Lynton and Barnstape Railway Members and Friends

Hi all just wanted to test the waters with this but how many L&BR Trust members are here on this list and how many people are just interested but are not members?

 

I'm a member

 

Very interested....

 

Very very very very very interested (soon to be a member hopefully)

 

I am an active Member of the L&B.
If <you> can join - that would be good.
If <you> can help in any way, volunteering or just plain Money - better still.
If <you> have been prevaricating about joining or getting involved - do it now!
You do not have to live in North Devon for any of that - but that is easy for me to say when Woody Bay is only 15mins drive away!

 

I'm a narrow gauge fundamentalist, of course I'm interested, wish I had the income to join all narrow gauge railways as a member.

 

Is 'Barnstape' a suburb of Barnstaple?

Sorry Martyn - could not resist that (possibly irritating) little whimsy!

Mike

(L & B R Life Member)

 

I've been a member since 1982!

D1004

 

Exceedingly interested. My grandparents live in North Devon and I have searched for signs of the railway ever since I heard of its existence whilst I have visited them. Finnally go to visit Woody Bay a few weeks ago whilst going on to Grandpa's 90th and caught up breifly with Martin, he am I vollunteered on the Isle of Wight together for a time. (see http://www.chappers.fotopic.net/c1856667.html) but it is too far for me normally and financial resources are tight enough. (Having said that Porthmadoc is only slightly less far but I have somewhere to stay and lots more toys to play with.)

 

Well thanks guys, The reason I put this one together was just to find out who was and was not members as there are a lot of projects going on. For the record I join in 1979 in the summer in fact just before a public meeting in Lynton Town Hall, so I guess you could call me a founding member (but I don't make a habit of say so, but I do make a habit of saying that I am one of the longest serving members that this railway group has got 31 years to be exact) but I did know about the project about a year before it started as I meet Bill Pryor at a model railway show in Gravesend in Kent.

I must be mad, but anyway what I would like to know from each and everyone of you is what would you like to see happen next in North Devon, an expansion of the railway itself?

Such as the completion of one of the current projects or the purchase of another station site or something else, do you think the membership should be looking to set up a volunteer hostel near the railway for use by volunteers and if we had one would you use it? You chose.

Please don’t ask for something to happen like a coup as we don’t have any legal status to grant that, but please remember that this is a constructive discussion forum so any good idea will be welcome.

 

Martyn

That is a very thought provoking question. I have now thought a bit before typing this reply - it will be interesting to see what other responses you do get.

What I would like to see happen next is something which money cannot buy. I would like to see our Chairman and his fellow Trustees seek to bring back into the fold the various individuals and groups who have 'splintered away'. There is so much time, talent, enthusiasm and money which is being wasted at present as so many people are apparently pulling in different directions. The ultimate aim of all is the restoration of some or all of the 19 miles of the L & B R. If those efforts were focussed on one target instead of several just think how better 'our' railway could be.

Having read much on the internet (this website and the L&B website) and having had conversations with various individuals I fully appreciate there is much animosity which needs to be overcome. However, we are where we are. Life is just far too short to continue bearing grudges. So many people have put in so much effort over the past so many years - and now so much of that is being wasted as people argue, rather than reaching a compromise and agreeing to differ.

Having got the philosophical bit out of the way (!) I will now offer my thoughts about the 'way ahead'.

Several months ago I emailed Peter Miles to say that I find it very difficult to accept the concept of aiming for 9 miles in one big hit. When people visit our L&B stand at exhibitions and ask what our future plans are it sounds ludicrous to say '9 miles at the cost of £30m'. If we were to say 'we are aiming to extend towards Parracombe, would you like to buy a pen to help us on our way', then that sounds far more believable. They might then also be persuaded to buy a book!

I do realise that the Trustees have sight of financial figures which help them in deciding what is best for the L&B. Perhaps they do have contact with a secret backer who is suddenly going to step from the wings with £30m......

I may well be wrong, but I would have thought a series of small extensions spread over many years is actually going to encourage visitors to come back again and again to see what progress has been made since last time. That will then increase the takings and each time they return home they will prompt others to visit the railway. If we have a big bang approach people will just visit once then perhaps never again.

At this point I will sign off and let someone else have their say!

Mike Pearce

 

Umm . The 30 M is expected to come from some sort of grant ?? I expressed a concern that it would never happen when the idea was quoted to me in 2006.With current money situations how long does everyone want to wait.

 

I think a series of logical smaller extensions over time are better then a single push to 9 miles! Plus, thats motivation for people to come back and visit again when the next mile or so is open!

And I could't agree more with Mike, all those that want to see the L&B thriving again need to put away the handbags and realise that they all want the same thing, so suck it up and find a way to work together, life is too short, and opportunities don't come around everyday!!

