What's your dream obscure railway restoration project?

Technically there are five platform faces, though platform 5 is the opposite side of the same road as platform 4, so there are four independent routes. Platform 1 is not currently up to passenger standard (it is used for berthing rolling stock awaiting restoration) but is fully signalled (all semaphore) and is planned to be bought up to full passenger standard in the coming years, I assume as enabling works for the Ardingly extension.

Tom

 

Dorchester South to Axminster. What was proposed by the LSWR

 

Battersby to Rosedale Bank Top would be nice, as on the same sort of theme would be the Cromford and High Peak. Galashiels to Peebles and on to Biggar would also be a very lovely line.

 

The Bishop's Castle Railway would be great - but I'd rebuild it with a cut-off curve so there was no reversal at Lydham Heath, making it more sustainable. Bishop's Castle is a lovely little town, lots of smashing pubs, and my grandfather was locomotive fitter on the line for a number of years.

 

Scarborough to Whitby. Between two major resorts, a link to the NYMR and with terrific coastal scenery.

I'd second that, particularly if it included the rebuilding of Prospect Hill to West Cliff!

 

I'd second that. Perhaps one day the reunited GCR could have a "grand terminus" (perhaps at Leicester North or Nottingham?) where the Nottingham Victoria style overall roof could be recreated. One can dream!

 

I believe that was initially proposed at Leicester North but lack of funding and the discovery of a high pressure water main under the site put paid to it.

 

Not surprising, a structure such as that would consume funds for (in reality) little tangible gain. Maybe one day though...

 

With London Bridge structure going spare it could have been an option, wasnt that earmarked for a grand scheme at Stratford Upon Avon ?

 

The line is more or less clear from Prospect Hill to Burniston. Getting through Scalby would be a problem, although a deviation to the east of the village might be possible. The big difficulty would be at Gallows Close, where there is a supermarket on the formation and the end of Falsgrave Tunnel has been buried.

There have incidentally been two attempts to reopen parts of the line: the ill-fated plan for a narrow gauge line at Robin Hood's Bay is fairly well known; less well known is the proposal - I think by WCRC's David Smith - to establish a steam centre at Ravenscar in the early 80s. I think I'm right in saying that this failed to secure planning permission.

 

My First woulld be to rebuild the line back to Ashburton
Second rebuild the Teign Valley Line Exeter City Basin junction to Heathfield

 

Once a year over a weekend to take over Waterloo station and run has many steam services to Woking and back again just like it was back in 1960s with has many classes of steam locos possible. With special dispensation for non main line locos to run on the main line.

 

I idly wonder how viable it would be to rebuild a demolished station on the national network and run it, at least for an occasional service. If it was viable I think top of my list would be Badminton (still intact built increasingly derelict) or Adlestrop (of which only the 1950s platforms survives). Preference for the latter with the 100th Anniversary of the poem being written coming up.

 

My fantasy reopening would be Carlisle to Silloth. 20 miles long and a beautiful fide out to the north Cumbrian coast. Some stretches look like they were lifted last week, but as you get closer to Carlisle the more you realise it's impossible.

 

Had another one come to me; the Swanage Pier Tramway.

 

The Strathmore main line - Stanley Junction to Kinnaber Junction. Double track and laid to high standards, to really allow locos to stretch their legs on all those long straights...

 

Dunblane to Crianlarich (i.e. Callander & Oban), rebuilt to 3'6" gauge and operated with ex-South African Railways 4-8-4s and Garratts.

 

Iwould actually say start this from Woking, on several sundays, and take over the Guildford /Aldershot /Alton line and allow MHR services to run beyond Alton to woking , then with either the 33, or a 73, on the back run to guildford where the steam heads the train back to alton via ash junction. Several MHR drivers know the route anyway so would be less likily to create problems,

 

but what non MHR engines would you invite?