West Somerset Railway General Discussion

A quick calculation would be that if you can sell the Norton Fields for £6M and 30% of a loco can be bought for £14K, then the WSRA should sell the fields and buy 128 steam locos....

Something very wrong with those numbers......

Robin

 

I was just wondering what happened to all the other assets in 4160, or the liabilities at Norton Fitzwarren. But there you go - things are so because they are said to be so!

 

Try this as a pair of 'spot the difference' photos from 1950 and 2017 as Crowcombe's replacement Goods Office nears completion....

Robin

 

Perhaps those rusty old signs should be removed from the fence to restore authenticity to the scene.

 

Perhaps re-install the siding at the down end, the blade of the point of which can just be seen in the earlier photo! Or - rather easier - get that finial fixed on the top of the signal.
Frank

 

The whole timber doll post, complete with refurbished finial, is due to be replaced this winter, Frank. The old one is rotten to the core, which first became apparent last year when the bump stop fell to the platform a few yards from yours truly when the signalman returned the signal arm to danger. Its a good job no-one was under the signal at the time, its a pretty hefty casting.
Its not obvious from a quick glance, but the main signal post is concrete, so this is not prone to rot.

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And dump a load of chaired sleepers along the fence line.

 

A tall chimney is missing. What was it used for?

 

That was for the fireplace in the booking office. I believe it became unstable and was taken down by BR. The fireplace has been filled in, but the angled wall in the corner of the booking office where it used to be is still there. Nowadays we use an electric fan heater, its a lot easier, although the original fireplace in the waiting room - the remaining chimney - is still used regularly in the winter.

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Somebody nicked the push bike?

I like the recycle old sleepers into seats with the chairs still on as arm wrests idea.

 

Roger, how much will Crowcombe station be charging for the Goods Office as a holiday let next year?

Robin

 

Thats a good idea, we still need to raise about £10k to cover the costs. It may look very pretty, but its probably the most expensive small shed on the railway!

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No points for "the signal's off," I assume, but is the switching-out facility a post-preservation addition? Given the slightly different angle between the two photos, you can't see whether both of the Up Starting signals visible in the modern photo were there in 1950, but switching out on single lines was much rarer then than it is in preservation, I understand.

 

Crowcombe did not have a switch in BR days, I believe.

Robin

 

I remember the shuttering to cast the concrete & then the cast post lying on the platform for weeks when i was a fireman . What year would that be?
Also what signalling work is being done at Williton?

 

Crowcombe resignslling was early 90's.

At Williton the new signal box equipment is being fitted and new signals brought into use. I will attempt to do a photo - report each week during the 'closed' period.

Robin

 

Folks have said they liked the 1950 - 2017 shots of Crowcombe, so here are a pair for Stogumber, rather more changed.

The hurricane lamp post is an interesting survivor.

Robin

 

Why was Stogumber signalled when there wasn't a loop?

 

Firstly, there was a loop through the goods shed.

It was fully signalled until the economies of the 1920's.

But the distant signal is for Leigh Bridge Loop signal box, put in in the 1934 improvements to break the section for summer Saturdays and switched out otherwise.....

Robin

 

I love the building but why oh why is the roof pitch so different from the original?