Weardale, Dartmoor and RMS for sale

Yes, terrible. Much of it dates back from the early days when we reclaimed the trackbed (our trackbed, purchased with money!) and had to be conciliatory to people, but there have been at least two recent ones I can think of. In one instance someone built a car port - with a fence round it to keep us out - on the edge of a cutting at Bishops Cleeve, the other is a new caravan site - one imagines who is behind that - where a disused field was widened by dumping spoil into the cutting leading to a bridge approach. The spoil has overwhelmed the bottom of the bridge abutment. We have not reacted to either as far as I know.

 

You are sort of right and sort of wrong -
1) BA to Stanhope is 16 miles, not 18 but it is 18 to the end of the line at Eastgate.
2) The railway is fully signalled using a system similar to RETB and it has three places where trains can pass .
3) The issue with the fence near Witton was sorted out around two/three years ago when the fence was moved back. There is still a speed restriction in the up direction at this point but this is due to a poorly sighted crossing, rather than the fence.
4) The dip in the track at 'Broken Banks' has been an issue for the line since it was built. It has to be jacked and packed once a year, but will probably always have a speed limit on it.
5) You are correct in saying that both platforms at Bishop (Network Rail and Weardale) are on bays off the main running line between NR and WR and that another platform would be required for through stopping trains.
6) There is another intermediate station currently under construction, at Kingfisher, between Wolsingham and Frosterley, which will servce the Weardale way and local caravan sites. It should be open later this year.

One issue you have not identified is that any train travelling onto the WR system from the mainline would need to be fitted with WR signalling kit, so that the Signaller at Stanhope could 'see' it on his/her monitors. Currently this is achieved by using a demountable unit which the route conductor takes on board with him/her, but that's probably not practical for regular and long term use.

The new owners have made it clear, though, that the aspiration for through-train running is a very long-term aim, so it won't happen soon, so I guess the railway will be providing the sort of services it has done over the last few years for the immediate future.

 

Out of curiosity, has the old trackbed through to Wearhead been built-0ver?

 

Think the site of St John's Chapel Station is now an industrial estate. At least one bridge removed that I know of. The rest is clear.

 

TRACKatlas shows connections from the WR platform to the running line in both directions. Is that out of date?

 

You cannot run out from the WR platform towards what is called the 'connecting line' (and hence NR). There is a connection but it's the other way round and it just enables locos in the WR headshunt to be released. It's always been like that since it was installed around 8-9 years ago. Not got access to Trackatlas - what does that show?

 

I am grateful to Evan DMU for the updates and I wish the Weardale every success.

 

See attached.

 

That is correct for the current arrangement. Except the loop arrangement is the wrong way round at the weardale station.

 

Google maps shows the crossover as the other way round see below

 

Is there still a mainline connection on the old down line at newgate street bridge east of the N.R. station, or is that crossover which forms the headshunt and runaround loop for the mainline connection at bishop auckland on the W.R. station?

 

If there are buffer stops hidden by the trees behind B&Q, it doesn't appear to be a major task to remake the connection between the platform roads of WR and NR.

 

That would however create a second boundary, which might be problematic, unless the existing through line were closed.

 

Every day is a school day, I didn't know that a double track connection with NR could be a problem.
If most through trains are freight, the arrangement makes sense as it makes it easy to pass a passenger train standing at the platform.
If this is no longer the case, perhaps there would be an advantage in changing the arrangement. The existing through line could become a useful siding.

 

A boundary on double track is no problem, but the suggested connection between the platform roads would be in a different place from the present boundary, which seems messy; though I suppose the existing boundary could be moved to be adjacent to the new one.

 

Network rail insisted that the layout for Bishop Auckland "West" was with all the pointwork facing Weardale - this was to prevent trains having the possibility of running through and away onto the mainline network. The points facing back to the loop act as a catch point forcing all things towards headshunt coming from Weardale.

 

The Dartmoor line has a big space at the end which would make a good museum and sheds if someone like geremy Hoskins bought is that had money to build things he needs there. They could even get the get all the ballet from there again even if network rail doesn’t want it it could be used on steam railways. And a USA tank!

 

If you mean Cornwall, I think it's actually a few miles short .....

 

I just wondered about the dancers you'd get from Meldon - for an art form known for it's lightness, a source of granite feels odd.

 

Maybe its for the Sugar Plum Fairies.
(Cartoon version)