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Llangollen Railway

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by 14xx Lover, Jan 4, 2010.

  1. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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    Platform 2 should be a catering facility, with decking out the rear overlooking the railway - possibly even extended with a canti-levered deck as per the Corn Mill. This was started hence the building has/had a hatched door on the Eastern exit. The current Henry Roberston suite should be the offices, as its nearer to the entry point for the public and more central for the overall hub of operations. Plus it did still have the letterbox for any post on the currently locked door onto the road!
     
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  2. Gav106

    Gav106 Well-Known Member

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    Yes both of those ideas are good, the HR suite isn't the greatest tbh. I have always thought that if you could move the engineering elsewhere and clear the yard site it would make brilliant parking (which could make a lot of money) and the old goods shed could be turned into a museum or place for the weddings and functions.

    I don't know if it's only me, but I have always thought Llangollen has too much stock, especially coaches that dont get used all the time, and very little space to actually put all of it. It's a shame that they haven't put the bridge back in at Corwen as I always thought if you could put a line back down to the far end of Corwen you would have industrial space where you could make noise without complaints from neighbours.
     
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  3. Thompson1706

    Thompson1706 Part of the furniture

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    We can't build on the land behind the platform two building because we don't own it. It belongs to the church.
    We don't have too many coaches, one of the privately owned TSO's is due to leave. What we do have is a lot of surplus wagons , many of which are available for sale. Our aim is to create more siding space to enable smoother operation of the railway, remove all unsightly vehicles from public view, remove all overgrown trackside vegetation, and restore Llangollen Station to its early 50's appearance.
    The 'Henry Robertson Suite' is used for weddings, meetings and other functions and will remain so.
    With regard to Corwen, the Green Lane bridge can't be put back until the t- junction on the A5 west of Corwen is widened to allow large vehicles from the Corwen industrial estate to to do a safe left turn towards Corwen.
    If somebody would like to put up a couple of million pounds then we would be pleased to develop within Corwen.

    Bob.
     
    Last edited: Nov 6, 2020
  4. Martin Fuller

    Martin Fuller New Member

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    A bridge at Corwen isn't worth the money, and you would need to considerably raise the formation with a ski-jump to provide adequate clearance. Digging the road down would be a no-go due to flooding. The ski-jump would of course be where the station is, and the station is more important. In fact the new Corwen station is in exactly the right place, whereas the old is too far west of the town center and car parking.

    Llangollen has always problem in that there is not much suitable land with road access for expansion. Hence the cramped yard with insufficient parking for staff and volunteers. (at times) Had the railway extended the other way, to Trevor, there would be plenty of suitable land for carriage sheds, workshops, whatever. Additionally Llangollen's parking/congestion problem could be been largely solved by the railway offering a park and ride scheme from Trevor, early and late DMU's perhaps with steam in between. All tied in with the added attraction of the aqueduct of course. It seems like an impossible dream now, but so did the Welsh Highland, or joining of the two portions of the GCR.
     
    Last edited: Nov 7, 2020
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  5. Thompson1706

    Thompson1706 Part of the furniture

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    Martin, for your information the headshunt at Corwen has been left at the required height for when (if) the bridge is replaced.
    There is no parking space at Trevor, the former goods yard having been built on.

    Bob.
     
  6. D1039

    D1039 Guest

  7. 5944

    5944 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Heritage railway chair resigns after 'vicious' abuse over 'ugly' station revamp
    Liz McGuinness claims she was forced to quit after she received "malicious emails" when iron columns appeared at Corwen station.

    A heritage railway chairwoman has claimed she was forced to resign after members bombarded her with "vicious" abuse following an "ugly" station restoration.

    Liz McGuinness said she received a tirade of "malicious emails" by enthusiasts after iron columns appeared at Llangollen steam railway’s Corwen station.

    It comes after several members of the railway took offence at the supporting crossbeam of the arch installed at the station as part of a refurbishment programme, arguing that it looked like an “ugly waste pipe”.

    The row reached a bitter climax when a number of members of the Llangollen Steam Railway began to bombard its chairwoman with abusive messages.

