Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development

Neither I nor the person I was replying to were referring to the original Lynton station site, I thought that was clear, apologies if I rendered it less so by quoting less of the original. The proposal is for a station nearer the town and hopefully up less of a hill.

 

Correction noted - thanks. I would maintain my observation - a good tea room by the platform is a godsend when travelling with family.

 

Link to map showing proposed station site nearer centre of Lynton
http://www.lynton-rail.co.uk/page/woody-bay-station-lynton

 

Wait till they try an old fashioned phone box.....................

I'm sure you never exited from the side you walked in

 

Most of the old fashioned phone boxes I've seen recently are either used for growing tomatoes, or converted into showers. Now that could be fun watching what happens when they lift the handset and press the button...

Steve B

 

You've definitely never been to Lynton if you think of heading straight to the beach. There are effectively two places; Lynton and Lynmouth. The latter is by the sea. On a flat piece of paper, they are essentially continuous and it is only about half a mile as the crow flies from the proposed station in Lynton to the pier in Lynmouth but the reality is that there is some 550 ft of vertical distance between them. Fortunately, there is a cliff railway ( www.cliffrailwaylynton.co.uk ) available to help with the climb back, which is not for the faint-hearted. ( I did it last week, as I always do just to prove that I still can.)
And, yes, there are tea rooms a plenty but the majority are in Lynmouth. If you haven't been, the place (and whole area) is well worth a visit.

 

I know the thread has moved on, but can I just sound a cautionary note about all the smug comments about door opening?
It is neither nice nor clever to sneer at people for not knowing how to operate something they have never seen before and which probably predates their adult life. It is especially silly to do so when these are the people we are expecting to pay so we can have indulge ourselves playing with big toys.
If you can't remember that passengers are customers, and can't see things from their viewpoint, your railway is doomed.
(I know most of the comments were supposed to be wry humour, as I smiled as I read them, but there's another side to it too).
Anyway, thought police back off duty: back to discussion of How To Get The Railway To The Beach.

 

Well yes I'll contend your probably right Paul, when it comes to doors, I am nowhere near as knowledgable on the matters of doors as you are! But in anycase, as I said it was more of a rant of the moment then a full on analysis, just me dispairing by how much hand holding we seem seem to give these days is all. Commonsense seems a concept alien to increasingly more people these days I fear, but again I'm digressing...

 

I was talking to one of my younger female colleagues, explaining how to move the HP cylinder marine triple expansion engine to the 3o'clock/9o'clock position so you are ready for the first movement.

She didn't have a clue..................

 

A couple of weeks ago when chatting to one of the L&B fireman (I see him most Saturdays and comes out with such things as the boiler/firebox on Charles Wytock has been condemned so a new one has to be made) he came up with that the planning had been put back to Sept at the earliest now, and also the roof for the loco works the planers wanted to change from the curved profile to a normal profile and the new profile they wanted was too low for the overhead crane to be put in. With this and the letter on reply 564 I will be surprised if the decision is made this year, as when the information is sent into the planners it will have to be sent to the objectors so they can have their say on it and send their replies back for the planners to look at. But to me the planners have made a right hash of it as they should have founds these problems with the information a year ago and not just now, and by the wording of that letter they are running scared of what might happen if the last t isn't crossed.

 

Sorry but to someone who has not encountered these sorts of door locks and windows before they will be a complete mystery. It's like asking me to harness a carriage horse; I would not know what to do but a century ago many people would be able to do it easily. Someone from the eighteen eighties would be completely mystified by push button operated doors but would know exactly how to cope with strap operated droplights.

It is not "hand holding" but "common sense" (a horrible expression meaning little more than "in my opinion") to ensure doors are properly closed. Kindness as well.

PH

 

Well fair enough, I can see your point, I was clearly being a bit too harsh. So for that I apologise. Am I off the naughty step now?

 

I'm not sure what her gender has got to do with it, you could quite easily have had the same conversation and reaction from a younger male colleague.


Keith

 

Agreed

I suspect if I started to take you (@johnofwessex) through the 'Monte Carlo computer simulation of catalytic action of Zeolites' which was the subject of my university dissertation, you might not have a clue.

Much more attractive to find ways to pass on specialist and craft knowledge.
For example. I love teaching mechanical signalling, and seeing those craft skills, which I was priviledged to learn from railwaymen some of whom started on the Railway in the 1940's, preserved and passed on.

Robin Moira White

 

Exactly my thoughts...and how many of these numpties regularly sort out problems on their parents' PCs because said parents can't use 'common sense' when operating them. Common sense varies over time

 

I have given up with the TV, remote controls, laptops, phones etc. I just give them to the kids and say sort that out for me... Age has a funny way of showing itself sometimes..

 

If that's the proposed station location then I don't think there's much chance of a vintage bus service from it. It appears to be at the top of a very steep and narrow dead end lane. Presumably there was a good reason why the original station was a bit further back so it could be accessd by the longer but less steep Station Hill

 

I assume the original promoters of the line looked at a map, saw the name "Station Hill" and thought, "that will be an ideal location - no-one need struggle for directions from town if we build our new station there"

Tom

 

It is a 5 to 10 minute walk into town from the site. I did a walk through the Valley of the Rocks which returned via the lane. I visited the L&B after the walk , saw the map and realised I have passed the proposed station site.

 

One day I will; maybe the railway will get there first though.
Point taken about the height difference (obvious enough from Google maps aerial view) and location of present tea rooms (much less obvious). But I still maintain that their main cafe needs to be at the other end (eventual middle, I guess). At Lynton they will need something, yes, but probably won't need to be their main offering. (Of course, not my project, I have no idea what they will really do!)
So is it thought that the new station will be within an easy stroll of the top of the cliff railway? Because from Google again, it looks as though the two railways are at the tops of two different hills, but that might be deceptive.