GWSR General Discussion and Operations

So if this is going to be the March announcement, then April will have the 3rd [and hopefully final] announcement.
For the rest of the weeks after that, timetables, bus timetables and all other aspects will be announced.

 

With a tamper at Broadway today:




This came to tamp the Broadway extension, after removing excess ballast and re-stressing.
A lovely day for it. Apparently this type is known as a 'Beaver', and it has its own legs with which to get off the lorry - no need for a rail ramp.

In the station itself contractors were preparing P2 for surfacing.
Lots of stuff happening on the railway!

 

Why have the signals (both the home and the starters) got "out of use" crosses on them? If I've got the orientation right this is looking from Toddington to Honeybourne, i.e. the in-use section of the line?

Tom

 

Because the signalling is not yet commissioned - the section is run on a staff that also unlocks a ground frame for the run-round. Once the signalling is commissioned then the section will be worked by acceptance levers, track circuited all the way and token-less. Hence opening Broadway signalbox is a one way process, and why we're a bit nervous about doing it as once we've done it, no Broadway signalman on any one day means no trains to Broadway.

 

The interior of the new Broadway signal box:

 

Thanks! (So presumably the calling-on arms are out of use as well?)

Is there an advantage in having a tokenless system for Toddington - Broadway? (Presumably you need tokens for the other sections?) I think I'd be nervous about having different signalling systems on different sections of the line - i.e. if you can depart Broadway for Toddington without a token, but then need one to continue from Toddington to Winchcombe, there is always the risk that mixed systems increase the likelihood of departures without a token - in my view.

(A bit of reading suggests that the SVR use a similar system Bewdley to Kidderminster - so clearly acceptable practice, but still gives me pause).

Tom

 

You're not the only one to make that point, but yes as you say, the SVR seem to manage alright. It's certainly going to have to be a sharp learning curve remembering to actually look at those signals once we get round to commissioning it. I'm not entirely sure why the decision was made to do it the way it is, we've had discussions on here before about how it potentially could have been done to be more flexible, but the course was set a long time ago now. It may simply have been availability of S&T equipment.
Yes, calling on signals also OOU.

 

Also Bury-Ramsbottom on the East Lancs, so even more swapping as it's the central section (any given end-to-end journey starts with token, then no token, then token again!)

Sent from my moto g(8) power using Tapatalk

 

Ideally you would want to use the same system of block working throughout, wouldn't you? I suspect that tokenless block may be more useful, it should be possible to switch out intermediate boxes without all the faff (and expense) of 'Long' and 'Short' section instruments.
Pat

 

First day of the operating season for us tomorrow, and it should be well worth a visit - nominally 1 steam train one DMU with Dinmore on the service train, but P&O and Foremarke will both also be out and about on some post-winter testing, so plenty to see:

 

Two new events for the diary!. Firstly over the weekend of 22nd & 23rd April, relive the Cambrian coast express with two locos suitably connected with the area. 7820 dinmore manor will be joined by our spring visitor, br std 4 75014 from the paington & Dartmouth.
Secondly, put Tuesday May 9th in the diary, as the plan is to run 4079 pendennis castle on the 59th anniversary of the historic 1964 great western tour. Expect the engine to be decked out as it was on that day pulling the 7 Maroon set. Additionally, our own 7903 will haul the second train masquerading as 6999 capel dewi hall, the unwitting star of that day. as far as I understand, Both events are currently the purple timetable and std fares apply.

 

Who knows! Maybe 6999 might rescue 4079 a second time!

 

You got me at “Cambrian Coast Express”!
So many happy memories of the real thing for me. I shall have to clear the diary for that weekend! An unexpected treat.

 

75014 has arrived at Toddington!

 

Both weekends sound great, although I do hope that it won't be the only weekend 4079 and 75014 operate.

Still a bit techy after the last time you did that.
[419 in 2019].

 

A bit silly on a number of fronts that - 419 wasn't capable of pulling our ordinary service trains of 7 or 8 coaches so more difficult to slot into an ordinary running day. It also suffered some mechanical issues over the weekend. Yet despite that, we did actually run it on an extra normal operating day in lieu of the DMU.

I think it unlikely you'll see the Pug out on any ordinary service days before or after the gala for similar reasons of haulage capability. So if you want to see that, the time is ripe for you to book your gala ticket!

Anyway, 75014 is with us from, well, now, as it landed this week at Toddington, and is rostered for the last 2 weekends of March, which is as far as the loco roster goes at the moment.

 

letting you into a little secret 75014 is scheduled to run most of April. We’re just trying to balance all the engines against there contracted days and boiler washout cycles before posting updates to the loco roster. I can say that 4079 will definitely be running post gala as well. Of course this is all subject to change due to unforeseen failures etc etc. i will keep everyone up to date as we go.

 

Following on from that, I feel that sight of the origins of most groups has been lost. Most heritage railways were founded and subsequently developed by groups of enthusiasts and volunteers from all walks of life. To get where they have, and to be taken seriously along the journey, there had to be a reasonable cross section of professional skills of various types within the mixture. What has changed to suddenly make those people in need of replacement? Should we not be looking to encourage people already within the ranks to step up to being the next generation, if they are already intimately involved with the organisation. On the NYMR, there is a new crop of trust Board members who are having to be given guided tours to introduce them to the railway they now represent! How are we to expect them to make informed decisions on the future of a railway they appear to know little about?

Much of the talk in recent posts has been regarding Director's liabilities in times of extreme (financial) crisis, but in practice how many of these have there been over the year that have resulted in a "crash and burn" outcome - I can only think of Llangollen, and even there the situation was salvaged because, like most railways, they were asset rich but cash poor. The "family silver" had to be sold, it is true, but supporters also rallied round and bought back some of the more essential pieces that enabled the core operation to survive. I suspect that something similar would happen elsewhere if it had to, so for most organisations the "Doomsday Scenario" would be more of an enforced radical downsize or cutback rather than complete closure, at least for the first time round.