    Some were so bitter and vicious that Mrs McGuinnesss felt she had no option but to resign from her post as chairwoman of both the railway’s plc and trust “for the sake of my sanity”.

    The incident has thrown a disturbing light on the closed world of steam railway enthusiasts, with questions now being asked about the sort of behaviour being tolerated in their ranks.

    The abusive emails directed at Mrs McGuinness were described by her as “vicious”.

    The poisonous emails began after the board of the Llangollen Railway, in the North Wales county of Denbighshire, rejected one set of plans for the restoration and development of Corwen station and decided to continue with works which incorporated the columns from London Chatham & Dover Railway’s Blackfriars station.

    This was despite what one board member described as the presence of “an ugly piece of metal pipe joining them together like a goal post”.

    Members were informed that although the Blackfriars column and crossbeam were being retained, “what is being designed now will fully complement the front building” and “make the station a quality terminus/gateway to the Railway that everyone can be proud of”.

    But following the decision Mrs McGuinness found herself at the receiving end of hate mail.

    She told The Telegraph: “It came from a number of volunteers and it's very sad.

    “I’ve seen the railway through a difficult period, when it nearly went into administration and this abuse was very sad for me because it was a decision by the board as a whole and not just me.”

    Mrs McGuinness, 59, refused to reveal the precise wording of the emails or the abuse directed at her, except to say it had made it impossible for her to carry on in her two paid roles, but added: “It was just untenable for me to continue because of the level of abuse I was receiving.”

    In an online message to members she wrote: “I have had several vicious personal attack emails directed at me personally not at the board from various members.

    "This is unacceptable as the decision was made back in January and agreed by the Corwen team and the Trust board (not me alone) with an independent mediator.

    “I am stopping now for my health and sanity as constant malicious emails are not acceptable.”

    It is all a far cry from the founding vision of Llangollen Railway.

    It was established in 1975, following the closure of the old main line to passenger traffic in 1965 and to goods in 1968, by a group of enthusiasts who saw the potential for a scenic heritage line through the beautiful Dee Valley.

    From small beginnings 10 miles of track have now been re-laid westwards along the track-bed of the old Ruabon to Barmouth main line, through to Corwen.

    Demolished infrastructure, such as the signal boxes at Llangollen Goods Junction, Deeside Halt, Glyndyfrdwy and Carrog were rebuilt from the ground up and are now fully operational, allowing trains to run on steam gala days and weekends, with Santa Specials planned this Christmas.

    All the stations along the track are being restored to their original Victorian design, with each decked out in the line’s 1950’s Great Western colour scheme.

    The cost has come from local fundraising and some grants from the Heritage Lottery Emergency Grant.

    At Corwen the line has been extended into the picturesque market town at the foot of the Berwyn Mountains at the western end of the Dee Valley.

    The railway is now fundraising to build a new station, supposed to be in keeping with the line’s original buildings - prompting the current rows and recriminations over details such as the Blackfriars’ columns.

    [​IMG]
     
  8. echap

    echap New Member

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    I can understand being paid as Chairwoman of the Plc but it seems wrong that she is/was also paid as Chairwoman of the Trust. Am I missing something?

    Ed Chap
     
    Last edited: Nov 7, 2020
  9. davidarnold

    davidarnold Member

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    Abusing anyone is unacceptable.
    That said, what were they thinking. That is the ugliest piece of Heritage infrastructure I have ever seen.
    Surely these columns could have been freestanding without the need for a large diameter sewer pipe to hold them up.
    In a time when other preservationists have such as the GWSR have been able to replicate original GWR canopies at low cost surely it wasn't necessary to use redundant parts from another Regions Railway Infrastructure that look totally alien and ugly.
     
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  10. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Shades of Broadway, which is perhaps forgivable, though the shades of Minehead are most certainly NOT.

    Surely our movement has enough miles under it's belt for some sort of guidelines on sympathetic restorations? Perhaps some cooperative collaboration under the ægis of the HRA might serve to prevent repeats of such depressingly unedifying episodes?
     
