What is the Vision for the completed L&B?

In view of the various discussions going on about Lyn & the extension plans, I was wondering what is the plan for what the completed L&B will look like?

Is it to be a facsimile of the original with replicas of the Manning Wardle & Baldwin locos hauling recreated period stock or something different - more a'la Ffestiniog?

BTW I have no particular views one way or the other but I think it might inform discussion on other threads

 

I would say more the former than the latter, but sharing the best from both!

A good place to start is probably the L&B website, in particular,

• http://www.lynton-rail.co.uk/page/our-plans-rebuild-line-between-lynton-barnstaple
• http://www.lynton-rail.co.uk/page/heritage-carriage-project
• http://www.lynton-rail.co.uk/page/heritage-rolling-stock
• http://www.lynton-rail.co.uk/page/chelfham-station and the updates linked to in the side menu

As for rolling stock, LYN is well under way, the frames for the L&B's first modern-era Manning Wardle - YEO - were made some years ago, and will be the basis for the next locomotive project after LYN - to be followed by all the remaining original locos. A fifth Heritage Carriage (actually, No. 5) is currently under (re-)construction in Essex, and more will follow... As I understand it, existing stations will be restored as much as possible to their original condition - whereas new stations may take on a more contemporary look, although that is some way off.

 

I'm not sure that Lynbarn is totally correct (on one of the other L&B threads) when he states that all 17 coaches will be produced in both L&B and Southern Liveries.
Currently, the railway has enough parts of original coaches to rebuild 8 (including the 4 already rebuilt and the one being rebuilt currently). Luckily, this will provide at least one of each of the 7 different designs. These will all be in L&B livery. They should provide two sets for the intermediate length railway.
My impression was that any other coaches would be in Southern livery but that they would not necessarily be replicas of the originals. I think decisions are still to be made as to whether they would simply be replicas of the missing 9 coaches not rebuilt to L&B livery; brand new designs; or possible "modernized" original designs (i.e. taking into account what the Southern might have done to the originals in, say, the 1950s, if the line had not been closed).
If the L&B liveries coaches are used for half-length runs in the eventual rebuilt railway, the new ones could be used for full length runs, perhaps. In which case, modernization in the form of loos, and perhaps through gangways for a trolley service, would be most useful.
I guess we wait and see what is decided when the time comes.