tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27589444.post1959515776379909861..comments2023-08-22T16:18:38.393+01:00Comments on Rail Thing - Friends of the S&D: the future ...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27589444.post-44589340995061548362011-08-31T21:13:56.429+01:002011-08-31T21:13:56.429+01:00There was an article in the Somerset Guardian abou...There was an article in the Somerset Guardian about building on ex railway land and incorporating a new road layout to cater for the increased road traffic! <br />This is in the centre of RADSTOCK!!!<br />Is nothing sacred??<br /><br />KAHAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27589444.post-40492086510867620822011-08-31T14:55:18.652+01:002011-08-31T14:55:18.652+01:00Nick
I can't see how that could be true. Thir...Nick<br /><br />I can't see how that could be true. Thirty years ago perhaps, but nowadays even the thickest politicians knows that rail has to make a comeback.<br /><br />Because how exactly would it work? Does the government instruct companies to build over trackbeds? That company will doubtless need rail transport in the future, for its products, workers and customers.<br /><br />How does it 'stop' societies forming? All structures can be demolished, and any blocking trackbeds will be. I just don't see the point. I can't imagine anyone promotinga rail reinstatement gives a tinker's cuss about encroachment - I certainly don't. In many cases some forms of encroachment - footpaths, cycleways and roads - act as excellent protectors for the routes.<br /><br />The railway at Moorewood may not return for ten or even twenty years. What's the harm in using the trackbed in the short term? The company no doubt realises that it will have to demolish the extension in future, and has almost certainly built that into its costings.Steve Sainsburyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12024394243500109831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27589444.post-64038907734914088282011-08-31T13:27:37.085+01:002011-08-31T13:27:37.085+01:00logic has nothing to do with building on trackbeds...logic has nothing to do with building on trackbeds. its mostly done deliberately to this day to stop the likes of us forming societies in every town and village and reopening our railways.<br /><br />the latest telegaph, for instance says that roger saul's mulberry factory is expanding over the trackbed at old down, chilcompton. currently only the car park eats into the curve where the moorewood run away catch points / down distant / fogmags hut stood. why in @!*^@ name is the trust and mendip district council allowing that to happen?<br /><br />nickAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27589444.post-54475519077655927672011-08-28T01:36:27.654+01:002011-08-28T01:36:27.654+01:00There might have been a fifteen inch gauge line on...There might have been a fifteen inch gauge line on the trackbed Chris Warren just visited which could by now have been doing a useful job of work. It was built as the "Axe & Lyme" or some such name, by Les Anderson after he quit the line at Longleat which he had built and for a while run with his father. Les showed me photos he took of the train somewhere near Lyme Regis, all ready to go.<br /><br />He had some very novel ideas for moving large numbers of people rapidly on this "minimum gauge" but only got to build one prototype train to demonstrate his principles. In fact it did give lots of service at Rhyl Marine lake, but thats another story. Sadly his undertaking at Lyme regis was not allowed to operate so it went bust with most assets sold off. We can only imagine what that line might have developed into. Perhaps somewhat like Seaton Tramway (though thats much wider gauge). Les went on to work as a school teacher and down the coal mines, to do with railways there.<br /><br />I wonder how many folks now remember the early ambitions at Bitton, of building a useful commuter line. It was styled as the "Bristol Suburban Railway" before eventually morphing into a tourist attraction we now know as "Avon Valley Railway". Local Authorities and Sustrans have between them done much to keep lengths of trackbed intact but I seem to remember a chunk of it getting obliterated near Siston Common to make way for "road improvements". Various rusty old Midland Rly relics were turned up by the digging including a signal counterweight which is still in my garden. I find it hard to accept the "logic" of destroying the trackbed there, either from the railway revivalist or bicycle users point of view.<br /><br />The idea Chris Warren set forth for making it possible by HMG initiative to transfer ownership of closed railways in favour of those motivated to operate them is not new though I cannot now quite remember when it got proposed. That nothing came of it then is no reason to dismiss the idea, maybe its due another try now or is that too optimistic ?Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00346120168038544874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27589444.post-39078004201315976322011-08-27T23:24:56.638+01:002011-08-27T23:24:56.638+01:00I visited Lyme Regis today. Beautiful seaside res...I visited Lyme Regis today. Beautiful seaside resort ruined by heavy traffic that once had a wonderful branch line from Axminster. What a gem of a railway journey that must have been. Nearly all of the trackbed remains as most of it ran through open countryside. Surely an economically viable line to reopen. All you'd want was a DMU trundling up and down like the service between St Erth and St Ives. Total cost? Using reclaimed track and sleepers, a couple of passing loops, basic signalling and a 25mph running speed. 15 million?? With an enthusiastic membership like at MSN thousands could be saved in labour costs. Big Society? How about the government setting up a proper scheme whereby volunteer organisations can aquire ex Network Rail rails, sleepers, ballast etc for free providing they give assurances the line would be completed in a certain period. For the guys at Bitton they could reach the outskirts of Bath and provide a commuter service between Warmley and Newbridge with buses taking passengers onwards until the rest of the formation is re instated. <br /><br />Just a thought.Chris Warrennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27589444.post-66936150807460479642011-08-27T15:21:43.784+01:002011-08-27T15:21:43.784+01:00Steve wrote:
"Many of the fastest-growing br...Steve wrote:<br /><br />"Many of the fastest-growing branch lines connect to seaside resorts and towns, and show spikes during the summer months."<br /><br />This summer traffic spike was a big headache in past era of popular seaside family holidays by rail. At least one closed branch line was retained in part to stable rakes of forlorn carriages kept, in near derelict condition, just for a few summer turns to meet peak traffic demand. It naturally ended as road or overseas alternatives displaced rail for summer holidays, with "rationalisation" seeing those old carriages burnt & gas-axed. They could not in any case have staggered on much longer.Investment in new stock for such rare use was (and is) totally unviable.<br /><br />The railway did not just give up on the idea though. As a kiddy in early 1970's I was easily lured into going on a "mystery tour" ticket deal, with train unsurprisingly arriving at Clacton ! There was no parental input, still less any encouragement. Their generation had said goodbye to the railway, all their holidays for rest of their lives to be by car. Junior was just experiencing a novelty, thats how they saw it.<br /><br />Limited capacity is still going to be a problem on the railway with traffic patterns as Steve has outlined. The primary response so far would appear to be rationing by price.I dont know what the policy is right now for investing in new rolling stock, however it has been complicated by the peculiarly political invention of train operating companies with their short term (contract limited) view of future need.<br /><br />A more robust earlier generation of youthful holidaymakers would get a summer job, save up the money then set forth on the road with bicycle, perhaps taking a train journey just to get them into chosen holiday area fast. Some of the well remembered photographers of industrial or narrow gauge lines got about this way, one describing a hard slog as casual labour drilling holes in steel sleepers at Robert Hudson Ltd to get his holiday money together ! Presumably they used spartan Youth Hostels, which seem to have gone though a phase (since I used them) of trying to become like Hotels.<br /><br />Everything changes, yet perhaps some must "come around again".Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00346120168038544874noreply@blogger.com