  11. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Indeed. Really not sure why it was necessary to have this in the Telegraph, WSR do NOT take note! It does seem that this individual was wearing rather too many hats, and that can't have helped in preventing the situation that has arose. The abuse is of course unacceptable.

    Not sure what the HRA could really do to prevent such things though, much as I'm in favour of a more interventionist HRA, I'm not sure they could be terribly helpful here.
     
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  12. lostlogin

    lostlogin Member

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    Sorry you are wrong unless the articles explicitly state that a director cannot resign until a replacement is found if the resignation would leave it inquorate. There is plenty of legal commentary on this and many law firms have published articles covering the point. If a director resigns and sends the letter of resignation to the company’s registered office then unless there is something in the articles to the contrary then they have resigned. There is nothing in company law about requiring that the board to accept just as there are no provisions whereby a board can refuse to accept a resignation. In fact there is no requirement for the board to meet or pass a resolution accepting the resignation although it would be good practice to record the resignation at the next board meeting. Obviously if the director was merely offering to resign the position would be different.

    It is a simple matter of fact whether a person has resigned as a director and having sent a letter of resignation to the company the resigning director is perfectly entitled to sign and file the form TM01 at Companies House as any director or the company secretary has the authority to sign under company law. A resigning director can therefore sign their own TM01 and submit it.to Companies House as under company law the effective time and date from a resignation takes place is midnight on the date entered as the date of resignation on the Form TM01.

    The above is all based on there not being anything in the articles which sets down alternative procedure.

    I really hope your day job does not require you advising on company law.

    Back to the LR I do think that if they get it right then extension is good for the railway. There may be a loss of secondary spend at Carrog but if you get facilities right at either end people will use them. I don't see the SVR deciding not to have catering offerings at Bridgenorth or Kidderminster as passengers could simple wander into town to eat. Similarly the FR at Porthmadog, the TR at Tywyn etc. I was brought up in the area and have since been back and had the odd trip and the thought of catching a train to Llangollen from Corwen is far more appealing than commencing a trip at Llangollen. Parking in Llangollen is a pain and if you want to wander around for an hour or two, have a leisurely lunch, combine with a horse drawn tram trip Llangollen is a much better option. With the extension if the Llangollen Railway get their marketing right I am sure that they can increase the passenger figures as selling a train trip to Llangollen from a known place, rather than just what is effectively a station in a field, without parking issues has to be an easier sell. I would also think that trip is an ideal one to sell to the numerous coach parties that pass through the area.
     
  13. gwilialan

    gwilialan Well-Known Member

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    Was the sarcasm really necessary?
     
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  14. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

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    There’s another railway that’s built a new terminus (ok it’s 36 years old now) not that far away, why wasn’t a little chat had with them? (Yes I’m talking about the SVR)
     
  15. Breva

    Breva Well-Known Member

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    Jeez that oil pipe is ugly, like something out of a refinery. What exactly is the intended theme here? Chocolate and cream alone doth not a GWR station make....

    The round topped railings are modern, so is the block paving and Arco drains, and what is that square steel structure in the background?

    Which part of this station exactly is GWR?
     
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  16. Monkey Magic

    Monkey Magic Part of the furniture

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    It is a little bit like a footballer's mock tudor mansion. What someone imagines it should look like.
     
  17. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Chocolate and cream do not make a GWR station at all!! ;)
     
  18. Just_Sayin

    Just_Sayin New Member

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    If she’s telling the full truth, why has she conveniently forgotten her husbands presence on said board, and that they didn’t create a Conflict of Interest Policy until 5 years after she gained employment?

    Two sides to every coin, and with such a bitter ploy running to a national paper like that one would have to suggest LR are better off now...
     
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  19. Just_Sayin

    Just_Sayin New Member

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    Wasn’t Corwen LNWR?
     
  20. Just_Sayin

    Just_Sayin New Member

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    In terms of operation, then yes the TR pattern could be followed. But Nant Gwernol isn’t exactly the same as Corwen... at least Corwen does have some businesses looking for trade, despite the sometimes unfair view that the locals can be unfriendly. The businesses themselves seem to want the railway and the increase in visitors from what I’ve experienced, probably even more so after 2020.
     

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