Oswestry Update

Sorry I forgot to mention that Dan's site has had an update (which is where I pinched the quote from)

http://www.osrail.co.uk/

Yes the bridge is an obstacle, it was in the County Council plan to overhaul but due to the spending cuts that is on hold. That could make going North more attractive but whichever way you go it will require money and volunteers.

Looking at what has been achieved over the last year it's good to see so many people getting involved in bringing the line out of it's deep sleep.

 

Short piece on the BBC about today
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-13140249

 

For those who are interested here is the video of the first operating weekend from the new platform.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxJ7NZeusKs

 

What a different a few years make, and that must be the biggest station building in the preservation industry !

Are there plans to restore the signal box to operational condition? also are there gates on the crossing ?

Really impressed with all the work you guys have put in to get to this stage, and the very best of luck with the expansion of the project.

Great Western

 

The signal box already has the necessary internals, see the pictures at the bottom of this page. I can remember this as a complete eyesore.
http://www.cambrianrailwayssociety.co.uk/Museum/museum.html

The crossing is a foot crossing and went right over the station throat at the Southern end of the platform.

I think that it would be great to have it all connected back up again but there is still much more work to be done to bring the station back to it's former glory. And it is an impressive building.

 

The inside of the box looks more or less complete, it would make a good musuem until a point is reached where is it required operationally.

Great Western.

 

Well worth a visit to my site, OSWESTRY STATION IS OPEN! and carried the first passengers from here in 45 years this weekend.

follow the link for photos and a video....

CLICK HERE!!!


Thanks

 

I watched Pete Waterman Trains program on Discovery last night, it showed Owestry before work started it was a jungle ! What a transformation !

Amazing!

Great Western.

 

Another update to

http://www.osrail.co.uk/

More trackwork in the station. Thanks again to Dan.

 

Great to see good progress. Would be wonderful to see this site eventually restored with all its platforms, complete with canopies and through running lines, a real grand victorian mainline station.
Daniel

 

Nearly 5 months since the last post on this thread. Has there been much going on at Oswestry over the summer?

 

Yes it has been a but quiet with trains to run. See Dan's site for some latest pictures

http://www.osrail.co.uk/

There are planned working weekends for further line clearance so if you fancy lending a hand volunterrs are always welcome.

 

Would it be possible for someone to summarise what the objectives are of the various groups around Oswestry. I can understand Oswestry and to the north to Gobowen. I think from the website that they are going south and swinging right at Llynclys Junction to Blodwell Quarry (Llandu) along the track that is still in situ. That much makes sense to me.

There then seems to be an affiliated enterprise operating the Tanat Valley Light Railway from Llandu towards Nantmawr. This is not a continuation of the above as a reversal would be needed.

Then there is the Llynclys site which is isolated and has a short stretch to the south to Pen - Y - Garreg lane. This is isolated to the North towards Llynclys Junction unless someone has acquired the old station buildings. There would also seem to be some engineering and ownership challenges to going south. Is there a hope of recreating a loop back to Llandu?

Now I appreciate that the Cambrian Heritage Railways are relatively recently reunited after a difficult past but it would be helpful if somewhere there was an area map and a clear statement of long term objectives. I really struggle with what could end up as 3 branch lines.

 

For s start here is a map for those not familiar with the overall project.

http://cambrianrailways.com/html/map_of_chr_lines.html

There are three main locations and they all fit in to the overall scheme. I am trying to find a link to where it was all properly explained but it may take a little while. Any information that I give is only as an ordinary member

 

OK. As explained above I am an ordinary (non working; due to location) member.

The Tanat Valley and explanation of the rationale behind that project is here: See the post from the CRS Chairman
http://www.cambrianrailways.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=34&start=10

For the rest of the line there are a number of purely pratical challenges that need to be addressed as well as the overall issue of funding.

The original station building and trackbed to the junction at Llynclys is not owned by the railway, although it was potentially available not enough money could be raised in the necessary timescale. However I understand that talks are ongoing to find a solution. Any extension on virgin trackbed would be costly and there are many obstacles. It is better to concentrate on what is there first.

 

Many thanks. If there is more info on the project, plans and stages it would be welcome. I sense that in cash strapped times you are doing what you can and any discussions around Llynclys station must be sensitive.

The map does suggest an ambition to proceed towards Llanymynech (which is a useful destination with an industial heritage site) but having walked along the canal a couple of weeks ago I would have thought there were real obstacles to getting through Pant.

 

At the moment there are many ideas and options and these need to be investigated before a fully detailed plan can be drawn up. The overall objective is clear; bring back to life the whole of the mothballed line from Gobowen to Blodwell and linking to the Tanat Valley line and the current CHR at Llynclys.
The devil is in the detail and having the funding to make this happen. There are good reasons to concentrate on various parts of the project and there are issues that need to be overcome to do this.

It would be ideal to link the two lines at Llynclys but the missing link is not owned by the railway. Rebuilding the missing link is not technically difficult.
Oswestry station is a real gem and merits being returned to it's former glory but operating from there is limited going South by a road overbridge in poor condition that has been repaired by being propped up on a steel structure that obstructs the line. The bridge 'should' be rebuilt by the County Council but due to spending cuts the investment is not available. It's difficult to fault the logic that to rebuild that bridge would divert money from schools and essential services so that will have to wait a while.

Going North is less complicated but there are a number of bridges that need to be assessed and any remedial work carried out. At Gobowen the mainline connection is there but the final 2-300 yards in to the station are still part of the national network and are still used infrequently. To get to the station requires a parallel line to be laid and probably earthworks and land purchase to be able to get to the former coal yard and bay platform. Again nothing that is technically difficult but it will require money and considerable planning/negotiation to achieve.
In summary it is about money and volunteers to make it happen. The basics are there waiting to be brought back to life.

 

Going north from Oswestry there are missing track sections around the former Maclarens entrance although the new health car park has a section of double track level crossing in place, isolated from other track but the major issue is surely the A 5, the crossing exists but technically there is considerable doubt over its status as it was never brought into use formally. This is an important and busy route including Holyhead freight lorries and its difficult to think of another heritage crossing under such conditions.

There is scope for a 4th group operating out of Gobowen incidentally ! The coal yard offers scope for heritage use, the west station building is empty currently.

The Cambrian trust length from outside Llynclys to Penygarreg is sadly pointless without getting through the station and thus accessing the rest of the system, going south is impossible due to housing developments, note the current issue of Narrowboat has a feature on the Montgomery Canal including a view of the former Pant signalbox above the tramway and canal bridge. Whilst there is laudable attempt to link with the canal progress on that is stunningly slow unfortunately and obviously beyond their influence.

The Tanat effort emerged from frustration with Oswestry progress and has made it to the tarmaced over crossing a mile shy of Llynclys with a couple of pieces of track also stolen in between, there is a further issue up the track with the A 483 crossing although engineers were there last week working on the warning signals The Nantmawr site has been developed to provide a pleasant destination with wooded walks so if the whole network ever comes together there would be interest here and at Penygarreg with the canal, Oswestry itself and access from the Arriva trains at Gobowen.

 

Many thanks for the helpful insights. I will make time to visit Nantmawr and Oswestry.

 

This weekend there is a clean-up working party at Park Hall to carry on the clearance work.