Welcome to the 'New Somerset and Dorset Railway'

The original Somerset and Dorset Railway closed very controversially in 1966. It is time that decision, made in a very different world, was reversed. We now have many councillors, MPs, businesses and individuals living along the line supporting us. Even the Ministry of Transport supports our general aim. The New S&D was formed in 2009 with the aim of rebuilding as much of the route as possible, at the very least the main line from Bath (Britain's only World Heritage City) to Bournemouth (our premier seaside resort); as well as the branches to Wells, Glastonbury and Wimborne. We will achieve this through a mix of lobbying, trackbed purchase and restoration of sections of the route as they become economically viable. With Climate Change, road congestion, capacity constraints on the railways and now Peak Oil firmly on the agenda we are pushing against an open door. We already own Midford just south of Bath, and are restoring Spetisbury under license from DCC, but this is just the start. There are other established groups restoring stations and line at Midsomer Norton and Shillingstone, and the fabulous narrow gauge line near Templevcombe, the Gartell Railway.

There are now FIVE sites being actively restored on the S&D and this blog will follow what goes on at all of them!
Midford - Midsomer Norton - Gartell - Shillingstone - Spetisbury


Our Aim:

Our aim is to use a mix of lobbying, strategic track-bed purchase, fundraising and encouragement and support of groups already preserving sections of the route, as well as working with local and national government, local people, countryside groups and railway enthusiasts (of all types!) To restore sections of the route as they become viable.
Whilst the New S&D will primarily be a modern passenger and freight railway offering state of the art trains and services, we will also restore the infrastructure to the highest standards and encourage steam working and steam specials over all sections of the route, as well as work very closely with existing heritage lines established on the route.

This blog contains my personal views. Anything said here does not necessarily represent the aims or views of any of the groups currently restoring, preserving or operating trains over the Somerset and Dorset Railway!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

odd views ...


This came into the comments section overnight. I usually have a bit of a dilemma with this sort of post as I'm aware that you lot can be quite forthright! But, for a troll, it is quite erudite, and it does give the opportunity of addressing points - or in most cases reiterating them, so I'm not going to look this gift horse in the mouth! I'll show it in full first, then look at each point raised.

Climate change is nothing new. The earths climate, like it's geography has, and always will be changing. But at least the loonie leftist 'warmists' have had to withdraw that idiotic idea and have conceeded that is no longer a fact.

The arch idiot who subscribed to that now defunct idea, is the Al Gore [who has lined his own pockets well from the false flag!]

Aside from that, oil is not about to run out anytime soon....according to PROVEN geological studies and test drillings, the U.S. is said to hold the largest UNTAPPED oil reserves on the planet including the middle east! Also, oil wells thought to have been previously pumped out and abandoned, have 'miraculously' filled again with oil! This is verifiable fact.

However, the middle east conflict is not, as many uninformed would believe, a purely spontaneous outburst. Of course, the wise [!] strategist will wish to use someone ELSE'S oil first, before using their own! Also, there is a strategy at play here by the NWO [new world order] whose aim is to destabilise all middle eastern countries in preparation for UN [united nazis] who are themselves owned by the nwo elite, to take over and control of government of oil producing nations and hence ALL oil output. This however, does NOT mean the ordinary 'joe' on the street will get cheaper oil! In fact, the aim is to keep oil at a regulated high price which gives nwo government the final say in just WHO can and cannot afford to drive personal transport. Bottom line, it's ALL about C O N T R O L of the 'masses' which is what nwo government is about. What relation does this have to this site?

Well, let's look at this whole issue in a slightly wider aspect than a group of well meaning people wishing to re instate a defunct railway....whether you [the reader] believe in the nwo [again, verifiable] or not, is your perogative. What I am saying is that you may choose to ignore what you may view as the larger issues , but the nwo aims will NOT ignore YOU. Like it or not, we ALL of us, rely on road transport, and oil: Our whole western civillisation is based around the use of and consumption of oil!

How are ANY transport systems going to run without oil? ALL machines, even steam locos, need a certain amount of grease, oil to be able to run! Much as the romantisism of railways is being played, fact is, people will always be reliant on personal transport to get them TO the train in first place! And I ask you: Are YOU prepared to do away with yo ur car RIGHT now, and rely on rail to get you where you need to be? You think fuel prices are high? Try rail fares for a few days! Truth is, people will NEVER return to using rail transport in the way they HAD to when I was young....those days are GONE. I am not saying rail doesn't have an important, indeed vital role to play in the movemnt of bulk freight in this day and age, but as prime 'people mover'? No, only for rare long distance travel do most ever use them, aside from regular commuter routes of course. Fact is, people like their privacy and comfort...can some of YOU people HONESTLY envisage getting to your preservation pastime WITHOUT a car? Without the tools you use to do the clearing? If your cars were taken away from you, I think membership of these projects would fall to ZERO!Not being a 'damp squib' just being real.


Here we go - this will be fun!!

Climate change is nothing new. The earths climate, like it's geography has, and always will be changing. But at least the loonie leftist 'warmists' have had to withdraw that idiotic idea and have conceeded that is no longer a fact.

