the S&D's second city

Photo © John Thorn

This is Wells Priory Road in 1963/64. Wells in England's smallest city and once boasted three stations. This branch of the S&D was the first major section of the route to close, the branch connecting to the Highbridge line (itself a branch) at Glastonbury. There was of course a more logical route through Wells via the Cheddar Valley which explains the early closure.

How Wells will be served by trains in the future is still undecided. It will be essential to connect Glastonbury and Wells back to the network though whether it will be via the line to Highbridge, Evercreech, the Cheddar Valley route (to either Witham or Yatton) or perhaps even by a new direct route over the Mendips to join the main line near Masbury ... who can tell at this early stage?

the s&d brand

This is the fantastic model of Blandford station which graces the cover of this month's Railway Modeller. The S&D seems to be going from strength to strength lately, it's everywhere! No other line comes close to the S&D for popularity.

I think much of the reason is that it is coming back, and more and more people are realising that that now means the WHOLE route and not just tiny - magnificent as they are - portions of it. It's amazing to think that 20 years ago not an inch of track remained in place on the route, and there were still many people that thought it would NEVER return.

We've seen a surge in membership in the New S&D over recent months, despite keeping ourselves pretty low key. Yesterday we had 419 hits on this blogsite! 2011 will see that big push that we've promised for some months. Hopefully we'll have solid news on Spetisbury soon which will mean that the S&D will be being revived at FIVE sites (6 including the private restoration at Masbury) on the route. Hopefully the groups will work more and more closely together in time. It would be nice for example to have joint meetings of all the groups (plus Washford) so we can co-ordinate the restoration and to share information. As I've often said this is a fantastic time to be involved with the most important rail restoration project in Europe!

midsomer norton progress

Mike Tuck's excellent site has recently uploaded some absolutely SUPERB shots taken at Midsomer Norton. It really is looking like a railway again and Mike's photos really capture the atmosphere of this truly magical stretch of the S&D.

The above shots are NOT Mike's, they are my own not particularly brilliant shots!

So take a look at his website and see the amazing progress that's been made converting a derelict site that was all but written off into an absolute credit both to the heritage movement and the S&D - high praise indeed!

beginning of the end?

Fuel prices seem to be hitting the news again, in amongst all the other reports of price rises.

The tanker drivers are whimpering, reminding us of nothing more than the coal miners in the 80s, haulage companies are whining about their costs, regular car drivers are moaning about the price of fuel. Anyone would think it was expensive! It isn't. It will never be this cheap again.
An amazing statement today, and I haven't made this up, was 'Drivers will ALWAYS pay whatever price is asked for fuel, even ten pounds a gallon!' There's an implication that ten pounds a gallon is some incredibly distant, almost unfeasibly high price that we won't see in our lifetimes. Really? The very use of 'gallon' suggests some old dinosaur fart, looking back to some nostalgic past where petrol was, for example, £1.98.7 per gallon. Well £10 per gallon equates to about £2.22 a litre. Some pundits are already expecting it to hit £1.50 per litre THIS summer, with crude oil reaching $100-$200 per barrel within a year or so. That price of £2.22 per litre will soon seem cheap.

But of course it won't only be the cost of petrol that's a factor, but its availability. And that will be the real crunch. A mix of high prices, crumbling roads and uncertainty of supply will drive almost all drivers off the road. And that's when rail will be the obvious answer to EVERYONE, not just those of us that are forward-thinking. Opportunity will knock far sooner than most of us expect.

more s&d returns

These shots from the Shillingstone website show the amazing progress they are making on rebuilding the signalbox. This is impressive work and will be a real asset to the S&D. Midsomer Norton did this a few years ago and Graeme Mayes worked wonders recreating another S&D iconic signalbox there. With Midsomer Norton South and now Shillingstone signal boxes returning from the past how long before Midford - and many other places en route - also reappear in all their glory?

2011 so far has been an amazing year for the S&D all along the line. Midford is now almost cleared, Midsomer Norton is progressing steadily, with regular trains a feature later in the year, and Shillingstone seems to have had an incredible new burst of energy. Hopefully Spetisbury will also begin to stir in the next few months.

I can't see anything now stopping the gradual restoration of the whole route and in a real S&D style rather than the basic railway which is the alternative. This is a fantastic time to be involved with the S&D and the old (ridiculous) 'divisions' which once tainted us are disappearing as quickly as the infrastructure is reappearing.

