Dartmouth Steam Railway General Discusssion

We don't need no stinkin' diesels!

 

Double Negative there.

 

We don’t need no thought control.

 

You never saw the film then?

 

Looking forward to seeing the railway back up and running again. An ambitious timetable to get going with featuring six round trips being advertised each day non-stop Paignton to Kingswear, with 20 minutes running time. With the run round at Kingswear cut down from 15 to 10 minutes there isn't much recovery time other than an extra 5 minutes on the return run, probably to account for stopping to lower the barriers on the approach to Paignton. Turn around time at Paignton is normally 15 minutes, with a longer 45 minute break in the early afternoon. Going to need some spirited running to maintain the service.

 

Top n tail could be the answer - sorry,I'm getting greedy!

 

Nice publicity on the local BBC tv station today advising everyone about the lines recommencement of services.

 

Fraid not

 

I am thinking this has to be top and tailed probably by the Class 37. A ten minute turn around is just not feasible at Kingswear without losing some time.

 

It is. The crews and the signaller at Brittania Crossing are very slick. Usually the loco is off within a minute of arrival and parked up under the overall roof, so won't take long at all to get to the other end of the stock.

 

Can be done in 10 minutes, but it doesn't give much spare/recovery time if something has slipped. Anyway, 7827 Lydham Manor out and about on ecs moves this afternoon, and 5239 in the headshunt at Paignton, so its likely to be one of these that starts things off next week.

 

8 minutes is sufficient for turn round at kingswear.

 

Manor will start.on Monday

 

Up and running with 7827 sounding rather loud this morning on the climb up the bank from Goodrington. Picture attached of the first Up working, the 10.30 from Kingswear approaching Goodrington.

 

Lots of videos up of 7827 running yesterday on youtube.

Does anybody know how long she is likely to be in service for?

 

Here's my footage of Lydham Manor in a class of her own on the reopening day. There's also an added bonus of the UK's only coal fired Paddle Steamer 'Kingswear Castle'. Hope you enjoy it.

 

Having a look on flickr at old photos of the line, and have come across this image of a DMU in the shed at Paignton (it says taken in 1987).

51592 & 51604 were on the South Devon until 2012 but sold to the Mid Hants and then scrapped. Is the photo of one of these vehicles? Did the unit ever work passenger trains on the line?

The centre car that was with the two above vehicles at the SDR, 59719, is now on the DSR but stored according to VCT.

 

Yes the very same unit, arrived on the line in 1984 as a four car set. The two power cars plus one trailer were painted green, although the unit only ever ran as a three-car rake in service just the once I think, the trailer car often being used to strengthen the main service set in the peak months. The unit was used in the shoulders of the season for a few years before being moved to the Buckfastliegh line at the end of the decade where it was initially used to work Saturday services to/from Totnes Riverside. Later sold by the DVR to the group who also owned the Class 127 on the GCR, it remained on the Buckfastleigh line until being moved to the MHR and and later scrapped. In its later years the unit was quite tired, which is a great shame as when first located at Paignton it was in a good condition and proved to be reliable.

 

From memory, in the early 1970's after purchase of the line by DVLRCo. DMU's were used at school times and extended with midday services. It was aimed at scholar children and subsidised by Devon CC. The service was soon withdrawn as competing bus services were more frequent and convenient. They were, believe, operated by BR on behalf of the new DVLRCo.

 

Any idea if (or when) they are thinking of starting two train operation?