First bear in mind that this is a private blog. I rarely mention climate change as it is not anywhere near as important as Peak Oil. However to bring in a political perspective here, as the writer does, is particularly ingenuous. True, the fact of climate change was originally propounded by people on the right, but it is now pretty much universally accepted. The main sceptics are either paid by oil companies or are on the far left, who in their idiocy think the whole world can live at the level of the average lower middle class family in the west - climate change rather stops this ambition dead in its tracks. It's therefore a POLITICAL point of view, rather than a scientific one.

#The arch idiot who subscribed to that now defunct idea, is the Al Gore [who has lined his own pockets well from the false flag!]

Al Gore is a multi millionaire goon, who has made a living from pushing a particularly unscientific view of global warming. We completely agree on this point!


However, the middle east conflict is not, as many uninformed would believe, a purely spontaneous outburst. Of course, the wise [!] strategist will wish to use someone ELSE'S oil first, before using their own! Also, there is a strategy at play here by the NWO [new world order] whose aim is to destabilise all middle eastern countries in preparation for UN [united nazis] who are themselves owned by the nwo elite, to take over and control of government of oil producing nations and hence ALL oil output. This however, does NOT mean the ordinary 'joe' on the street will get cheaper oil! In fact, the aim is to keep oil at a regulated high price which gives nwo government the final say in just WHO can and cannot afford to drive personal transport. Bottom line, it's ALL about C O N T R O L of the 'masses' which is what nwo government is about.

This is pure idiocy. When people start talking about a 'New World Order' you know they are spending hours alone on the internet reading fringe US sites that believe in conspiracy theories, UFOs, ghosts and all the other rubbish that fills our lives.


What relation does this have to this site?What relation does this have to this site?


None whatsoever. I am the world's biggest sceptic. My first degree is in economics, a very logical science.

Well, let's look at this whole issue in a slightly wider aspect than a group of well meaning people wishing to re instate a defunct railway....
The S&D is not 'defunct'. It is an essential piece of transport infrastructure with a fantastic future.


whether you [the reader] believe in the nwo [again, verifiable] or not, is your perogative. What I am saying is that you may choose to ignore what you may view as the larger issues , but the nwo aims will NOT ignore YOU. Like it or not, we ALL of us, rely on road transport, and oil: Our whole western civillisation is based around the use of and consumption of oil!Well, let's look at this whole issue in a slightly wider aspect than a group of well meaning people wishing to re instate a defunct railway....


Idiocy. The NWO is an invention by fools, and don't frighten me any more than Casper the Friendly Ghost. It's nonsense.

How are ANY transport systems going to run without oil? ALL machines, even steam locos, need a certain amount of grease, oil to be able to run!
So you believe ALL oil will vanish?? Of course it won't, there will be some extremely expensive oil available, for specialist uses. Rail will be a priority hence will get the oil.

Much as the romantisism of railways is being played, fact is, people will always be reliant on personal transport to get them TO the train in first place!


What the fuck has romanticism got to do with anything? We are talking about transport, an essential thing we all need. Personal transport includes foot, cycle and horse. The workers at Midford currently arrive on foot or by bus. Many of the workers at Midsomer Norton and Shillingstone live within walking distance of the stations.

And I ask you: Are YOU prepared to do away with yo ur car RIGHT now, and rely on rail to get you where you need to be? You think fuel prices are high? Try rail fares for a few days!And I ask you: Are YOU prepared to do away with yo ur car RIGHT now, and rely on rail to get you where you need to be? You think fuel prices are high?Much as the romantisism of railways is being played, fact is, people will always be reliant on personal transport to get them TO the train in first place!Like it or not, we ALL of us, rely on road transport, and oil: Our whole western civillisation is based around the use of and consumption of oil!How are ANY transport systems going to run without oil? ALL machines, even steam locos, need a certain amount of grease, oil to be able to run!whether you [the reader] believe in the nwo [again, verifiable] or not, is your perogative. What I am saying is that you may choose to ignore what you may view as the larger issues , but the nwo aims will NOT ignore YOU.

Why would I need to do away with my car NOW? I am well off and expect to be able to continue to use my car until diesel reaches around £5 a litre. And fuel prices aren't high, they are very low. But not for much longer.

 Truth is, people will NEVER return to using rail transport in the way they HAD to when I was young....those days are GONE. I am not saying rail doesn't have an important, indeed vital role to play in the movemnt of bulk freight in this day and age, but as prime 'people mover'? No, only for rare long distance travel do most ever use them, aside from regular commuter routes of course. Fact is, people like their privacy and comfort...can some of YOU people HONESTLY envisage getting to your preservation pastime WITHOUT a car?

Try rail fares for a few days! Truth is, people will NEVER return to using rail transport in the way they HAD to when I was young....those days are GONE. ]

As fewer and fewer people can afford to run cars more and more will use the trains, walk or cycle. It is already happening. More people usethe trains now than when you were young anyway, so your point is invalid.

