Helston Railway

As you may already know, the Helston Railway people have had planning issues over the proposed new station facilities with access road at Prospidnick, due to local nimbys (or should that be nimbies?), resulting in refusals of planning permission. Cornwall Council has again refused permission and an appeal against that refusal goes to an informal hearing on 31st March - for details go to the council website (www.cornwall.gov.uk) - Planning page and reference APP/D0840/W/15/3129815.

Let us hope that this project can eventually go ahead.

John

 

I couldn't get any joy with the Cornwall Council website, but I went to the Planning Inspectorate and typed in the reference to get some details.

John

 

We holidayed in Marazion earlier this year and I decided to not actively seek out the Helston Railway, but to see what their local exposure was like. Didn't find a single leaflet all week, until I happened upon one in Exeter of all places!

Anywho, that aside the Helston Railway is doing brilliant things. I can't wait to ride over the Cober Viaduct one day, having boarded the train at Nancegollan. Good luck to everyone involved!

 

Well they got their planning http://www.helstonrailway.co.uk/

 

Well Truthall Halt had its opening day recently and I've got to say, for a small railway they've done a tremendous job, it looks very pretty and close to the original. Image taken from facebook.
New:

Original:

 

Brilliant recreation. Well done to them all.

 

How pleasing to see such an accurate recreation from such a small railway. It always seems so tempting for the "start-ups" to populate all their stations with portacabins and deal with the historical rebuilds later. I like how this halt appears to have had a "do it right, do it once" approach - the result is something to be very proud of, I hope the volunteers involved are very pleased with their new station.

 

Right type of track, too. Nice attention to detail!

 

I think you could do better without using those through bolted sleepers though.
Impossible to tighten up other than when new.

 

GWR chairs on concrete sleepers. I wouldn't have thought that there would be a problem tightening the nuts, on these, unlike with timber and fang bolts.

 

Steve, Try it on the Thoughbolted concretes nearer home. You will see what I mean.
The concrete looses its grip on the bottom of the bolt and then the whole bolt just turns.
Only way of getting them out is Burn / Disc off, then knock the bolt down below the chair.
Remove the chairs and then you can get the sleeper out to change it for a timber one.

 

I've not had that problem on CS1 chaired sleepers, even those dating back to 1948. The nuts have always come off when changing broken chairs. One or two have sheared but only one or two.

 

You have been lucky.
It is one of the reasons why we have been taking out BH Conc on the NYMR over the last few years.
As well as the gradual increase in the amount of sleeper breakage in these areas.

 

With the winding down of the GWR Preservation Group at Southall who were the custodians of Peckett 0-4-0ST No. 2100 “William Murdoch” for the owner, Portsmouth City Council Museum, the future of this little locomotive must be in some doubt. I hope the Helston Railway have come to some agreement to continue with the boiler restoration of this locomotive?

Link to GWRPG News: http://www.gwrpg.co.uk/2019/02/

 

From the GWRPG website it looks like the group are disposing of their stock to suitable homes. So without second guessing I'd imagine that talks will already be underway.

 

Work has begun on the dismantling of the (now de-listed) GWR footbridge at St. Austell station. According to the local press, when it has been removed in early March it's to go to the Helston Railway.

 

It is always sad to read of the demise of a preservation project. I hope that the people at Southall find suitable outlets for their railway interest not too far away, and that the locos in their care are going to be looked after by others who can do the necessary work on them.

 

Not going far then, at least it stays in the County.

 

Yes, good news. Much better than going to meet the gas axe.

It was originally scheduled to go to the Bala Lake Railway in North Wales but apparently they no longer want it.

 

Following the departure of Peckett 0-4-0ST No. 1788 "Kilmersdon" from the railway on 3 February 2020, the Helston Railway have announced on their Facebook page that her replacement will be a Stephenson & Hawthornes Ltd 0-4-0ST No. 7063 "Eustace Forth". No arrival date as yet.

Nev