hello from shillingstone

thank you much apresated m8

 

I suspect everyone on here would like to see a part of the S&D operational again. I hope that you can start to work with the Midsommer norton group (I've no idea of the history of your societies), and maybe work together to achieve a common goal.

All the best for your efforts!

 

thank you copration whith midsumer norton would hele to achev a nown gole

 

I think you are correct now I think of it, I remember a std 4 with wheels chopped (80072?) at Barry at the same time, I know 92245 had the pony chopped, and I thought the other was 92207... maybe it was 92134 or... in anycase someone with I'm sure know better that I as I haven't been back home since 2005 so my current knowledge is a bit rusty

 

There are some people who are already planning a completely rebuilt S&D using both heritage and modern services. I thought it was not achievable and a crazy idea but, over the last 2 years, it is becoming more likely each day as support for the reinstatement of at least part of the route grows. See this link:

http://www.somersetanddorsetrailway.co.uk/

However, it would mean that all projects on the line would have to work together and egos can sometimes get in the way of this, especially if some of the egos are doing the bankrolling - fair enough I guess "my train set" and all that!

 

Oh God, not that bunch of enviro-twaddle peddling lunatics...! Aren't we still waiting for the big launch that was scheduled for 6 March last year?

 

Ha lol

 

Well that might be one way of describing them, I could not possibly comment, except to say that reinstatement of at least part of the old S&D now makes more economic sense than it did in 1966 simply because of population growth and the need to invest in better methods of public transport.

 

oh yeah. Mr peak oil flow has been quiet for a while now. Where are you?

 

Perhaps he doesn't have to say anything. This link might say it for him.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8598369.stm

 

But of that, how much is down to this 'peak oil' gumph, and how much of it is down to tax rises and the steady decline of the £ against the $ increasing the wholesale price in real terms?

I'm sorry, there is not, and never will be, a justification for re-building the S&D because of some environmental doom-mongery. Whether the demographic of limited areas (Bath, Radstock, Midsomer Norton etc) may have changed since 1966, the fact remains that much of the line is a rambling rural secondary route, far removed from the sort of high speed passenger corridor that will need to be developed to meet the public transport needs of the future. If people are serious about developing the rail network to meet the needs at such time as oil 'runs out', then surely trying to promote a high speed inter-city route through major conurbations (Great Central anyone?) would be much more sensible.

Add into this mix a bunch of people wanting to play trains and you can see why I'm even more cynical about this than usual.

 

I have no desire to defend or criticise the aims of people who use peak oil as an excuse or a good reason to build a life size train set, in your view, but what I would suggest is that they argue for the reinstatement of far more than the "rambling, rural secondary route" as you poetically call it (and there are many who may have issues with that statement as well) and it might be worth seeing what else they advocate, a new "Great Central" being one of them. I happen to disagree with you about rebuilding the S&D; the evidence points increasingly to at least reinstating some of the original route, especially from Blandford southwards. There is increasing support for this at least. However I do agree that the S&D will only be built if economic factors prevail; there is no reason that I can see for oil to become any cheaper. I am more certain with each passing day that my grandchildren will not drive around in diesel or petrol powered vehicles, just like the farriers and carters must have been in the 1840s when railway embankments and cuttings started appearing all over the country.

 

The latest entry for the New S&D Blog (dated 2 Apr 10) covers the plans for restoration works for locos and rolling stock at Shillingstone and explains a little more about 92207 and how much stuff has been done "off site" for it. This might help explain some things regarding the initiator's 1st post on this thread or there again it may not! I'm not criticising or praising anything here, merely observing, but it does seem to indicate that those involved are aware of the need to work together and have a sound business plan. Again, time will tell.

http://somersetanddorset.blogspot.com/

 

I can’t see the S&D ever been reinstated apart from the preserved railway at Shillingstone. This is just one of those pipe dreams that people come up with. I would think most of the old track bed has been built on over the last fifty years or has another use. Then if there was away of reinstating the railway there would be so many objections by local people ( Not in my back garden please).
If there was any spare money around for up grading in the West Country surely the reinstating of double track from Salisbury to Exeter and possible electrification from Basingstoke to Salisbury or if possible to Exeter should be the biggest priority.