Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development

I don't either: one replica Lyn (i.e. Lyn II) is sufficient but I do think she would have more charm if fitted with a brass chimney cap.
However (!), if one were to be built, would it be named Lym perhaps? (And for those of you lacking any sense of humour, I write in jest!)

 

Thanks for that Christoph. I too do not believe authentic is a superlative. What I was stating was that, in my opinion, authentic implies an original, an authentic original if you like. A replica may be a faithful copy or indeed an improved variant but is clearly not an authentic original. Nevertheless if you wish you might label it an authentic replica (even though I don't think that I would). The replica might well be an improvement upon the original and I would argue that this would be an excellent requirement for the design brief. This was actually where I was headed. Perhaps the word authentic should be avoided altogether as it can be defined in several ways which can lead to misunderstanding, rather like 'fresh' in the food business.

I confess that I do get somewhat irritated by those who seem to want a faithful replica for everything... Why for goodness' sake? Why not re-create the best of the original with improvements where they can be made. Stating when, where and why this has been or is to be done can only lend greater credibility to 'the task', outlining and indeed enhancing its 'authenticity'!

 

There was some talk during the build of the new Lyn that at some stage it could be painted in L&B livery and fitted with a chimney of the original type (costing less than 5 grand one would hope). This would obviously not be soon, but there's no reason why Lyn and the new MWs should not appear in various liveries at various times.

 

well obviously they can be painted in all sorts of liveries (I've always thought GER blue would suit them) but like the coaches, given the rebuilding work done over the years between opening and closure some liveries are always going to be clearly either right or wrong to people who know what they're looking at. It could end up akin to a railway where all the stock is the equivalent of an apple green LNER liveried Flying Scotsman with smoke deflectors...

 

Which, of course, brings us back to the matter of 'authenticity' and what that means in terms of the L&BR. For example, the current signalling at WB is not 'authentic' insofar as the L&BR never had any shunt signals, and had they had any in EoD days they would not have looked like the current SR versions. Equally, without indulging in a large amount of expenditure for new patterns and castings, we can't operate the line with EoD-pattern lever-frames. So some compromises will have to be made if we are to be pragmatic in rebuilding the line.

IMHO the key principle should be to be 'authentic' as far as possible within the constraints of whatever is (a) practical and (b) affordable. But others may disagree...

 

Likewise the modern toilet fittings would not have been found in days of old, but modern customers are glad to find them!

 

Very true! My wife judges heritage railways by the state of the 'Ladies'

 

David Stockwell recreated the arms on the signals at Chelfham as replicas from my drawings of the signal still at Clannaborough - including the E.O.D & Co Ld and CHIPPENHAM upset lettering on them. The same with the finials (which have E.O.D & Co Ld on the base (facing upwards) but it was expensive to have these metal parts cast. These are very visible, even from 20ft below, and it was worth it. But I agree recreating E O'D lever frames is over-egging the pudding.

 

Another work progress report for the Chelfham Station site has been uploaded to the L&BR website. Includes photographs showing reconstruction work of the Gent's urinal on the Up-platform.

See >>> https://www.lynton-rail.org.uk/story/chelfham-progress-november-2021

 

Thanks for posting that link Chris. It is great to see the steady progress at Chelfham....and elsewhere on the L & B.

 

>>>....The judges' comments on the Chelfham Station restoration project look good except that end of the up platform is being addressed already. If I get a chance I'll show them the latest pictures of our work....

Whilst I am sure they will be interested, it will of course make no difference to the outcome as the winner will have been chosen already by the adjudicators (and no, even us judges don't know their decision until it is announced on the day) so that the winner's plaque can be made ready for the presentation.

 

Yet another News Story uploaded today to theL&B website, this one being titled "An Illustrated Review of Chelfham - Autumn 2021".

See >>> https://www.lynton-rail.org.uk/story/illustrated-review-chelfham-autumn-2021

 

So many ifs and buts, when it comes to liveries, I am sure like most railways if you came up with the cash for a loco to be painted in a certain colour they might just jump at the chance to see it happen, personally I would like to see a Manning Wardle in BR Green and the same goes for a number of coaches as well and while they may be close to it why not have one or two turned out in BR blood and custard and another pair in BR Maroon?

 

While some may throw up their hands in horror at the thought, it would correspond to an alternative universe in which the L&B never closed (like the V0R), or another alternative universe in which it survived until the Beeching era. Rebuilding the railway as if one of those scenarios had happened would be an alternative to rebuilding it as if it had become frozen in time before or after Grouping. None of those scenarios really happened, so all of those recreations would be artificial, but none would be entirely absurd either. (However I am not actually promoting a BR-era recreation.)

 

Didn't one Heritage Railway allow an engine to be covered in wallpaper by a manufacturer of same ? Now that would be a way of raising funds to rebuild the Railway. If that didn't have the prospect of generating enough we could ask Ms Rowling to write something.

 

The Ffestiniog had Lyd in BR Black for a short time to see what it could have been?, photo from rail.co.uk 2011 and Heljan have made an 009 model in black
http://www.rail.co.uk/images/2161/original/whr_20_april_2011_098_resize.jpg
However the current livery of Lyn plus the coaches are historically correct and attractive to visitors, who know little of railway history, but make a good source of income for the railway.
When there are more locos different liveries can be tried, Axe could revert back to WW1 grey as a tribute to those who were in the war.

 

Black 5 45212 around 1969/70 https://adsspot.me/media/tv-commercials/solvite-train-19fd26bf9ed0

 

Tank engines provide their own ready-made advertising hoarding:



Tom

 

These days presumably they would put giant LED screens on the tank sides and play video adverts...

Imagine travelling from Woody Bay to Lynton while a screen on the side of the MW shows you a film of the same trip from the 1930s.....