I am not saying rail doesn't have an important, indeed vital role to play in the movemnt of bulk freight in this day and age, but as prime 'people mover'? No, only for rare long distance travel do most ever use them, aside from regular commuter routes of course.

It will become the prime mover for exactly the reasons outlined above. It is price that will force people and freight onto rail, not romanticism!

Fact is, people like their privacy and comfort...can some of YOU people HONESTLY envisage getting to your preservation pastime WITHOUT a car?

Not sure who you are addressing this to. The New S&D is not about preservationism - this blog has stated many times that that particular hobby is in its dying years. I can get to all places I need to without my car, as can (and do) many of my readers.

Without the tools you use to do the clearing?

Why would tools 'vanish?' The railways were built in the main without power tools, we'll simply go back to using less energy-intensive tools. No big deal.

If your cars were taken away from you, I think membership of these projects would fall to ZERO!Not being a 'damp squib' just being real.

You are not being real at all. You have a (very odd) agenda, encompassing climate change scepticism and a childish belief in a 'New World Order'. You have an enormous amount to take on board over the next few years. You've made a start by reading this blog - there may be hope for you yet !


I've probably been a little self-indulgent here - my energies should be directed at getting the S&D back, not arguing invalid fantasy points with people that are dooming themselves to a very bleak future because it won't match their requirements. All I ask is that we all drop the agendas and wishful thinking, look at verifiable (and credited) scientific FACTS, perhaps learn a little economics and geology and stop WISHING for things that aren't going to happen.

I promise I won't engage again. Climate Change and Peak Oil are just simple facts that we are all going to have to deal with in the future, every day. Our lives are going to change dramatically as the end of cheap energy hits us. Restoring the S&D is our little part in ensuring that some degree of civilization continues into the future. It is decadent and indulgent to argue what we know is true. The old oil world left a lot of people feeling alienated and powerless, like our poster, but it also gave them the time and the money to bang on about stuff that simply isn't true. There'll be no room for such sentiment and decadence in the energy-poor world, and I suspect that that is one of the better things that are going to come out of all this.

And why this particular poster? See my other main blog, THE WAR ON BULLSHIT, which I think explains it perfectly! The clue is in the blog name ...

11 comments:

Tom Seale said...

The beginning of wisdom is the statement "I know nothing". If any of us could see into the future we'd be very rich people. So shouldn't we simply plan for the worst and hope for the best? Or we could simply wait and see what happens.

Steve Sainsbury said...

This poster of course believes the world is run by a tiny group of people (giant lizards perhaps?) who keep us 'ordinary folk' in the dark and can control everything. Events over the last ten days have proved yet again that nature always wins in any battle with our puny species!

People who think they know the future often don't even understand their tiny part of the present!

Steve Sainsbury said...

I was wrong - I shouldn't really have given this character the opportunity to spout his histrionic rubbish. Have since had another mad and abusive missive that merely confirmed my view that all people who believe in conspiracy theories are raving left wing nutters! I won't bother to post it as it will only bore you all!

berob91 said...

Seem's that everything other than the S&D is being brought up!
As a Soldier I have to listen to politics and all the rubbish people read daily so I can relate to the bloggers views on this silly and pedantic comments.

Steve Sainsbury said...

Thanks - I really appreciate that. It was a waste of my energy and that of my readers to give this fool a showcase!

will said...

Looking at the BBC snapshot of the budget i saw that there was 200m extra towards regional railways

Anonymous said...

200 million is nothing. Would cost more than that to get the line from bath mainline to radstock. And that's supposed to improve the railways. More money needed please. Problem is money from fuel tax pays most of the countrys bills. So they pretend they want people off the roads and onto public transport but in reality we can't afford it.

Anonymous said...

I love this game :)

will said...

They estimate the cost in a Great Western Rail Utilisation Strategy (i cant remember which year).
It says reopening Norton Radstock to Bath would cost 60 million pounds. And that if the line had never closed, it would be putting 3 pounds of benefit into the community for every one spent - i would imagine more now the oil price has risen.

Its peanuts, yes, and its not for new lines, but its against the backdrop of a 20% average cut in everything else in government. So its relatively a lot of financial effort from the government.

Steve Sainsbury said...

Only 60 million? That's a lot less than I'd expect and incredible value if you compare it with the cost of pointless road building.

And the fact that the rail budget has gone up whilst everything else is being cut is the biggest clue yet that even this government is well aware of the problems of Peak Oil and is, very slowly, beginning to redirect the economy in a direction that reflects the future rather than the past.

But, as everyone is saying, it is far too little money.

will said...

Found it!
My bad, it was a report from ATOC, not NR, maybe some bias there. Its available here:

http://www.atoc.org/clientfiles/File/publicationsdocuments/ConnectingCommunitiesReport_S10.pdf

.... On page 16. The exact figure they quote is 62 million - i think a community railway, with a light rail/tram design could do better than that.

As usual the benefit cost ratio is 3:1 ONLY if you don't count the cost of rebuilding the line. Whose idea was it to close it!!!