Which heritage lines purchased (part of) their line intact?

Agreed. It would be interesting to know which preserved lines are actually owned by the operating company.

 

The Paignton - Kingswear (for Dartmouth) line was bought by the Dart Valley Railway PLC (which then owned the now 'South Devon Railway') the day after British Railways closed it on the 30th December 1972 and ran the first steam train under ownership on the 31st. Since then the line has had signalling upgrades and reinstated double track platforms and sidings which were removed in BR days.

 

The entire land and infrastructure (and most of the locos and rolling stock) of the Bluebell is owned by the Bluebell Railway plc (the operating company) which is in turn majority owned by the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society (the member body).

Tom

 

Gwili Railway Company holds the LRO and owns the freehold. When we moved "onsite" in 1977 we had a mile of track, and a bare platform (no buildings) at Bronwydd Arms.

 

On the Isle of Wight the Isle of Wight Railway Company Ltd owns all the land, the track and the rolling stock except for one goods van which is on loan from the NRM. It also holds the LROs and is a charitable company controlled by its members.
Having one organisation and one ownership structure makes things a lot easier to manage, but does rule out the opportunity to raise funds by selling shares.

 

On the NYMR, the Charitable Membership body owns the Railway, quite a few of the carriages and 7 steam locos (subject in some cases to restricts relating to donated funding), and all the voting shares in the Operating PLC.

Personally, I will take some convincing that the £60k plus cost of legal and professional fees involved in launching a share issue would be worth the expenditure again in future but I know others have exactly and opposite view! As far as I can see, donations and various schemes with suitable "benefits" from donating can offer a much lower cost yet effective way forward.

Steven

 

All infrastructure and some of the locos and carriages on the MHR are owned by the Ltd company. The MHRPS owns a majority shareholding in the Ltd company and various items of rolling stock and locomotives. LRO is held by Ltd Co of course.

 

LBJ - Oakamoor owned by CVR PLC. The LRO is also in the name of the PLC. Selection of coaches / wagon owned by PLC.

NSRC Trust provide volunteers and support for the CVR. 3x Diesel Locos, 4x Coaches and a Wickham owned by Trust too.

 

The Wealden Railway Company Ltd owns the track and track bed between just outside Tunbridge Wells West to Birchden Junction. The Spa Valley Railway is the brand name rather than the owner or operator.

 

The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway shares three significant characteristics with the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway:

1. The line was acquired more-or-less intact;

2. Both railways are a complete branch line with no 'Extension to Narnia';

3. They're both ex-Midland Railway.

The line to Wirksworth was breached in two places: one location south of Shottle where a gas pipeline has been laid and so a couple of panels had been lifted and stacked very neatly and between Shottle and Idridgehay where about half a mile of former CWR had had its rails pinched to replace derailment damage at Trent Junction and lower-quality replacement rails has been laid by the track.

 

I assume the rails were only fit for scrap, as they obviously are now they've been chopped into tiny lengths!

 

...... and if we're including ex-industrial lines, the Ribble Steam Rly. Ray.

 

When the MHR started (1977), they bought the track-bed from Alresford to Alton, but only track from Alresford to Ropley. They laid new track to Medstead by 1983 and to Alton by 1986, but the company borrowed heavily to do this which soon became a huge burden. We also had to fight off an attempt by a property developer to buy a controlling interest in the company. Many MHRPS members bought shares at this time, and many more contributed to a fund to allow the society to buy shares. In the end, the shark realised he wasn't welcome, thankfully.

 

Complete, but reduced to a basic railway in places. Notably Rolvenden.