Heritage Railways expanding or extending

Isn't this supposed to be a discussion group?

 

No worries. Non-heritage though they are, both Ilfracombe and Ventnor do keep cropping up in (non-NP WIBN related) re-opening proposals, not that regurgitation makes either more practical or likely.

Right now, I suspect lines pretty much everywhere are in survival mode. In all honesty, I'd reckon conditions will effectively pare off everything without a rock solid business case and realistic funding mechanism.

In Wales, I'd reckon both the Corris and RhLT / BLR extensions meet both criteria and expect both to push ahead. Perhaps ironically, I suspect the seismic shock at Llangollen has left the railway well placed for full line operations.

 

Incidentally, these is a Brixton just to the east of Plymouth.
https://oldplymouth.uk/Railways-Brixton Road Station.htm

 

Blimey .... a passenger service even the GW gave up on ..... it must've been a quiet line!

 

I remember it well. Always fun arriving but not so much fun climbing the hill to depart ! Still, it was an interesting little branch in its time and would make an attractive and educational (fish traffic ! ) addition to the P & D if the station at Brixham had survived.

 

I can't tell the present layout from that plan, nor can I find the present layout on the website. Is it just the bit labelled HKWR Track-test loop? Why "track-test"?

 

Currently, they have a small loop (the Hanworth Loop, coloured blue on the map). A lot of work to do, but they seem to be progressing with planning permission and agreements with Thames Water. See video below for more details of the history and route of the line.

 

That makes this easily the largest present expansion of any preserved line, reckoned in proportion to the present size.

 

There's a lot of impressive stuff in just that short clip, of which I'd single out that superbly restored Ransomes crane, with it's highly appropriate Water Board pedigree. So good to see it in gainful employment, doing what it was built to do.

Does anyone happen to know if any other lines cast their own concrete sleepers? The only other mention I've seen of that particular 'cottage industry' was pre-war, on the Weston, Clevedon & Portishead.

The trackwork looks first rate and a real credit to the volunteers. Imaginative use noted of shipping containers, proving there are advantages to a smaller loading gauge! Clearly a line where they know how to make the most of their resources and in such a promising location too. Even as a 'steam nut', I appreciate their home grown 'hydraulic' loco. That's some strong engineering skills they've got.

Mention was made of 'visiting locos from the London area'. I know Greenwich & District NGRS certainly used to provide a home for at least one 2ft gauge 'industrial' IC loco (can'r recall if it was petrol or diesel). I'd imagine there's some membership crossover and it'll be interesting to keep an eye on developments in that regard. At least one member of the Merioneth Railway Society 'majored' on the old waterworks line (I've modellers' drawings of the KS built locos and some stock in 16mm scale in an old copy of their house magazine).

 

The concrete sleeper design comes from the East Hayling Light Railway, which made 1900 of them over 20 years ago back when the railway was in the Mill Rythe Holiday camp. The idea came from the Launceston Steam Railway, which still has their ones still on their main line. The Launceston ones are 2 concrete pads joined with a bar/rail, which Hayling copied with milk crates used as moulds. This first ones were trialled at Mill Rythe and can now be seen in the sidings at Beachlands and Eastoke. From this a solid single casting was developed which is what you see on the Hayling main line.

Time is the main problem for the production of concrete sleepers, which is why you don't see them made much. When Hayling was in the holiday camp, it only ran 2 days a week with a limited passenger market. So the volunteers could put months into making a miles worth of sleepers.

 

That bit at least doesn't surprise me! Apparently, their manufacture on the WC&P (where they featured on the first section on the Portishead extension east of Clevedon Stn) was very much an off-peak activity, sounding akin to Roman legionaries being given construction jobs to keep 'em busy when there was no actual fighting to be done. With Col.Stephens' known love of the classical world, I can't help but wonder if he took his cue from Aulus Platorius Nepos, the governor left in Britannia by Emperor Hadrian to oversee the building by troops of his eponymous wall.

 

My understanding is that the Helston Railway is actively extending with the long term aim to re-open a three mile section of the branch line between Nancegollan and Helston Water-ma-Trout.
Anyone know what progress is being made?
Ian C

 

That sounds familiar as far as the 'realistically achievable' aim goes. For those unfamiliar with the area, Nancegollan, which will involve a resited station, is south of the original halfway point of the branch (i.e over 4 miles south of the Cornish Mainline) and Water-ma-Trout, which is south of the line's main engineering feature, Cober Valley Viaduct, on the northern outskirts of Helston itself.

I've never seen serious/credible mention of any mainline connection at Gwinear Road. A kite or two got flown a couple of years ago, as soon as a minister said the name Beeching. An application for a 'Restore Your Railway' feasibility study grant fell at the first hurdle.

For whatever historic reason, the junction pointed branch trains at Penzance, which somewhat limited the line's prospects even before the age of cars and lorries.

2022: Although catering facilities have been open for a while this year, according to the FB page, no trains will run before the middle of next month. Last update on the main website's news page was back in February

You'd have to assume there was a good reason why no services were offered over the long easter weekend, but with no further info, best avoid speculation.

https://m.facebook.com/helstonrailway

Here's a short clip [3'26"] from four years ago, showing the viaduct. I've no idea who currently 'owns' it, or whether there's been any recent report on it's condition:

 

And there was I thinking of it running through the Channel Tunnel.

Do any others of the Night Ferry sleepers survive, possibly in a Continental equivalent of Collection X?

I used to see the Wagon Lits daily every morning lately arrived and giving a touch of class and romance to the carriage shed with its backdrop of Peabody Buildings on the Chatham side as you went in to Victoria. I shall miss it at Horstead Keynes where it seemed quite appropriate standing there there during the day as though it was between nocturnal trips …. hot box and/or points failure and crowded out of London?

 

Helston Railway is delighted to announce that we are staring running train services again from Sunday 15th May. We look forward to welcoming new and previous visitors to come and enjoy the unique quality of this beautiful line. We will be open on Sundays and Thursdays until October. The first train leaves at 10.30 am, the last train leaves at 3 pm. We don't take bookings in advance but tickets can be purchased on the day from the shop.