Oswestry to Gobowen extension ?

Been reading up on the Cambrian Heritage Railway extension plans, the main blocker it seems is the level crossing is there still an option to continue to use the level crossing as is ?

Or a full tunnel under or half a tunnel with a road bridge over it ?

Either way it would unlock the potential of the line going from somewhere to somewhere with a potential of 9 miles of track.

What's the state of play with regards to that so far ?

 

Please can you explain that concept in more detail?

 

If it's too expensive to dig a deep tunnel, I'm thinking of a cut and cover using precast reinforced concrete tunnel dropped in either deep and covered over or slightly raised above ground to reduce the gradients for trains,

 

I'm pretty sure the only possibly affordable solution would be to reopen the crossing. IIRC this was once thought to be unfeasible due to highway regulations, but once the KESR/RVR complete their crossing of the A21 and commision it then all being well this may set a precedent.
However, local conditions in Oswestry may differ of course, including train and traffic frequency etc.

 

Indeed my thoughts too, if a block to the extension using the crossing is removed it would simplify things a great deal, I was under the impression there were some issues regarding it and tunnelling is an option.

Lessons could be learned from KESR/RVR and applied to the Oswestry- Gobowen route crossing.

Double barriers would be needed to prevent cars from trying to go round half barriers with consequences of crashing into a train, I've seen enough videos of people doing just that zig zagging round them.

 

Eh? Which end of the current line are you referring to?
Where are these plans that you are referring to?

Towards Gobowen (i.e. northbound from Oswestry) is the very busy A5. This is the section the government were/are considering reopening (but we are not holding our breath). They say anything is possible, but a level crossing is the most likely option. The only other possibility (and this is pure speculation on my part) would be if the very busy A5 was upgraded to a dual carriageway and a bridge over the railway could be included in the necessary Gobowen junction works (assuming they go the flyover over a roundabout scenario). Level crossings on the outskirts of Oswestry would also be required for access to the Medical Centre and various businesses now in the former Cambrian works buildings.

Although I can't speak for CHR in any official capacity I think I am safe in saying we are more interested in going south (towards Welshpool, although simply reconnecting to our Llynclys site would be great). That would also require a level crossing, but across the less busy A483. Once across that we would have about 2.5 miles of uninterrupted railway through open countryside. Then we reach the original Llynclys station site which is in private hands (Our Llynclys site is the other side of this). From Llynclys we have about 0.75 mile to the outskirts of Pant. A filled in minor road bridge currently blocks further progress southwards. Passed that, it looks like part of the original trackbed has been built over.

The alternative southbound route, is to turn westward at Llynclys junction and restore the old route to Nantmawr quarry. Potentially connecting to the Tanat Valley Railway. The route seems mostly unobstructed and the A483 crossing is an existing road over bridge. There would be a couple of minor road level crossings required. Even the old platforms at Porthywaen* are still there (but the station buildings are long gone).

* CHR Volunteers do still occasionally visit to the clear the Porthywaen platforms and trackbed.

PS. How can you have half a tunnel? Do you dig a horizontal hole halfway between the potential ends?

 

I'm no civil engineer, but I can imagine a half tunnel being a half-depth one half underground with a low bridge bridge over it, more of a cutting with an overbridge - this would require less excavation and reduce the gradients either side for both road and rail.

 

Just to add that there is also a level crossing over the A495 just by Porthywaen station - presently tarmaced over.

Steve B

 

Personally either a shallow cut and cover tunnel or restoring the crossing wouldn't be a cheap option especially bridging the A5 over a rail tunnel would be the dearer option for the C.H.R. and would probably need gov funding even if it got past the planning stage.
The level crossing of the A5 would be cheaper although a bit more risky on a trunk road allowing a passage of something like X3 trains a day each way to Gobowen and back to Oswestry and secure crossing barriers fully lit with wig wams would presumably needed due to the volume of motorists on the A5 each hour of the day NWrail said in a previous post on this about motorists trying to zig zag across the lines through barriers with gaps. And once again would probably need funding from the gov if they agreed for trains to run to Gobowen from Oswestry again and the local councils in the area of Oswestry.
The A483 past weston wharf would be slightly simpler although it faces the 3 problems again as the A5 how to reinstate the C.H.R. railway across it to go southbound.

 

Pretty much my thoughts a little bit cheaper and a gentle gradients.

 

Hard to see either Pant or Llynclys being interesting destinations, perhaps the brewery might be attractive if Gobowen were ever linked, the idea that Oswestry could support a public service to Gobowen is fanciful as the extensive housing developments do indeed provide commuter traffic but that is centred on Gobowen with its large car park and direct train service and the new housing is far from the Oswestry town centre with its limited parking and generally closer to Gobowen station via the A 5.

 

True that Pant & Llynclys are not really tourist 'destinations' as such but the scenery improves significantly as you go south after Weston Wharf.
PS. The Brewery does seem to be an attractive destination (hence the timetable E service on Saturday evenings) The food is pretty good too.

 

This is the answer ……
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DImJavmMIfl/?igsh=MXdieWsxODRmNXY4ag==

 

I think getting to Llanymynych and access to the lime kilns and canal has to be the aim if heading West. Whilst the Tanat Valley is a bit more attractive, there isn’t much to journey to.

 

There seems to be quite a few options it seems.

The main issue to connect it all up seems to be a house that used to be the original Llynclys station, I remember reading about a heritage railway line that created a new diversionary line that bypassed an original station in private ownership to a new station and resumed the original route.

 

Of course what is really needed are more volunteers to keep the already open sections running and restore and maintain the current operating fleet. Only then might we have resources to spare to seriously look at extending the line.

 

The Spa Valley have kind of done that - the original Groombridge station site was sold off for housing so they run round the side of it into a new Groombridge station before rejoining the original route towards Eridge

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And, to play devil's advocate here, what would you say to some people who might argue that extending will help you recruit further volunteers?

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That may or may not be true, but you need the volunteers in the first place to build any extension!

 

T

That's the one I was thinking of, thanks for jogging my memory.