What's your dream obscure railway restoration project?

Answer to Martin Perry.
Correct----The Midhurst- Lavant section was abandoned after a C2X fell into a collapsed culvert about mile south of Midhurst. The loco was recovered but the cost of track repair was uneconomic for the passage of one train per day so it was never reopened.

 

Oldham, Ashton and Guide Bridge Railway. Small matter of a missing 7 arch brick viaduct and a supermarket built over part of the track bed, but I can always dream...

 

Full length Corris would be interesting.

 

Brecon & Merthyr closely followed by Abergavenny - Merthyr and Bala - Blaenau Ffestiniog.

Meic

 

The MTA? (Merthyr, Tredegar & Abergavenny)? Yes please. Bit of a problem with the A465 though. I understand that the next push at Blaenavon is to get to Waunavon (1,410' ASL). Then its down hill to the MTA at Brynmawr.

Nadolig Llawen

Ian

 

Bit late to reply to this one, but I think the Cirencester Branch would be a more authentic option for Broad Gauge, Tetbury as you know was laid as standard from the start. OTOH Cirencester would now sadly be a non starter with one end truncated by a Bypass, and the other truncated by a demolished bridge and a road widening.

Tetbury gets my vote though I have to say. There are a LOT of demolished bridges though, but if done in stages it would be viable. There are even 2 surviving railbus's that ran on the line. The only question in my find is whether Tetbury would really welcome the railway back. They didnt even do anything to get it appproved for sustrans.

There was talk of relaying the Faringdon Branch as mixed gauge, with broad gauge historic traffic in the weekends, and dmus on the weekdays. I would like to have seen that happen, however inpracticable it may be to get it to work

For a REALLY out there idea, what about the Wantage tramway with modern rolling stock? After all, there is talk of Wantage road being put back around 2015 or so, when the coal traffic to didcot goes away. There is a significant amount of housing on that road to the station that might just make a tramway viable again. You could then pull out the heritage set for special occasions.

 

I'd go for the whole length from Moat Lane to Talyllyn Junction. I was 10 when it closed and not too far away (Worcester) How I wish I'd seen 3 trains at Three Cocks Junction.

I've got the Block Register from Three Cocks Junction Signal Box here in my study and I keep it open for the the day I was born in December 1952. I've deliberately never been to the site of the junction as I think it would be too depressing.

 

How far away from Strata Florida are you?

 

Well since Fireline mentioned the Elham Valley Line about 2 years ago on this thread-my other choice would be the MGW branch from Claremorris to Ballinrobe. I believe part of the branch is still a siding at Claremorris and most of the formation is still available although you would have to realign for a new terminus at Ballinrobe. Perhaps it would be prudent to use regauged Finnish locos(5' up to 5' 3") to update performance as well as get some MGW antiques newly built.

 

I would rebuild The Westerham Branch. Only a couple of miles from my doorstep. But 2 housing developments would need to be flattened and the M25 was built on Brasted Halt.

 

The Meon Valley is the favourite of a lot of people on here, me definitely included. The southern part from Knowle to West Meon would present few problems. I have often thought that if the line hadn't been closed then the Meon Valley area would not be the be beautiful, tranquil place it is today but a long modern conurbation full of London commuters.

If you want something obscure then I like the idea of extending the Mid Hants from Alresford towards Winchester junction, nothing odd there, but just before reaching the junction continue the curve and descend down onto the DNS. You could then demolish anything in the way and enter Winchester by way of Kings Worthy and Winnal before terminating at a fantastic, rebuilt Chesil station. You could even have workshops and sheds on the spacious site at Bar End! You could even paint it all green and cream as the southern part of the DNS was transferred to the SR in the '60s!! You could even extend to a main line connection at Shawford junction over the wonderful viaduct!!!

Wow, my imagination knows no bounds! :lol:

 

Clifton Rocks Railway - would be a really obscure railway to restore, bet it would be a little difficult to spot on google earth.

Otherwise, how about the Weston Clifton & Portishead Railway - if only for the abbreviation of the name.
Then again, the Lambourn Valley Railway is pretty obscure.....

*sneaks off stage left, sniggering quietly*

 

I bought a DVD all about the WC and P, and there is a group dedicated to preserving whats left of the line. Supposedly their long term ambition is to restore a section for traffic, but Ive no idea how progressed that idea is. Judging by what a tourist trap weston now is, it clearly would have potential.

