Weardale, Dartmoor and RMS for sale

Thanks
Found the notes from Devon County Council where the Government is still waiting for a report from GWR on the Okehampton option
https://www.radioexe.co.uk/news-and-features/local-news/devon-rail-improvements-could-be-delayed/

If it goes ahead as a backup route (will take time) and the Dartmoor heritage stock is sold to a new owner to run on the line, will it need upgrading to mainline certification, presume GWR will want to run modern stock

 

Thanks for the DCC link, which I had not seen.
It makes clear that the Council is having difficulty in getting the Government to commit to maintaining the Okehampton "branch" let alone support an extension of the Plymouth / Bere Alston branch to Tavistock. The suggestion is that, even if these both eventuated sometime in the next ten years, linking the two to recreate the northern Dartmoor line from Exeter to Plymouth is probably several decades in the future. Well into WIBN territory I'm afraid.
Additionally, it seems NR have floated an idea to reinforce and conserve the coastal line, which has some positive aspects, but will seriously affect the appearance of the area.( But no more so than the building of the railway in the first place ! ). I imagine it will be a matter of much debate before anything happens

 

Option 1 So could we looking at a mothballed ex L.S.W.R. branch line from coleford jct to meldon quarry incase N.R. decide to use the line as a diversionary route inland to bere alston maybe in 10 years time cos of N.R. at the moment are wanting to spend money on the dalwish warren coast line building higher walls. Option 2 or unless is there any future plans to use it again for railway ballast or has the quarry been worked out or is railway ballast just sourced elsewhere cos if so that idea of keeping freight on the line is out of the question, Unless option 3 another preservationist group could buy the line and continue running heritage trains maybe. option 4 G.W.R. run service trains to okehampton if it will get the passenger numbers and maybe the line upgraded. Thats my thoughts and predictions on this issue.
Davo 56F

 

You Doubt it, but would benefit from a bit of positive publicity, and maybe being a destination from NRM shildon for visiting loco's / summer operations????

Regular visits from a green LNER NRM loco, would sharp get it going to a degree.

 

Think the preservation society itself us going well. Just purchased a second DMU and have their steam loco under overhaul. Plus just recently recommended running to Bishop Auckland. Ironically using money from BARS.
It's a like I've always enjoyed and really do hope it has a future. Do I think this is commercial not really. But as a presrvation set up with some freight (like the coal trains which have run previously, similar to Ribble rail) then yes.

 

Think a lot of the business model was based on the eco village at Eastgate, on the old cement works land, don't know if that is still going ahead???

 

Think that was abandoned some time ago. Believe the trust has cut its cloth accordingly.

 

That's good to hear, would like the project to succeed, as the line and scenery offer a decent trip out, still think NRM shildon have something to offer, should they want to.

 

It would be nice to see steam again at Weardale.6619 Kielder Bridge 2007

 

Would love to see steam there again. Travelled on the opening weekend with P3 and 49 from tanfield. Hopefully even 40 or norwood can steam up there soon.

 

https://www.okehampton-today.co.uk/...ionIs=news&searchyear=2020&cat=Community News
The Okerail group had a meeting who want to see the GWR Sunday service running 7 days, so keeping the heritage stock running is not in their interest and has potential conflicts with the aims of the Dartmoor Railway supporters association.

 

The best outcome would be to have both a regular GWR service (paid for somehow) and a heritage operation sharing the tracks. Similar sharing does happen in a few places, so it is clearly possible in principle. Whether a package can be found that all parties can agree on remains to be seen.

 

There might be a preservation society but at the moment it is looking at owning its stock and some work on the line. It does not have to pay out for the lines full upkeep or of facilities at Wolsingham. With BARS meeting its demise, I can see the shares in the Weardale side being worth little. Most of the stock here like 31s or Mk. 2s is owned by others there and hired in as needed. BARS own little of their own and some might be sent for scrap to over attempts to get money back. The line did ok using Polar Express and some tea or drinks trains, but really it needs to go heritage fully and the way that would be best would be for BARS shares to be worth virtually nothing in weardale and bought for a minute sum like £1. Then grants from other agencies can be applied for to get the line to go 100% heritage and aim for an operation much like Wensleydale not too far away, who are trying and have done well - with a model that is now a few years in front of Weardale.

 

A very agreeable and sensible approach. Far too sensible!

 

I think the best outcome, for the time being is that if GWR have the capacity would be to trial a week day , in season service from Exeter to Okehampton, with a connecting bus, funded in part by Devon CC, that runs to the other end of the line to judge public demand to in effect join up the closed section, and operate a rambler type service sightseeing etc, as well as a local transport service, , Is AI , effected by the demise of BAR? as they (AI ) own the Track to the Junction with the Barnstable line. And the quarry, and what life is there left in the quarry, is it still providing Ballast and aggregates to the market if the quarry is finished, What of its future and that of the line its self? many former quarries have become wild life reserves and water parks, country parks etc.

 

Taking a larger view, putting Okehampton back on the rail map makes sense as Okehampton should be a place to build large estates. The line goes directly to St David's after all. But the line from Plymouth to Tavistock is more viable and that the opportunity to take advantage of a builders offer has essentially past is beyond belief.
I'm in complete agreement with the notion that in the West Country the comparatively low population density means little political power and the recent LD voting means even less. But the big trading and retail estate at Marsh Barton, just outside Exeter on the main line, still has no station which sadly points out just how poorly the railways are managed. If they cannot sort that destinations like Okehampton are not going to be served.

 

Why is going to a station on the outskirts of a city, a decent walk up a steep hill from the centre, a good thing? Especially if the line comes from another station, outside it’s town and a steep walk from where people live.


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Seems they have £13m (was £4.7m) to spend on the new Marsh Barton station and planning approval will be submited soon.
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/exeter-marsh-barton-railway-station-3184010
But they have deferred the Tavistock line as the costs have risen to £93m (even though the trackbed is in good order) so will have to be served by buses?

 

Iowa Pacific must have transfered cash to pay for the railway operations. The administrators and surveying companies will try to ensure as much as possible is raised through a sale to pay Iowa Pacific's creditors in the US?.
If a sale is not done before March, hopefully the administrators will allow operations to continue.
If no viable buyers come forward then at some date hopefully a deal to transfer ownership with the heratige societies can be done?.
For Devon it is possible GWR might buy the operation and run it with modern DMUs (and occasional heratige trains) if the Government or Council might help cover any possible operational losses?

 

Why would anybody want to build "large estates" in a small town that has very little to offer in the way of employment ? If you are thinking of more homes for retirees from the Midlands, the North and South-East I suspect most of them want their "little bungalow by the sea" and would not be too enthusiastic about the often cold and bleak weather of northern Dartmoor.