Network Rail donate footbridge to Stainmore Railway

http://railpicturelibrary.zenfolio....onate-station-footbridge-to-stainmore-railway

 

Odd but I suppose it no less appropriate than the former Kings Cross footbridge ending up at the MHR.

 

To quote Mr Meldrew, "I don't believe it!" It's the wrong railway! There's a GWR station cryin' out for one just a few miles south of Honeybourne! Come on Network Rail, it isn't exactly a secret that the GWSR is working to rebuild the line to Broadway is it?! Well, perhaps it is.
As is well known, Henley in Arden's surviving station building is a larger version of that which will be built new at Broadway for the GWSR whilst the footbridge is identical (apart from the extension that presumably meets the opposite cutting bank at Henley) and would be PERFECT for the GWSR. I've nothing but admiration for the Stainmore Railway and a donation is a donation but, for all that's sacred, Broadway will need a footbridge (and so will Cheltenham Race Course) so let's have it there please. Please? really pretty please with bells on?

 

Oh dear. There is an excellent NE footbridge at Garforth station, east of Leeds. This will have to go when the line from Leeds to York is electrified. Far better for Stainmore than a GWR footbridge.

 

You're not wrong Martin. But where was the queue of groups wanting to collect and take them away? Unfortunately only Shirley was really accessible but its salvation was hampered by last minute interfering local politicians out to score Brownie points with their constituents.

 

Gerroff our footbridge!
They can lower the tracks. It will save rebuilding the road bridge by doing that, as well.

 

Did anyone make it known that they wanted a footbridge?
I assume the Stainmore people did and the GWR did not.

Don't ask you don't get.

 

I'm not a working member of the Broadway rebuilding team so I cannot swear (well, I can swear when provoked but not in this case!) that the Broadway Group formally asked for a footbridge but, as the "Steaming to Broadway" Blog makes clear, no stone, paving slab or imperial blue brick or other railway artefact source is usually left unturned and the group has been putting feelers out for years for materials for Broadway. A read through the blog soon illustrates the number of people who have alerted the Group to useful stuff and the Team themselves always seem to be on the ball when looking for authentic materials for Broadway. The stations north of Stratford are of the same design and vintage as the GWSR stations (indeed Winchcombe Box came from Hall Green several years ago) and so have been the focus of enquiries from many GWSR supporters. However, joined up thinking doesn't always take place. I think the most infamous example on the GWSR was right at the start: when the GWSR first occupied the Toddington site in 1980, the signal box was extant and relatively intact. Just as BR were reaching agreement over an initial lease of the line with the GWSR, another department of BR was signing off an agreement literally simultaneously with the Gwili Railway to take out the lever frame. The current Toddington lever frame is therefore not from Toddington at all!

 

Steve, I have been through Garforth station many times. I must admit that the footbridge is impressive and it should stay.

 

It is, indeed, a very impressive footbridge at Garforth as I recall.

 

Network Rail offered the bridge to various heritage groups.

Shirley's footbridge comes out early next year.

 

Aren't brick signal boxes a pain to knock down and rebuild elsewhere. That's why there have been few transplants?

 

Quite an effort. I recall Hall Green brick box being dismantled and rebuilt at Winchcombe. It took considerable planning (occupation of a working BR/Network Rail line being the biggest factor) but should proof of effort be sought, visit the rebuilt box at Winchcombe.

 

No prizes for where this bridge should go then!!!!!

 

I think this is a clear demonstration of architectural insensitive people at Network Rail and the Stainmore Railway behaving as complete nincompoops. In the case of the former KX footbridge its availability was made well known before its eventual disposal to MHR. Those heritage railways with a GNR/LNER connection had the opportunity to request its donation.

Doesn't the Stainmore Railway realise it will be saddling itself with a footbridge completely out of keeping with its geographical location? Or; does it just not care?

 

Unfortunately Stainmore Railway is yet another heritage railway with barely two coins to rub together and hence heavily dependent on grants and other handouts. So far as likely installation date I think parallels may be drawn between this footbridge bridge and the former Honeybourne single track rail over rail bridge. NR helping the underdog may seem very altruistic but wouldn't it be better to donate these assets to railways that are going to put them to use?

 

Another way of looking at it is they are being donated a sizeable piece of infrastructure that they can either put to use should the need be there (avoiding having to build their own) or sell on to another railway

 

unlikely to end up at CRC or Broadway by then, it's flippin' miles away!