 

That was a damn good prediction! Work starts in January....

 

One thing i would love to see is a museum / heritige centre on the former Ashford works site, part is used by Beatty but there are still several old buildings still standing, it is right next to the station and the designer centre, so plenty of other attctions for the mrs, i would invest in two low loaders so that stock could easily be brought here, far too often one major cost is the removal of an engine from one site to another, if you were able to provide your own low loader, you could attract out of ticket locos to display in a re constucted shed , i would have a proper restoration shed with over head crane and fully equiped workshop to provide a source of income as well as visitor entrance fees, one option would be to get together several locos that are currently out of ticket, that are suitable to the area, and create a southern museum
i would move the 2 Merchant Navy locos from Selinge and the J94 to Ashford where they would stand a better chance of getting restored, Selinge could then concentrate on laying 5ft gauge track for the Finnish locos and turn itself into a theme park around the finish locos if they can get hold of a coach to run with them, that is .
Ashford could also be used as a servicing point for railtours, you have the Marsh line that doesnt see much steam use, and you are in the right area for starting some from kent running to london, then returning in the evening, rather than having to travel up to london

 

My railways are the Sidmouth and Budleigh Salterton branch lines which I consider should be reopened to benefit the inhabitants of Ottery St Mary, Tipton St Johns, Otterton, East Budleigh, Littleham, Sidmouth etc.

Re name Feniton as Sidmouth Junction.

Six months of correspondence with the Department for Transport between June and November 2007, and again in 2009 and 2010. Also via the Prime Ministers office.

As part of Network rail. Reconnecting communities. Not just for local people but for all those across the country who can access coastal places.

Also reopen the line from Matlock to Buxton, thereby creating new through route between Manchester and Derby - relief line. 8 miles of track and you have a new North West to East Midlands line for freight and passengers.
Feasibility study already conducted by Strategic Rail Authority - positive. Lines between Manchester and Buxton, and Derby and Matlock already open and thriving.

Also reopen route from Barnstaple to Bideford. Supported by local councils and Network rail said in 2009 that it could be done. According to local newspaper.

 

i used to live in ottery. my parents live in whimple. i completely agree on that. a loop line round east devon would be really good. shame they built straight over it with the a30

 

re the A30. There was a tunnel for the railway under the A30 which got filled in near Feniton, and the cutting the opposite side filled in as well.

I understand that the Railway Development Society - called Rail Future - argued with the local authority to keep the tunnel clear but that this was ignored by the Highways Agency at the time when the road widening of the A30 went ahead. (Told this by their representative living in Exete)r.

The tunnel will of course still be their, but filled in. It can be excavated, bearing in mind it was only a very short tunnel in the first place.

Housing has been built on the line in several places but only in a relatively small way. Nothing that cannot be dealt with by compulsory purchase of course.

 

Aberlour - Dufftown with seperate services to Craigellachie (larger locos and stock from Keith and small industrials and a 4wheelers to Aberlour). Walked Aberlour - Craigellachie recently and its all intact except where it meets the A95 which would require the current tunnel to be replaced and re-aligned. Need to walk Dufftown-Craigellachie but since its a cycle path, most of its intact and relatively easy to re-instate. The more I think about it the more I want to do this.

Why 4-6 wheelers? Plenty of small railways use Mk1s/ 2s and good examples are becoming scarce. There are plenty of bodies in relatively good nick that could be mounted and restored. To me, they are far more interesting vehicles and make for a somewhat more nostalgic atmosphere compared to a "J94" on a few MK1s (not that theres anything wrong with that, it just doesn't get me excited). There is also a large amount of pre-BR stock looking for restoration as well, the converted departmental vehicles could be restored to service without having to convert them back. I don't even want to think about the costs but its certainly doable. It would give the KDR another feather in their bow and the railway would go somewhere (an extension to Keith jct as well would be a big boost). The whole of that end of speyside is just distillery tours, but this gives something that can tie in with them (and perhaps serve the distileries with passengers and goods).

Reading through the thread and the link to Aussie steam, there are a few interesting examples out there just calling out to be repatriated and put to good use like the Beyer 2-8-2T (the equvilant of the GWR versions) and 2-4-0T (I believe the IoW have ideas about buying one in the future), this interesting 0-6-0T: which looks like a larger Terrier/ G6 to me http://www.australiansteam.com/1076.htm and this bizzare Hudswell: http://www.australiansteam.com/nswind/southbulli2.jpg.