Oswestry Update

Some excellent news just confirmed is a grant from the Rural Development Programme panel for Phase II works at Weston Wharf. CHR was awarded a sum of £117,911.40 to which CHR will add a further £30,000 for which we will need to raise funds.

"The scheme will deliver a much needed destination for our railway providing a 210 ft long platform, with a full length run round loop alongside the main line with further provision of a siding to access the Goods Shed and a newly constructed two coach bay platform.

There will also be a new building constructed to accommodate much needed toilet facilities with connections to mains services, this sitting adjacent to the Goods Shed office which will be refurbished into a period waiting room with display material relating to the site's historical significance.

Provision for hard/soft landscaping and fencing is included together with a pedestrian connection to the Stonehouse Brewery premises where visitors will be able to sample their fine ales.

Working in collaboration with the brewery there are numerous business opportunities we are planning for both the Brewery and CHR to benefit from and to develop our respective businesses over the future years."

Roger Date
Chairman

Final details of the appeal are being worked out and I will post the information when available.

 

After the usual Thursday session there was also lots of movement on Friday as 5 truck loads of ballast were dropped south of the bridge to start work on the missing section.
I will post more pictures over the weekend as you are probably tired of daily updates.

 

I don't think anyone will be tired of updates.
You guys are doing an amazing job.

 

More work, more pictures. Sleepers have been laid out on the new ballast and the reclaimed ballast laid to bring closer the two sections being worked on.
Details on the blog.
http://ilvaporista.blogspot.com

 

There were working parties on Monday and Tuesday with more work done. Pictures now loaded to the blog.

The local paper carried a news item about the award. Please note their site is full of cookie grabbers and tracers. Use a good adblocker or other protection if you use this link.

http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/...9/steaming-ahead-with-rail-plans-in-oswestry/

 

I have added some first details about the station at Weston. The first public CHR newsletter has been published. You can sign up on the CHR homepage.
http://www.cambrianrailways.com

Details about Weston station on the blog.
http://ilvaporista.blogspot.com

 

Thanks for the details about Weston, very exciting! I was going to ask about plans there but forgot.
A few thoughts...
I'm not sure what the priority at CHR is for authenticity or 'the look'. As promising as the plans are it should still have the feel of a 'goods facility' or a 'wharf' IMO, of course a shortish goods style platform would be more in keeping, ( I see you are only running austerities and the like, 1 passenger coach and a brake van as a train at the moment, so a short platform would work with this), of course I'm presuming that you will build more platform as what is there isn't enough?, I do think also that a bridge wouldn't look right at Weston keeping in mind what the place was and being it won't be a terminus for too long hopefully!, I am aware that you do have a bridge and that it's not the same as the behemoth that used to be in place at Oswestry (where there should be a bridge again!). Perhaps rather than focusing on funding for a bridge in phase 2 maybe fleshing Oswestry out with some more station furniture that used to be there might be the way forward, how much space do you have to play with in terms of the island platform at Oswestry now that a park is built on the works approach?

Saying all that the tracklaying progress has been brilliant and I wish you well, I just think that the 'rural goods shed vibe' is something that the paying public would respond well too, and making the place look too 'busy' would detract from that, also maybe putting the combined passenger toilet amenities near the brewery may be a good idea, to get punters who weren't planning to visit the brewery once they've alighted over there and also copious beer and relieving yourself go hand in hand in my experience .
Are you planning on revealing/making visible any of the brickworks spur/where it connected at Weston, I understand there used to be a narrow gauge thing going on at Weston a few years back and assumed the brickworks spur and that were connected. what's the plan for inside the goods shed? Many thanks.

 

Sorry for the delay, Italian Sunday lunches take a lot of time to get through. A lot of questions and I will try to answer with what I can.

The main point is that CHR needs to generate money to do these things, by operating income, grants, donations etc.
We will deliver what is possible based on the income. GWSR Broadway is magnificent but such a cost is too high for the current CHR operation. The important thing is to have a destination so that the financial benefits that come from a transport service rather than a steam centre can be obtained.

