colville.....

 

Thanks - apologies for the weeds - we were badly flooded a a week ago and the thistles have taken advantage.....
We have just started work on the next Project - the second Goods Shed at the station, which is called the "Odams' Shed" (you can see why from the photo) - and its associated goods platform. The building is part-original (the stone upstands). It can't go back exactly where it was, as that would block the car park entrance - but it'll be in the same relationship to the rails as it was originally, and will back onto the river valley, providing a bird hide - if all goes well. That's assuming we can gather enough funding!
James

 

"Staddle stones" would be the architectural term (at least in this part of the country, but I suspect there are dialectical variations across the country). The functional purpose is to prevent rats getting access to a grain store; and to protect the building from flooding; which would both be possible were the building sited at ground level.

Tom

 

When I first started commuting to London in the 80s there was a pre-fab concrete LNER storage building somewhere between St. Neots and Biggleswade that was raised in exactly the manner you suggest. Gone now, of course.

 

Also makes the floor closer to the same level carts as well, so no need to try and manhandle heavy sacks up and down.

 

Yes indeed - and of course wagons. It's odd that these staddles are carved stone (carefully shaped, inset at the top to take a SR sleeper [6" x 3"] and with four carved rusticated panels, one on each face), not concrete - no stone here, so must be imported - seems unnecessarily fancy for the SR - perhaps Odams were rich enough. Careful examination of the photo shows that there was no access from the outside platform to the shed (both sign and weighing machine are in the way) - so the shed must have been private, with the platform belonging to the railway. The sign was gone by the time of SR expansion in 1908 (abandoned by Odams'?), and it seems the shed was rebuilt at least once - not demolished until the early 1970s.
We have been unable, so far, to find out what colours the ODAMS' sign used - there's a record of a 20th century red on yellow sign (not at this location), but the lettering is completely different. It's a nice feature,, so we want to replicate it.
We are missing two staddle stones - allegedly they are under the adjacent Village Hall (or some say in the river, but we have looked) - so on Saturday the team made up one timber copy out of extremely hard seasoned oak - one more to do - the copies will anyway be concealed under the rear of the building, so we think acceptable for now.
James

 

No doubt you have already found this, but there is an older style advert shown on here - along with the yellow/red one that the Rural Life Museum/University of Reading have....
https://cpineroad.blogspot.com/2019/06/odams-wagon.html

Hadn't realised they were based in East London though.

.

 

2'3" on the running section - a sensible choice bearing in mind the only original stock is now that gauge and they can join the exclusive club with the TR and CR.

 

Thanks - very useful indeed. We now have a volunteer willing to make and signwrite the Odams' sign - we have, thanks to you, have a good idea about the colours - and donations for the project are already arriving. JH

 

That seems to be where quite a lot of the planning issues the SRT have been experiencing over the years, from my understanding. There's been a lot of incomers to the town from the city (ironically, many of whom aren't there for much of the year anyway... https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/21265590.bid-bring-number-second-homes-southwold-control/ ) who unfortunately haven't been very receptive to the Trust's plans, despite the blitheringly obvious financial, social and even environmental benefits such an attraction would bring to the town and surrounding area, but I digress...

It's relieving to see the great momentum of the good work that James and Co. have been doing at Blythburgh and beyond. Good health to the HTSNGRS, and of course to the SRT too.

If only I wasn't on the other side of the country, I'd definitely come down to help!

 

It can't be easy, in some ways starting from "other than Southwold' is easier, but equally, crack Southwold, and you've got the hardest bit done (objections and biggest bridge).

Frankly, having a steam engine in Southwold can be shown to have not set fire to crops, caused cows to stop milking, or caused avalanches of tourists. Once that percolates through, things may change.

 

Did I read that report right - 57% of Southwold's houses are either holiday lets or second homes?!

Of course, such incomers will object to anything like this as they do not want tourists and other lifeforms disturbing what they now view as their idyll. I think this has been said before by other posters.

If I ever get my car back I really must visit these projects - apart from anything else I have fond memories of a holiday in 1980 with my family in Walberswick (the week Peter Sellers died, in fact)

 

You'll be very welcome. We'll be publishing the dates for our 2024 events at Blythburgh Station before the end of the year - likely to be May, July and September this time. Public transport access is certainly possible for the first two (which'll be Saturdays, specifically so there'll be transport choices) via the very scenic East Suffolk Line (saved from Beeching) and changing at Halesworth to the 99A bus to Blythburgh (or by rail to Lowestoft - then Coastliner bus, and change at Southwold).
With regard to Walberswick - we'd really like to "do a Blythburgh" at the classic small NG halt there, if we can persuade the local population. Walberswick at least has a few more permanent residents, so perhaps it's possible..... We do have a couple of sleeper sponsors in the village.
It's going to take a great deal of time and energy to change minds in Southwold - a process not helped by the local memory of the abortive and extremely insensitive 2003 Southwold Railway Society initiative to build a new railway between Henham estate and Southwold pier - straight through sensitive wildlife areas, and not in any way related to the original railway - except by the name. Living that down is hard, as all the railway people are tarred with the same brush.

 

We had planned to shut down volunteering over Christmas/New Year - but reckoned without the enthusiasm of our volunteers! (shades of the Christmas Day work parties I used to run on the WHHR - not a tradition that has been kept up there....)
So there's already been four workdays - spread across both work areas - over the hols - and quite a lot of useful stuff has been done. The solar panel installation went in at Blythburgh Station (a bit more work to do on that) - it's designed to charge our Greenbat loco - and will also provide some lighting for the container and Goods Shed (we have no mains power onsite). There's a take-off spur at the end of the platform, so that we can top up the loco between runs on Open Days.
The Odams' Shed (there's a pic earlier in this thread) has had its stone bases tarred (as they were originally), and the timber for the base and the adjacent platform has been sponsored, ordered, and will arrive later this week.
Over the last month or so, the ground frame inside the re-instated signal shed has been connected to the main line point, providing a facing point lock both ways for future passenger train use, and ground drainage has gone in to get rid of the muddy water which flows down from the adjacent A12 - this is now directed into the original station soak-away/septic tank, which still exists.
Two more panels of rail have gone down at the west end, making a main line of three chains, two rods and a bit (80 yards). We are seeking more 40lb, 45lb or 50lb rail so we can carry on "round the corner" towards the church, and "Blythburgh beach" - so if anyone on this forum knows of any available - please let us know (no other weights).
Meanwhile, at the workshop, the private-owner Cleminson MOY coal wagon is getting on really well. The underframe is complete, the curved ends are on, and our blacksmith has forged the bottom sections of the leaf hinges - now fitted. Sponsors have paid for the timber for the six side doors, which is drying out and has been trimmed to size. The rest of the metalwork is in hand, and awaits the rest of the sponsorship. Craftmaster Paints are able to provide gloss red oxide for the wagon - an odd contradiction really, but that was MOY's trade colour (NB - not as you can see in the photo - that's undercoat!).
There will be Open Days at Blythburgh on May 11th and September 8th - with another in July tba. All will again be free to visit.
2024 should be a very interesting year for this project.
James