East Somerset Railway - western extension

Is there still a long term plan to extend the ESR westwards? Also are there any other projects on the horizon with this heritage line?

 

This is not an official reply but I believe the railway would still like to do this as it would open up a bigger market. However there are at least two main difficulties i.e. funding and possible difficulty in obtaining route ownership/permission as has been mentioned before. Long term may be very long term! However the Sentinel diesel group have started building a two road diesel shed and small workshop at the back of the steam shed. Track has been lifted in order to prepare the foundations. This will provide a better environment for the group to restore and maintain the fleet. It will also free up space in the steam running shed for carriage and wagon and steam loco related work.

 

Thank you.

 

Called into the East Somerset this weekend, it's a very impressive setup. Three locos were in steam, Morebarrow on the service train, 5637 shunting and Lady Nan on driver for a fiver. The station is very family friendly and neat, and the sheds are very enthusiast friendly! Great to see 46447 nearly done, and the driver for a fiver was great value fun. But an extension to Shepton Mallet would really step the railway up a league, is there any news on this?

 

Having lived in the Frome area and never visited but driven past the East Somerset Railway (usually in a lorry) having now moved to Hampshire I visited the ESR and what a fine railway you have, the only problem is that size does matter. I am afraid it just isn't long enough. I enjoyed my visit but will not be rushing back to visit again, unless passing with time to spare but thank you for making me welcome.

 

Would it not be easier to run to Witham Friary and put a loop in there ? - that would add around 5-6 miles of running line to the existing line.

Who owns the trackbed around Merehead ?
Getting adventurous of course one could look at a short mainline to to Frome or Westbury ?

 

I'm not sure but the branch could be owned by merehead quarry, if not them, then NR, if its privately owned, then, it's possible than an extension may be possible at week ends when the line isnt used . but could the ESR afford the extra cost ?

 

The track and trackbed to the East of the ESR, which runs past Merehead Quarry to East Somerset Junction, is owned by Network Rail. Approximately two and a half years ago the quarry, owned by Aggregate Industries, was granted permission to extract a further 115M tons of limestone, which is expected to see the quarry operating until around 2040. Currently around 75% of their output is taken away by rail and the planning permission specifies that this cannot fall below 50%.

 

Called into the East Somerset this weekend, it's a very impressive setup. Three locos were in steam, Morebarrow on the service train, 5637 shunting and Lady Nan on driver for a fiver. The station is very family friendly and neat, and the sheds are very enthusiast friendly! Great to see 46447 nearly done, and the driver for a fiver was great value fun. But an extension to Shepton Mallet would really step the railway up a league, is there any news on this?

Interestingly, I don't think I've ever seen a picture of Moorbarrow since it was returned to working order - has anyone got one?

 

Here is a somewhat processed picture of Moorbarrow taken on July 26th this year.

More can be found here.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/38513468@N04/tags/moorbarrow/

 

Thanks, saw it many times at the NYMR, but never in steam, of course. It's owner thought it would be ideal for 3-4 coach trains on the NYMR ("It has the tractive effort of an LMS 4F!") but I rather have my doubts its boiler capacity would have kept pace with the timetable!

 

The boiler would supply steam quite happily, the problem would be the wheel diameter and comfort for running at anything over 20 mph. When it visited Foxfield for our gala a couple of years ago fresh from overhaul it was steaming very well.

 

Very nice. Not seen a picture of moorbarrow before. Hopefully it will come to its home railway for a visit sometime!

 

Jennifer (which looks to be a similar size) ran a few test trains on the NYMR and I'm told it steamed against both injectors on the 1/49 but I don't think it hauled many, if any, service trains. It didn't have a glorious career when it moved to the West Somerset either. They are both shunting engines, not designed for prolonged running.

Didn't know Moorbarrow was Llangollen-based? Thought it was restored at the Lincolnshire Wolds.

 

Moorbarrow along with Jennifer are part of the Llangollen hire fleet. Both are, or have been something to do with Mr Walton Binns, although i can't quite remember if he's given us one or both of them. Moorbarrow has never actually been to Llan. Just the hire and maintenance contract has been transferred to us about 2 or 3 years ago. Another of his locos - No 17 (or 'The Big Yin') is currently going through the shops at Llan.

 

Llangollen definitely need to have a "industrials back from hire event", it would be quite a line up!

 

Jennifer (No.20) was in service on the NYMR from 1978-81 and ran well over a thousand miles in 1980.

 

I'm amazed, I don't remember it running that much, although it was the period when I moved south and wasn't involved at the railway as a volunteer for a few years. It's another one that seems to have evaded the camera then, I don't recall many photos in Moorsline, I think Antwerp and 31 hogged the limelight, such as it was.

 

I've always looked at doing an Industrial event at Llan. I'll find a right time when the 4 hire locos are back, and do a gala weekend.

 

Earlier than that, surely? I recall her double heading with 1247 at the 1977 Jubilee Gala.

She makes a very brief appearance in the Michael Palin "Great Railway Journeys", in back of shot as Kim Malyon shows Palin around Grosmont MPD.

ETA: Much earlier. She's on the cover of the Autumn 1973 edition of Moors Line, in steam at Grosmont. The only other cover on which she appears is that of the Autumn '81 issue.