How will steam get on with the locals at East Grinstead?

Just wondering - as the new Bluebell station is very close to Sainsburys car park and about 50 metres away from local residents is there going to be a problem with steam locos releasing steam and smuts into the atmosphere? People might not like stuff falling on their washing and supermarket users might howl about marks on car bodywork. What preventative measures can be taken to stop this being a problem?

Thanks,
Nigel

(Bluebell member, anxious to see all go well with the Northern Extension)

 

Unless Bluebell was planning an every 10 minute service, with a dozen loco's all sitting there night in steam and day I'd be surprised if anyone cared.

I think most parents with screaming kids will be happy to have a 30 second distraction as the train went past.

 

Erm I guess you've never been to the Spa Valley....Our station is basically in a Sainsbury's car park. The actual shop is roughly 2 minutes walk away. 10 seconds out of the station you're on the embankment with the local housing estate pretty close.

I think Bluebell will cope...

 

I think it is called "engine management" Nigel.

Anyway, academic at present, unless someone has some spare megabucks to throw at removing the tip......

 

the railways been there how long overall? they cant complain

 

That's confused me for a while. Somebody donated many hundreds of thousands to the Vulcan which has a finite amount of airframe life left (not knocking the Vulcan, it's a good cause too) But nobody will do the same for the Bluebell tip, or the Glos Warks landslip appeal which would allow them to run trains for many years to come.

 

The fact that someone has moved to a nuisance does not provide a defence to any claim; much as it may be to the chagrin of many, that's life.

In any event, plenty of other railways manage with stations in the centre of towns (thinking of the railway I am involved in, both Swanage station and shed are right in the centre of town). It may well take a suitable environmental policy, and associated good engine management, but I can't see it being any real problem.

 

I thought I heard the Bluebell were taking measures with the Sainsbury's so that cars driving past wouldn't drive through the smoke.

 

I believe there will be a 10mph speed limit on the viaduct (and I guess in the station area as well) which will help, also I think I am right in saying it will only be one engine north of Kingscote at a time so nothing will be hanging around there.

I think from what I read in a past Bluebell news it will be tight on the hourly timetable after the extention, some improved signalling is required at Horsted Keynes to ensure this so I guess it will also be a quick turnaround there as well.

I am sure someone more in the know than me can fill in with more details, I would guess it has been discussed and plans underway!

 

Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like I was worrying unnecessarily.

 

I wouldn't necessarily say so - as shown elsewhere (the thread on noisy school playtimes) - Britain is a country of whingers, where the media make sure everyone knows "their rights" and the authorities seem to think any complaint is legitimate and must be followed up.

Whether or not there are problems will be down to the people who live nearby and their attitude to the Railway.

Steven

 

It's very much like the people who move out to the countryside to get away from city life. The first thing they do is to start whinging about the local cockerel crowing early in the morning.

 

Steven: With due credit to your railway, I have stood on the footpath leading from the main street in Pickering to the end of the platform, watched an engine run round its stock, with no "noise, smoke, or other environmental issues..."

I repeat, until the Bluebell raise a further huge sum of money, there wont be a Bluebell steam service into EG to worry about!

I am sure the Bluebell will be aware of the eventual need for engine crews to be careful about emissions when they eventually get into EG.

This is simply a non-problem for the time being, so move on folks!

 

I'm afraid that you are all barking up the wrong tree

The railway is no doubt opening up again after a forty plus year absence, under the provisions of a brand new Transport and Works Act Order. Accordingly the protection against the established use of the line of route under the original enabling Act of Parliament has been lost by abandonment.

The question is therefore - is the new length of line a "public work" under the provisions of the Land Compensation Act 1973 due to its requiring public authority prior to construction as per such as Runway 2 at Manchester Airport? or merely a potential source of statutory nuisance arising from noise, emissions etc from the locos?

If the former, then after one year of operation, whenever that occurs again, property owners will have the right for six years to make claims against the Bluebell for depreciation of the value of their properties arising from "emissions" arising from the new public work. This is a standard provision in English compensation law and there a handful of very active and very persuasive surveyors who make a good living out of processing claims on this basis. I might comment that there are one or two surveyors (ahem) who have also made a good living fighting them off.

If the latter - then complainants would have to justify a claim of statutory nuisance arising from the operation of the railway, which - provided the line was not the source of unjustified levels of smoke, noise etc, would in all probability be easily refutable, and not a great source of concern to the line.

There is a genuine point at issue here - I would hope that as a preservation venture the vultures keep away - but when the compo genie gets out of the bottle anything can happen.

 

No doubt people from the Bluebell will continue to read this thread and be reminded of the issue. It's up to them whether they'd rather proactively promote and if necessary prepare to defend their large investment, or just keep their fingers crossed that everyone totally loves their trains and no-one is looking for a chance to make money.

If I were in the Bluebell management, I'd want to marshal the facts about how they intend to operate north of Imberhorne tip, and talk to Mr "Ahem" about how to cover the different scenarios.

 

Indeed, well summarised !

46118

 

I can't help but think that this thread has the feel of crossing bridges before you come to them. I have only visited East Grinstead station and Sainsbury's once but I don't recollect there being any residential housing close enough for their owners to have any problems with the railway.

Regards

 

We aren't just talking about the terminus - this potential problem affects the whole new extension. The same is also true at Carrog and along the entire Welsh Highland. Provided the compo merchants are outweighed by those who welcome the railway back then we are OK. But it only takes one to have a try............

 

I agree with a previous comment, the Bluebell should not be worried about the locals at E.G. but they should be worried about how they are going to raise the £2million to clear the rest of the tip.

 

While I'm sure that's how all railway enthusiasts feel, it's unfortunately not how it works. Any possibility of a southern extension to the Lavender Line (Isfield) was 'stopped dead in its tracks' (to use a typical local paper cliche) by objections from residents whose gardens back on to the trackbed and I believe the GCR had a whole load of trouble from residents of brand new flats built near Loughborough station.

Common sense dictates that someone moves to a property overlooking a railway and they will expect a bit of noise and clag, but modern life in the whinging capital of Europe ain't like that. All it takes is one NIMBY and a typically greedy solicitor sniffing an easy buck for all sorts of unneccessary crap to be slung about.

In the village where I used to live they built some brand new, multi-million pound 'executive' houses next to the Victorian church. The first thing the commuters did - those people who merely slept there and contributed absolutely nothing to the local community - when they moved in, was to get the bells stopped.

That's the reality, like it or not...