So please get involved. Obviously join the New S&D, as this is the umbrella organisation for the whole route, but please also join any or all of the other organisations that are preserving and restoring the S&D (Midsomer Norton, Shillingstone, Gartell and Washford). All of the groups, even including the New S&D now we have Midford, offer loads of opportunities to work on site as well as behind the scenes activities which are so important. Hopefully soon we will be able to offer joint membership for all the groups which will benefit the whole S&D.

midford progress

fd



Latest pictures from Midford today (courtesy of Tom Seale).

Hard to believe this is the same jungle that existed back in September when work started! It's beginning to open up new vistas of the line, we now also have our own entrance to the site via the gate in picture 2 - this will obviate the need to use the pub car park for deliveries. It really is starting to look like a proper looked after station again - with the restoration of track not a physical issue at all!

modelling

First apologies for no posts for a week or so - I've not been too well. But a lot better today ...

I'm sure a lot of you have been waiting for Bachmann's S&D 7F '00' gauge model. It's now with us and it looks fantastic.

Is there any other line apart from the S&D that would get this treatment? A specific model for our route and look at the pubicity shot with a classic S&D landscape behind. This shows the enormous power of our brand!

This post was inspired by this from Adrian Romano which covers S&D and modelling and a few other things ...

I don't know if you keep abreast of what is going on in the world of model railways at present, but there's suddenly a lot of S & D emphasis here and there, what with the excellent 00 gauge layout based on Blandford Forum station at the local museum starring as Railway of the Month in the "Railway Modeller", Bachmann's superb models of S & D 7Fs and Hornby releasing a set of Maunsell coaches as running on S & D metals and a 2P in that railway's Prussian blue.

Apropos Peak Oil, if the peak happens round about 2015 as they suggest on the Steel Interstate website, this would be around the time a century ago when, in Switzerland, there were serious coal shortages on their railways as a result of the First World War, and they ended up electrifying the major routes such as the Gotthardbahn in the 1920s by taking advantage of cheap electricity from hydro-electric plant. A similar scenario could affect the US of A in the coming years, possibly as an unwelcome addition to the in-tray of a Republican administration with Sarah Palin as Vice-President soon after coming into office!

Myself? I've just submitted an application to join the Mid-Anglia Rail Passengers' Association, to promote and protect rail services between Ipswich and Cambridge and Peterborough. It will be interesting to learn how seriously they and Railfuture are taking Peak Oil at present.

blandford's past and future

2009 and this was the scene at Blandford where the footpath passed over the railway to the north of the station.


And this video shows the station in its running days - courtesy of YouTube via SteamTube.

where the US leads we follow

(Orlando November 2010)

I made my first trip to the USA in November and I was VERY impressed. It was much cleaner, friendlier and, surprisingly, greener than the UK. Dozens of new tram systems have opened up there in the last ten years and rail is seeing a big revival. Most US freight is already carried by rail. The US did of course have a superb rail network - both steam and electric (interurban) until about the 40s, but then cheap oil and the car took over.

Cheap oil is now vanishing and the US is leading the way in the switch from road to rail. See below for a tangential view of this development.

This from today's Whiskey and Gunpowder (an investment site)


Auto-suburbia is losing its utility and its desirability. More from "The Echo Boom: A New Wave of Market Change":

One overlooked issue in particular about the Echo Boomers will have a meaningful impact on all forms of real estate…they don’t drive.

According to a report by Kiplinger, motorists aged 21 to 30 now account for 14% of miles driven, down from 21% in 1995. As quoted in that report, William Draves, president of Learning Resources Network pointed out, "This generation focuses its buying on computers, BlackBerrys, music and software and views commuting a few hours by car a huge productivity waste when they can work using PDAs while taking the bus and train."

This certainly doesn’t bode well for the automotive industry, but it also may not help real estate strategies that rely on communities and suburbs that can only be navigated by car. The Baby Boomers fueled the growth of cities that revolve around cars, but the Echo Boomers are likely to flock to places where they don’t have to drive every day. This could be a significant drag on low-density communities without mass transit and a boon to older, more compact cities.

q and a session

(Photos - all inspirationally Swiss!)

Recently posted - a gift for return of serve!


Wish you luck and agree with idea but you are living in a fantasy world if you think it will ever REALLY happen; too many plots sold off and millions upon millions of pounds of infrastructure to replace. Should never have been closed - but the time to fight was 60s, like the Settle and Carlisle Railway supporters did. The only REAL railway investment likely to happen now is HIGH SPEED links, not the local loss making railways. Despite this, you are right but that doesn't mean much!
My reply -

I hate fantasy - it's a waste of energy! You won't find any in the New S&D - we are a terribly straight-laced and unsentimental lot! Businesspeople, accountants, economists and academics in the main.