The only platform was a goods loading point which was not high enough, had no real foundations and then was extended with a very substandard extension. Starting over is the only option to create a platform to take short trains. The loop will be laid for much longer trains but not to the same as Oswestry, the days of 12 coach trains are probably over.
Weston will, I think, remain the extent of trains for a while as funds for major road projects have dried up. Unless some agreement can be made for limited use of the level crossing trains from Oswestry to the south will terminate at Weston until there is a new road bridge over the line.
In terms of site layout the planning department have constrained the features to what is on the plan. Mains drainage has been a big issue and many obstacles overcome. These days there are restrictions on what can be done on such a site.
The overall impression will be of a small rural halt.
The canal restoration will eventually connect to the southern part of the line, great progress has been made but we are still some years away from boats arriving close to the line.
There is a great deal of industrial heritage along the route and CHR could be the thread that links sites together. We have tramway, canal, industrial railways and so much more.
The narrow gauge material will, I understand, be relocated to another location and the goods shed will be used by CHR, watch this space.

Edit. For Oswestry station plans are afoot to bring back more original features, the missing ingredients are money and volunteers. We will do what we can with what is available. The total turnover of the CHR operation is a few tens of thousands of pounds, investments that require multiple hundreds of thousands of pounds will take a while but we will grow.
The next feature to go back will be the centre road so that we have a run round facility for which the materials are mostly to hand.
Waiting for restoration are the signals and water crane, again all materials are there.
If anyone wants to join in there is still plenty to do and progress can be very rapid.
The island platform will not return unless the council gives up the amenity park which is very unlikely. A station the size of the original with all of the roads, platforms and infrastructure would be a significant commitment for an 8 mile heritage railway. Trying to keep that much equipment in working order would probably be beyond the resources that could be generated.

 

Is that Barclay no6 still available for traffic ?

 

Barclay 2261 Fife Flyer is the only operational steam loco at the moment. Winter maintenance has been completed and we are ready for the coming season. I am not sure how many more years are left on the boiler ticket.
Barclay 885 is having a cosmetic makeover.
Oliver Veltom, Peckett 2131 is under restoration, the limiting factor is skilled man hours.
Hunslet Austerity 3770 Norma needs a full overhaul costing many tens of thousands of pounds.
Peckett 1430 Adam should be reassembled for static display

 

Thanks for the messages about the subscription link not working in the last blog post. Now fixed so you can sign up and read the newsletter created by Dave and the team.

 

Yes - I can confirm the link is working

 

The first platform at Weston will be 210 feet long. That is three coaches plus loco.

 

The Tuesday and Thursday gangs have done their stuff and another three panels of track have been assembled.
The suburban coach progressed and the recently arrived small tampers were inspected and cleaned prior to overhaul.

Details on the blog.
http://ilvaporista.blogspot.com

 

Tuesday and Thursday teams have been in action. More track laid. We now need to finish the drainage at the crossing before we can link up the two sections.
Details on the blog.
http://ilvaporista.blogspot.com/

 

Is it possible to lengthen the Weston platform in order to increase the number of carriages per train in the future (5 or six carriages per train are standard in a properly developed heritage railway)?

 

The loop will be capable if taking 6 coaches but to start with the platform will only be for 3 coaches. I doubt that would change much until the line is considerably extended.

 

More posts this week with a closer look at the coach. The guard's compartment will be fitted out with accomodation for wheelchair passengers and have some modifications for a better view.
I had some photos this morning from the start of the drainage works at the accommodation crossing behind Travis Perkins. This needs to be completed before we can fill in the gap and link the two sections. I'll post these by latest tomorrow morning.

 

Another good couple of days work. We have now laid as much track as possible until the drainage work is completed. Take a look at some before and after images plus some other news.

Details on the blog.
http://ilvaporista.blogspot.com/

 

It's that time of year again when attention has to turn to the lineside. With the bird mating / nesting season about to begin we need to have removed the scrub and bushes so we can carry on working.
This week the team are working at the station on the tidy up before the operating season begins. This has proved very popular as the tea urn is very close.

Details on the blog.
http://ilvaporista.blogspot.com/