South Tynedale Railway.

2392 - I agree. The existing PRM arrangements are notchy to say the least and would have to be swept away as they would block the STR alignment.
Haltwhistle Station by Mwmbwls, on Flickr
Haltwhistle Station by Mwmbwls, on Flickr
Haltwhistle Station by Mwmbwls, on Flickr

 

I suggest that, in view of the current financial health of the STR, Haltwhistle is at best a long term aspiration.

 

I don't think anybody would disagree with that. However in the meantime a watching/defensive strategy need to be adopted to ensure that no future development precludes the line's re-opening. It was after all only as a result of Mr Fox's clever re-engineering when the Moelwyn tunnel and route was flooded by the CEGB that the Ffestiniog finally made it back.

 

Going back to 1992 I can recall being sent on a job from Leeds to survey the ground at Haltwhistle to provide that walkway.
I think the biggest difficulty was complying with the ramp gradient standards in place at the time.
The question of a footbridge was raised but the use of the underbridge and ramp got around that.

 

Well said. Look at Swanage in the early '90s for example - they were in financial trouble but took a gamble by pressing ahead with the extension to Corfe Castle. They calculated that their only hope of recovery was to give the railway a meaningful destination, and ultimately they were proved right. However, I don't know Haltwhistle, so whether it has enough attractions (beyond the main line connection) to turn the STR around, I can't say.

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Muz Trem, Haltwhistle is 19 miles from Carlisle, slightly less from the M6. The twice hourly train takes just over 30 minutes to get there. Newcastle is 34 miles from Haltwhistle with a train journey time of 65/70 minutes. There are other attractions in the area - the Beamish Museum and Kielder Forest - so visitors to the area could include a trip as part of a wider holiday. Alston itself is very pleasant but the major access roads cross high moorland roads and are best avoided in Winter. The old standard gauge railway was prized as an all weather link - this assumed a political significance when the line was proposed for closure. The length of the full run would be similar to....................... the Vale of Rheidol?????

 

Wikipedia gives the length of the Alston-Haltwhistle line as 13.5 miles which is longer than the VoR (11.75) and equal to the Ffestiniog.

 

BiggerBob wasn't far out with his guesstimate length wise between the two lines. It being only a mile and three quarters...........

 

Apologies - I was guessing this morning having put my well thumbed copy of Stanley C Jenkins "The Alston Branch " published by Oakwood Press in such a safe place I could not find it. The NER working timetable gives the length as 13 miles 0 chains with a rise of 564 feet and a maximum gradient of 1 in 50. This is not surprising as the line was built soon after the opening of the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway primarily to extract lead and coal. So loaded down hill and empty up hill. Built to standard gauge it also has wider radius curves than purpose built narrow gauge lines. In essence, how long a line is is less significant to the general public as compared to how long the journey takes. Standard gauge passengers trains when they were steam hauled took 35 minutes to complete each leg of the round trip journey - which suggests that hourly departures could be sustained with two trains running.

 

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=686687445534685

The Railway has secured Government funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport facilitating reopening in 2021.
In the meantime there are three recent You Tube videos of the South Tynedale showing the extant route in detail







A corresponding set showing the nascent extension to Haltwhistle could give an insight into the full potential of the line

 

Great News. One of those Festiniog Pullmans would look good on here! (Yes,I would make a contribution!)

 

That's great news.

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I was wondering how things are going at the STR after the torrid last year: from Facebook (sorry, I don't usually go on there) it seems they are moving towards reopening quite soon. Two locos have had their steam test: Barber and Green Dragon.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3849442581802184&id=415472028532607

 

As you say good news. Let's hope Llangollen follow suite and recover too.

 

And nobody's noticed their plans to modify the cab on barber and alter this historically significant locomotive away from how it was built.

 

The loco is extremely uncomfortable to operate by current height footplate personnel hence the intention to create a removable operational cab about a foot higher whilst retaining the ability to reinstate the original heritage cab for display or limited heritage operation, a full consultation exercise for members to express their preference was undertaken.

 

This is good news, I have just booked a week in Alston so hopefully they will be open for when I visit this time.

 

Given the incredible response to the Bala Lake railway decision to re-enter the Town perhaps the STR might find a similar financial boost either by establishing a base at Haltwhistle or pressing on from Slaggyford to the viaduct. Some of us older enthusiasts need to dream dreams and sometimes see them come to fruition. Open the Fund. I will contribute.!!

 

STR is currently longer than Bala, pressing onto the viaduct would require doubling the existing line with no passenger potential stations being opened up, a base at Haltwhistle would require resource which is in short supply in all forms anyway, survival as is would in fact be a major achievement. Unfortunately the line is situated in a very quiet part of England as those of us who travelled the old line can no doubt recall, it is doubtful that remote Haltwhistle would generate much traffic, the nearest population centres have plenty of similar options already.

 

I am inclined to agree with Garth - increasing operating length without increasing passenger accessibility is fraught with difficulties. It is not as if we have not been here before. The Ffestiniog deviation did not make senses in cash flow terms until the stretch beyond Ddualt/Moelwyn Tunnel was built. I would suggest that the WHR was also a cash drain beyond Dinas. However circumstances are now different - the Government is talking about building back better and needs to find ways to kick start the economy. This is going to be harder in rural rather than urban areas - but the need to get local service industries such as tourism and construction back on their feet is critical. The DfT spills the amount of cash required for the extension to Alston on cost overruns everyday. The Chancellor's a localish lad - why not invite him over for a cup of tea and a piece of cake and a train ride and a chance of headlines about a vote of confidence in the local economy.