Poole Park Railway

The problem with sticks in the point:
The point is locked by a small bar of metal with a bolt that goes thru the bar and the point blade.
To change the point you have to undo the bolt, remove bolt and bar, push the blade over by hand or foot, reattach the bar with the bolt going thru the rail.

If you forget about the bar/ bolt then the point will move!

So not so much sticks, you should keep a good look out, more likely a case of forgetfulness! Still blame children, makes you look professional!

I reckon some deal will happen regarding the stock.Poole Council will issue an ultimatum to get the stock out of the shed/ compound. It will cost FoPP ££££££ to hire a Hiab type truck.Also where do they sort this stock? In The FoPP's Chairmans Second Hand clothes Shop?

 

If FoPP own the track as well that could be an even more interesting ultimatum .
If the track is as bad as has been suggested on here wouldn't that be an advantage for any incoming operator? To have all the old track removed at someone else's expense so they could start afresh?

 

Latest update in the local rag:7http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/ne...throws_his_hat_back_in_the_ring/?ref=mrb&lp=7 Some of the comments lead you to looking at reviews of Mr Bullens new venture on trip adviser. They ain't good!

 

Track: yes it could be . I do not know what the cost of replacing all 700 m would cost.

I do not think in a million years Poople Council will entertain the previous owner.

I think there is a good possibility of this could well be the end.

 

While it seems that Mr Bullen didn't replace track over the long period of his previous tenure and he could therefore be seen to be uncaring about the railway, his new railway at Honeybrook Farm seems to be quite well liked. It's the actual farm that is getting bad reviews which I do not think Mr Bullen can be held responsible for.


Keith

 

On last nights BBC South Today Cllr John Rampton gave a personal promise that the council would get the railway back up and running again. Whole story can be found on the BBC iplayer under South Today Evening news. Story starts 10 minutes in.

 

For anyone unfamiliar with BBC iPlayer, local news editions don't stay available for very long at all, so get in while the getting's good!

 

In response to the post made by Keith (no idea how to do quotes).

The Honeybrook farm website states that the whole site is now managed by Chris Bullen:

"Honeybrook Farm near Wimborne, Dorset is under new management by Chris Bullen (of Honeybrook Railway and formerly of Poole Park Railway)"

I notice the rail appears to be new.

 

Thanks for your reply MrC. To do quotes just hit reply at the bottom right of the post you want to quote.
I was not aware of the change of management, companies house do not show Mr Bullen as a director so I mistakenly assumed that he merely had a working arrangement with the farm. Apologies.

Keith

 

Re The new management at Honeybrook Farm:
Well that is news indeed. Las time I heard the Farm was running up debts in the tens of thousands and the person running the Railway was owed in the region of 40k, allegedly. Will go and have a nose around.....the steam loco used is 50% paid by crowd funding.

 

No need to apologies Keith, sorry if the tone of the message implied I was telling you off, I was trying, when I wrote it, to avoid that. I didn't know either until last night although I had heard a few rumours. Maybe he has made an arrangement to run it as manager rather than ownership?

Nick, is the steam loco in use, I thought it was out of service? When you see the entry charge to the farm you might give it a miss!

 

I have been told someone has taken over the railway by two unrelated people today. One of them told me there is a meeting on Tuesday at 1800 in the pavilion with that person, who is going to share their ideas and see what volunteers are going to get involved. I may go along if I 1)get home from work in time 2) (more likely) remember! I know no names (although I do have suspicions), does anyone know more?

 

Heard a rumour it's the team who run the railway at Hastings but that could be completely wrong - you know what the rumour mill can be like!

Moors Valley could be another good bet as it was publicly reported that they tendered for it last year, are local and have all the expertise.

I was told that Southern Miniature Railways (who originally set the railway up and now run the park railway at Watford) tendered for it as well so that could be another potential new operator.

We shall see shortly no doubt!

 

We'll have members who remember the names touted as being "interested" in reviving the moribund Festiniog before the FRPS, in the wake of the Leonard Heath-Humphrys inspired meeting, eventually got to grips with it. A couple I've heard were Billy Butlin and British Railways and there were doubtless others were even wider of the mark!

 

Whistling the Cuckoo waltz. RIP Poole Park railway.

 

All is not well in Poole park....
Friends of Poole Park Railway (FoPPR) after taking out running costs gave Friends of Poole Park (FoPP) £44k. This is monies from ticket sales.
The Chair of FoPP is also the Chair of FoPPR.
This person runs a pop up second hand clothes store in Poole close to Poole Park.
From what I can gather, this shop has suddenly closed down due to some admin error.
Emails and telephone calls to FoPP are going unanswered.

I think the Charity Commission are involved, as FoPP is a charity with a multi million pound lottery Grant.

Questions are being asked as to where the £44k has gone...............

 

I take it you were not at the "meeting" the other week?

I didn't make it to the end. No agenda, no proper chair, an open discussion forum, no direction and it apparently went on for 3.5 hours!

There is more to this mess than even this as the above was spoken about in detail, including the shop which was ordered to close as it is not a charity shop and apart from who is running it has nothing to do with FOPP.

How the railway volunteer group are going to sort this out I don't know. I don't think they do either. But they don't seem to have much clue anyway.

The owner of Hastings miniature railway was there and it was suggested an announcement would be make soon as to the future. I left before he spoke.

I will continue to whistle and scratch the top of my head!

 

The railway made a £44k profit in the short time FoPPR were running it?

 

Yes I believe this is correct.
I was there early spring on three Saturdays when £700 was cleared. Had thing gone correct....this Summer £1-1.5k a day could have been made. Running from 10.00 am to say 20/21.00 pm easily make £1500 a day. Possibly more.
To quote an old advert......'and all because the lady loves Milk Tray' ...substitute lady for track and milk tray for needs replacement.


The Council, in all their wisdom replace one dodgy geezer for another dodgy geezer....one paid, the other a volunteer.
Neither of the having any knowledge of railways...from Z gauge to 12 inch gauge.

So it goes.


May be something will rise from the ashes.

 

Walked the line today on my way to Poole. Noticed a big lump of asbestos cement roof part sitting on top of the exposed coaches. Looks like the end coverings have taken a toll due to the weather. water now getting into the shed.