The Gartell Railway has published this poster which gives details of its running days in 2012. With their extension heading steadily northwards towards Templecombe this superb narrow gauge line has been really buzzing over the last few months.
Good to see extensions being built, this is a line I have yet to visit and wish to do so however I will do so after the extension is opened. Yesterday I visited the station site at Shillingstone whilst on the way home to Cornwall and was very heartened to see what the volunteers have achieved. Excellent effort all round. Well done to all. Whilst standing on the old down platform I had very pleasent chat with a local lady out walking her dog and asked her if she could remember the line before it closed and she said it would be lovely to see the trains return. I look forward to seeing miles of track laid and trains running one day. I have also just joined the SDHT and have enjoyed their excellent Telegraph Magazine. Highest price of diesel seen so far £1.54.9 litre at Exeter services, thankfully I had filled up my car back on Monday before the stupidity of certain ministers came to the fore. I personally believe that boy racers etc days are numbered and indeed I was reading the latest edition of Railnews that my mother recieves(Late father worked for Southern Railway and BRSR) and was very heartened to read of the number of youngsters who are taking up railcards. The percentage increases are quite staggering when I consider that BR was considered to be old fashioned and railways were a thing of the past. The late Sir John Betejeman visited the S & D in March 1963 and he stated on his film that railways were not a thing of the past (the film is a video now return to Evercreech Junction and is very enjoyable. I also believe we need our railways back as the rebuilding of them plus maintenance and running them will give good work to young people and hopefully start to end the appalling rundown of our society. Beeching killed more than railways, he killed a way of life for many and prosperity for many, Peak oil is here, we need to say goodbye to our love affair with oil and bring back the tried and trusted methods of those previous generations who built this country of ours-The S&D bought prosperity to many, it can do so again and will.
I am a great supporter of reinstating the S&D,and do not criticise the work and enthusiasm of the Gartwell railway, but surely this will have to be dismantled when the standard gauge is reinstated. Surely it would be better to concentrate on the 'real thing' Trevor
Not a chance! The Gartell is an absolute gem and will be preserved alongside the reinstated SG route - if that's what they want of course. There's plenty of room for NG and SG wherever the Gartell currently runs, or will run in the future.
They'd have to dismantle the Gartell over my dead body!
Definitely not one of ours! Ironically I'm a bigger fan of NG than SG anyway - I just happened to be caught up with the whole S&D revival thing. There is no way that the Gartell would be threatened by a resurgent SG S&D - there's more than enough room for both of us - and a NG line alongside and near our route would be an added draw - and of course would allow visitors and volunteers to continue to reach your line once petrol becomes too expensive! Who knows, the Gartell may well become the core of a NG network eventually!
Hmmm April Fool..... I thought that aswell after i sent you the comment! Ah well, i'm a fool 11 months of the year, may as well be one in April as well!!!
Good to see extensions being built, this is a line I have yet to visit and wish to do so however I will do so after the extension is opened. Yesterday I visited the station site at Shillingstone whilst on the way home to Cornwall and was very heartened to see what the volunteers have achieved. Excellent effort all round. Well done to all. Whilst standing on the old down platform I had very pleasent chat with a local lady out walking her dog and asked her if she could remember the line before it closed and she said it would be lovely to see the trains return. I look forward to seeing miles of track laid and trains running one day. I have also just joined the SDHT and have enjoyed their excellent Telegraph
ReplyDeleteMagazine. Highest price of diesel seen so far £1.54.9 litre at Exeter services, thankfully I had filled up my car back on Monday before the stupidity of certain ministers came to the fore. I personally believe that boy racers etc days are numbered and indeed I was reading the latest edition of Railnews that my mother recieves(Late father worked for Southern Railway and BRSR) and was very heartened to read of the number of youngsters who are taking up railcards. The percentage increases are quite staggering when I consider that BR was considered to be old fashioned and railways were a thing of the past. The late Sir John Betejeman visited the S & D in March 1963 and he stated on his film that railways were not a thing of the past (the film is a video now return to Evercreech Junction and is very enjoyable. I also believe we need our railways back as the rebuilding of them plus maintenance and running them will give good work to young people and hopefully start to end the appalling rundown of our society. Beeching killed more than railways, he killed a way of life for many and prosperity for many,
Peak oil is here, we need to say goodbye to our love affair with oil and bring back the tried and trusted methods of those previous generations who built this country of ours-The S&D bought prosperity to many, it can do so again and will.
I am a great supporter of reinstating the S&D,and do not criticise the work and enthusiasm of the Gartwell railway, but surely this will have to be dismantled when the standard gauge is reinstated. Surely it would be better to concentrate on the 'real thing'
ReplyDeleteTrevor
Do Gartell plan to extend the line all the way back to the platform at Templecombe Lower?
ReplyDeleteNot a chance! The Gartell is an absolute gem and will be preserved alongside the reinstated SG route - if that's what they want of course. There's plenty of room for NG and SG wherever the Gartell currently runs, or will run in the future.
ReplyDeleteThey'd have to dismantle the Gartell over my dead body!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely not one of ours! Ironically I'm a bigger fan of NG than SG anyway - I just happened to be caught up with the whole S&D revival thing. There is no way that the Gartell would be threatened by a resurgent SG S&D - there's more than enough room for both of us - and a NG line alongside and near our route would be an added draw - and of course would allow visitors and volunteers to continue to reach your line once petrol becomes too expensive! Who knows, the Gartell may well become the core of a NG network eventually!
ReplyDeleteIt may have been an April Fool's of course!
Hmmm April Fool..... I thought that aswell after i sent you the comment! Ah well, i'm a fool 11 months of the year, may as well be one in April as well!!!
ReplyDelete