Please don't just wish us luck - join us!

Billions, not millions. We have no illusions as to the difficulty in raising money like this, but there are ways. And it will get easier as time goes by.

The S&C fight was in the 70s, the absolute nadir of railways. In fact I felt that was the turning point for rail in the UK and the S&C (I was born in Carlisle) is one of the inspirations for the S&D.

Most rail infrastructure investments in this country since have been for local routes - Robin Hood line, Airdrie-Bathgate, Ebbw Vale, Waverley route, Larkhall, Alloa, Welsh Highland Railway. HS rail is part of the future, but will hardly be ideal for freight, terrible for local rail traffic and is already causing controversy through the areas it runs, as the inhabitants can't see the benefits they'll get. It's not a zero-sum game. Remember all that former road development money is coming rail's way ...

And the S&D won't be a loss-maker in any case. Remember that dodgy accounting, hatred of the route by the regional management and a deliberate decision not to rationalise and dieselise the route, together with diversion of traffic, killed the line, not big losses. It certainly won't be a loss maker in the future - we hope to pay regular and good dividends to the shareholders!It will happen - the only question is what sort of S&D will emerge. Let's do it our way.

progress on compromise

Everyone who loves the S&D needs to work together, that is clear. There are some seriously artificial 'differences' between us, they are not real differences but simply differences in perception - in fact these differences wil fade as more and more people get the bigger picture. Remember that we were all once doubters (or ignorant) of Peak Oil. Nobody now seriously disputes that oil is a finite resource, that it will eventually vanish and that we will need to seriously change the way we source and use energy - and that in the process the old era of roads, cars, pollution and inefficiency will vanish. In reality many of the differences are no nore trivial than some people wanting 'power' within the S&D community. The New S&D has always sidestepped this rather anachronistic trait, anyone who wants to can get involved at any level. ALL ideas and energy are welcomed.

The previous post has brought forward a few good comments, which I've elevated to the main blog.

http://railways.national-preservation.com/showthread.php/28176-midsomer-norton-road-bridge.?p=387730#post387730

Is the relevant thread.

I believe the principle thorn in the side of the "preservationists" is the peak oil "angle". It would be a terrible shame if, despite the general alignment of aims there was a falling out over an underlying philosophy that has brought disparate groups to the same conclusion.

For my part I'm on nobody's side; I'm the grandson of the last driver of the "Pines Express" over S&D metals and just really want to see why it was so special to my Grandad.

I'm worried that the "no compromise" attitude may alienate rather than encourage the other groups to join the effort.
And my reply

But the preservationists are deluding themselves if they regard Peak Oil as an 'angle'. Oil is a finite resource and is getting scarcer by the day. As time passes the roads will empty as fewer and fewer of us can afford to drive. With the reduced tax take the roads themselves will fall into disrepair and all freight and passenger traffic will switch to rail. There's no contention in this, but a lot of people just don't want it to happen so they project this wish (and agenda) onto their own view of the future, and imagine it to have equal validity. It is so important to be realistic and keep one's own personal desires and foibles out of this. To not do so is to compromise.

At the end of the day it doesn't matter. The New S&D exists to bring the groups together, to act as an umbrella for the whole line, to lobby, to buy up and protect forever portions of the route. If others are happy to work locally (as are most of the Midford team) that is absolutely fine.I can not see why this should be any problem for anyone who loves the S&D. It takes nothing away from them - I myself am a dedicated life member at Midsomer Norton - but ensures that when the problems start to hit we are prepared.

Being prepared is the key to everything. Forget agendas, let's just get on with it. Nothing else matters.
and a very good contribution which says things better than I ever could

Well it seems obvious you can't build it all at once. We are not Brunel and we dont have his power or money.

Look at the way the M25 was built - easy bits first and then gradually filling in the gaps. The New Zealand railways of South Island had similar approach, as they had to cross several wide rivers.

We obviously need to gain the rights to build a railway over the entire route, and that should be going on in parallel to the actual construction and restoration in various places. Too many places and nothing gets finished and everyone gets disheartened.

May I also suggest an annual, 'walk the line', with a sponsored walk along as much of the original route as is possible. Once we could walk the whole route that would demonstrate to the press and locals that the project was possible.