 

I have to say when I visited in the start of 2010 I was impressed at what was on offer. There are not many railways which have such vistas available. It was a perfect visit as I have wanted to ride & photograph this little railway for some time mainly because that was high up in the moors. I have attached some photos from my visit which were exactly what I was looking for.
Would love to see it extend, like most other railways around the country, but time, volunteers and money are needed. Having the whole route re-instated is a bit of a dream. One which I would like but to be realistic smaller extensions would be the best way forward. At least if the project stalls and only 3 miles is open then you are left with something that is still an attraction which is functionable and unique. To have the same amount of money available that the FR has with the WHR would be grand, I think they were very fortunate to be able to achieve what they have, and the L&B project needs just the same amount of luck with funding as they had. There may be lessons to learn from FR about how to go about reconstructing the line, they seem to have done very well. The amount of local support they must get is probably the most important thing as the railway attracts tourists and enthusiasts. In turn that brings people to the area to spend money on accomodation, food and other attractions. To me that is the key. To get that level of local support, it needs to prove it can be that successful. That probably means having a town at either end like the FR has (Porthmadog - Ffestiniog / Caermarfon) or at least one big town at one end and the middle of the moors at the other... But to get to that point needs money etc as mentioned above. It is almost like chasing your tail.
But imagine getting the train from Lynton all the way to Wistlandpound Reservoir... How much would Lynton benfit from it.
Anyway best of luck, I hope to visit again in the summer.

Darryl

 

Sorry for taking this slightly off topic, but excellent photographs - that third one is a beaut.

 

Thanks. I am hoping the photos will persuade a few more to visit.

 

I think we all agree that life is to short and I hope that a solution will be found to the group’s current problems, now whether than means some one has to go which is not what I want, but if that is the case then so be it. But if that does happen we have to move on and learn the lessons.

One of the major problems we face is I think the clash of business and volunteer cultures. Now I understand that while this project has to be run as a business just to attract the sort of money that it requires, there has to be some give and take and I don’t see that happening. I think that there is a much bigger picture to be seen here and that is also not happening.

I don’t think for one moment that there is anything which could not be fixed, but I do believe that there is a lack of understanding about how you deal with the above matter.

It has been suggested that may be an internal review body should be set up to look at this problem and to produce a policy by which both sides could work together, but as far as I am aware this is still some way off.

As I have said before, I have been part of this group for a few years now and I have been around this same block before with this group and every time it happens it appear to be worse than the time before and the one thing which come out of it all the time is a lack of trust and communications from the management to the membership, it has always been the case and I suspect it always will be unless there is a genuine push to change that part of the groups culture.

One thing I would say is you have to look at why we don’t get that many volunteers as apposed to other railway/heritage projects and only then will the situation improve.

One thing I know that would encourage people to North Devon is some Volunteer accommodation, now that would be a big improvement and I think you would see a lot more volunteers making the effort to go to the railway.

I will shut up for now and let this discussion go on.

Oh by the way I like the photos as well

 

Hi Engineer

You took the words right out of my mouth, I hope someone somewhere is keeping a big address book on all those that feel this way.

 

As I see it, the way forward for the Lynton and Barnstaple is to aim to extend to Parracombe in the next decade or so. Talk of a 9-mile reconstruction is all very well, but as pointed out there is a hefty price tag for this plan. The FR was in the right place at the right time to secure funding for the Welsh Highland, and I doubt that grants and funding of this size will be available again. Therefore I believe the only way forward is for the L&B to fund any expansion from the pockets of members, revenue and donations. The sum raised from these sources is unlikely to be near that required to rebuild from Lynton to Wistlandpound - but rebuilding the railway from Killington Lane to Parracombe would be a much more realistic proposition.

At present Killington Lane is a poor terminus for the railway as it is the ubiquitous 'field-in-the-middle-of-nowhere' where there is nothing to do except get back on the train. Parracombe would at least provide a destination of sorts in comparison. The round trip from Woody Bay to Parracombe would be in the region of 3 miles, a reasonable length for a 2ft gauge railway - not too long that you spend half or more of the day riding on the train, but not too short that you get to the other end in a minute or two and think "is that it?". Add in a cup of tea and slice of cake, and a mooch around the shop at Woody Bay, and you have a fairly successful formula for your average tourist to while away an hour or two; after all, the majority of tourists are not like us 'puffer nutters' who can happily spend most of the day at a railway! A shorter visit duration would also help promote the railway from the angle of "Whilst on your way to/from a visit to Lynton, why not pop in for a quick train ride and snack in the cafe?".

Rebuilding the railway northwards from Woody Bay or southwards from Parracombe would both be challenging tasks where large amounts of money come into play with regards Parracombe bank or (what would be) Woody Bay tunnel. Having said that even getting under Killington Lane will cost a significant amount - but it is a more achievable amount.

Of course the Exmoor Enterprise dream does not have to die - but why not actually develop a "Plan B" of relatively small, relatively affordable expansion towards Parracombe alongside the larger plan? Then if, as all us naysayers predict, the vast sums of grant money do not become available there is at least a way forward, rather than hanging all your hopes on "someone" coming along with their cheque book to fund rebuilding 9 miles of railway. And of course it would show the railway is determined to expand, regardless of whether they receive any grants or not.

Mike has hit the nail on the head with regards the various falling-outs that have plagued the recent history of the L&B. From my several visits to Woody Bay I can well remember, as a paying member of the public, receiving an friendly welcome from those such as "Hairy Les" and others, all of whom were obviously enthusiastic about their railway and proud of what had been achieved, but most of whom have now unfortunately moved onto pastures new. An obvious example to make for those who read this forum is Andy Richards (aka TheEngineer), a man who displays in his posts here that he is obviously enthusiastic and proud of what he helped achieved. Let us hope that all those who walked away from Woody Bay can one day be 'welcomed back into the fold'.

I am of course happy to be proved completely wrong if the current L&B management shortly announce they have secured funding to rebuild from Lynton to Wistlandpound.....



Charlie