Stainmore Railway Company (Kirkby Stephen East)

There's a footpath and missing viaduct to deal with before you get to Belah...

What struck me when visiting a few years ago is how KSE comes across as very large in what's written, yet is actually surprisingly modest when seen in the flesh. That speaks to me of how this was, at heart, primarily a mineral railway which happened to carry passengers.

 

Indeed it was originally built as a mineral railway and that was the driving purpose for the lines working life, specifically transiting ironstone between teeside and the Cumbrian coast, the trackbed is owned by the group up to around bridge 3, the stated intention is to join up with the Eden valley railway at warcop, which is the most viable option but still difficult, the trackbed splits not far after the end of the line with one going to tebay and the other to musgrave station then to Eden valley metals before warcop, there are two viaducts between the two heritage lines, the first one you reach is scandal beck, which is still there, the musgrave viaduct was demolished in 1985, luckily it wasn’t stone like most viaducts on the line but two steel decks with a plinth in between, there are one or two arable fields that have swallowed the alignment as well as sections with agricultural sheds built on the trackbed, not forgetting musgrave station which is a private house but still extant, this sounds like a lot to overcome, (and it is), but two heritage lines collaborating from both ends could achieve wonders, it would also give access to the settle line. As already mentioned t’s stainmore rail co’s stated intention to do this, of course the main goal is restoration of KSE’s station environs (except the goods yard , engine shed and everything past the road bridge, which is a caravan park) back to its condition pre 1962, including the signal boxes, maybe also the tebay platform shed, once this is done then attention can go elsewhere if the momentum is still with them that has served them well so far, I think this is still the goal eventually, the outrage the group had to highways England madly filling musgrave road bridge in with tonnes of concrete thus blocking the trackbed demonstrates that. Their persistence paid off, it was reversed. (I think we need a whole thread about Highways Englands madness, they’re still at it eg, Queensbury tunnel, but thats by the by)

so that’s where things are with that, now at what point does a building become a signal box? For me it’s probably when this happens:

they’re getting there!

 

I believe that one of the GCR's BR Std 2 is due to visit the KSE. Not sure whether it is 78018 or 019.

 

A photo on The GCR Shed Page on Facebook yesterday showed 78018 ready for loading for transport to KSE.

 

Yes, it’s the S&DR 200 event this bank holiday weekend, not to be missed.

 

J27 in steam this afternoon!

 

And the 2MT...

... and "Lytham"

Shaping up to be a good weekend

 

Had a really enjoyable morning over at the Stainmore Railway "West Side Story" Gala. Speaking to a few volunteers and those with stalls, certainly had a busy weekend. Event like this wont be repeated anytime soon.

 

There’s always something happening with these lot:
No sooner have they put the finishing touches to the original S&D box, they’ve started the junction box!
concrete foundations poured already:



A rare surviving NER coal hopper has arrived on scene.

 

Another NYMR cast-off?

 

Beamish.

 

Phew! Means that the NYMR still has a few NYMR artefacts left!

Seriously, though, with a management headed up by an ex-marketing person, it seems odd that it hasn't occurred to any of them that the NYMR - as the foremost ex-NER heritage railway - ought to be building on its NER heritage and making the most of what it has (or now, had) available to it. By the sounds of it, given its fixation with cats and dogs, it would be better for it to focus more on becoming a more prominent associate of the RSPCA!

 

Who were given them by another railway I think.

 

They’re pretty into cats at Kirkby Stephen east too, the furry management runs a tight ship!

 

It’s what happens when the men in suits take over. It’s happened to a few railways and the attitude trickles down to the people on the ground.