Also desperately need a 'champion' with importance at a National level, who will act as a figurehead to bring in funds and even gain government support.

Once the tunnels in Bath are open that should help stimulate support. I also believe we should aim to restore all the mileposts as soon as possible and then add in the 'quarter posts' in sections that have been restored. Cosmetics in the early stage are important, even though the engineers amongst us might disagree. That is why the Midford restoration is so important. Big picture is essential, but doing lots of the easy things early on keeps everyone enthusiatic, and more likely to donate time and money.

compromise

I was pointed in the direction of the National Preservation Forum the other day. The name gives away the fact that this is basically a site for rail preservationists - or 'puffer lovers' as they are sometimes cruelly called. It's amazing that in many cases the contributors want to not only preserve the rail infrastructure of the sixties but also the dinosaur attitudes!

The one thing that really upset me was the poster who reckoned all the S&D groups should combine (something we support 100%) but then only build a ten mile stretch of line with an intermediate station (I suspect they mean Radstock to Shepton) and leave it at that - forever!

Now our constitution, and that of the SDRHT at Midsomer Norton, commit us to restore and/or support restoration of the whole S&D. One of the first acts of the New S&D was to enshrine this - forever - into our constitution.

Any curtailed section of the S&D will never survive in the post-oil world. ALL 'heritage' railways will have to adapt to very changed circumstances. Coal burners will have to convert to wood, diesels will vanish entirely and many routes will adopt various forms of electrification. But, and most importantly, ALL the lines will have to serve a useful purpose, for passengers and freight. ALL of these lines will have to have a network connection, or some form of rail connection, otherwise little if any visitors will be able to reach the line.
A totally restored S&D will solve all these problems for the future.

We have always worked on the first principal that the S&D WILL be restored, whatever the circumstances. Even without Peak Oil eventually the line will be needed to relieve pressure on network routes. With Peak Oil its restoration is essential even sooner. What we are trying to do is ensure that when restoration comes it needs to be sympathetic both to the history of the route and to the countryside it runs through. This is why all S&D fans should support and join the New S&D, in addition to joining their local S&D heritage group. Because without us the future of the S&D will be a busy but basic route that doesn't offer employment opportunities, a high standard of station facilities or marketing that makes it a superb asset and investment. With us we can excert the leverage and pressure that ensures that it is our vision for the S&D which prevails.

Put simply - no compromise!

as the decade turns ...

As 2010 turns into 2011 and the new decade begins I would like to thank everyone who has been so supportive this year, particularly Anna-Jayne Metcalfe, Tom and Stuart Seale, David Bailey, Mick Knox and many, many others. This next decade is going to be a huge one for the S&D, both at the established S&D sites (Shillingstone, Gartell, Washford, Midsomer Norton and Midford) and new locations which will spring up as the decade progresses.

And a particularly big thank you to all those doubters who have embraced the S&D revival over the last year or two, who often become the biggest supporters and advocates of what we are doing! I'm sure there will be many, many more who will come over to us in the next ten years!

A very happy and prosperous New Year to all of you.

midford today

(all © Stuart Seale)

Midford is looking amazing - and much of it is down to Stuart and Tom Seale. Compare these shots with those I took right at the start of restoration in September. I really don't see that restoration of the station buildings will be a long drawn out affair and that things will continue to happen a lot faster than I expected. The best thing about Midford is that it's become a local intiative, but with the support of a bigger organisation. Spetisbury will hopefully be the next project we take on board - and remember that all suggestions for projects are welcomed.

Stuart's report for today - Tom and I were at Midford again today. We cleared more of the bank behind the station and then burned most of last week's and this week's cuttings. We managed to keep warm in the afternoon somehow, even after it got dark. Cooked sausages when the fire died down a bit.

Had a chat with the owner of Station Cottage and other unknown Midford residents who were out walking their dogs and they all appeared to be happy with what is going on.

the big challenge

Can anybody think of a single railway in the UK that should not be restored in the future? I've racked my brains and can't think of one. I suppose the only genuine candidate would be a line that solely served an industry that no longer exists, with no population centres en route. If you can think of any please post to the comments section.

(The photo above incidentally is of Fittleworth. Just to get you started - the line closed as long ago as 1955, but served the large towns of Petworth and Midhurst. There was also a line from Midhurst to Petersfield which only served a couple of villages, and a further line (closed in 1935) that connected with Chichester. Would any of these not be worth restoring?)