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Weardale, Dartmoor and RMS for sale

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by sycamore, Jan 5, 2020.

  1. brennan

    brennan Member

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    Quarry closed since 2012. All plant scrapped. Now a scene of dereliction.


    https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/meldon-quarry-and-railway-devon-february-2020.121970/
     
  2. Davo

    Davo Well-Known Member

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    I've just been viewing the the weardale railway trusts website to see if D.M.U. services will be running this year and unfortunately no trains running up to Stanhope from Bishop Aukland until Xmas 2021 and aiming for services to recommence in 2022 cos the O.R.R. need to certify 4 bridges along the line and the A.G.M. can not take place on 2 October. Anyone know on nat pres knows what's happening with the new weardale heritage railway line?
    Davo 56F
     
  3. ruddingtonrsh56

    ruddingtonrsh56 Member

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    Sounds like what's happening is they're repairing bridges ready for ORR certification and probably other tidying up and sorting things out to enable them to operate a satisfactory service that meets ORR guidelines. Having been involved in a railway that has been through a period of shutdown while improvements have been made there's probably a lot of behind the scenes stuff happening, both in terms of ensuring the line is in satisfactory condition and ensuring things like paperwork and training regimes are appropriately set up and in order.
     
  4. guycarr360

    guycarr360 Part of the furniture

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    I would treat any start date with a note of realism.

    The long ruling labour party, were dislodged at County Council level, and a new coalition is in power.

    It would not surprise me in the slightest if this became another victim of politics, at the moment, the new party are incredibly petty.
     
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  5. DcB

    DcB Well-Known Member

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    Has the millionaire's trust, who brought the Weardale Railway, and the council fallen out. Will be a shame as the area needs a boost.
    From the RMS website looks like most of the Dartmoor CIC stock has been sold or scrapped.
    Just a couple of MK1 EMU CEP coaches and an oil wagon left for sale.
    [​IMG]
    Photo from the Dartmoor railway supporters association website.
    Hope the CEP EMU coaches don't get scrapped as with a bit of work and TLC could be operational, maybe the supporters association might use them for a Meldon shuttle again?.
    I see one buffet coach has been brought by the Swanage 4TC group.
    The RMS website now has more maintenance kit on sale from Weardale.
     
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2021
  6. Miff

    Miff Part of the furniture Friend

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    What's the Council's involvement?
     
  7. guycarr360

    guycarr360 Part of the furniture

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  8. Miff

    Miff Part of the furniture Friend

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    Last edited: Aug 19, 2021
  9. guycarr360

    guycarr360 Part of the furniture

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    Like i said, the council is now lead by a coalition, and they have a different agenda, no idea if it has been confirmed as continuing
     
  10. DcB

    DcB Well-Known Member

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    With a Google search found
    https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/18725924.investment-weardale-railway-branded-white-elephant/
    "Durham County Councillor for Weardale, John Shuttleworth said: “This council has bailed out the railway for over 20 years and local people feel its a ‘white elephant’ that has created little than a few part-time low-paid jobs. Many of the residents of Bondisle Way feel railroaded by the railway. “We cannot continue you to bail out a failing railway for the benefit of what I would call choo-choo enthusiasts, and it should be done with their own money.”"

    As an independent councillor he will probably push to cease the grant.
    But from the Weardale Railway trust website they are making repairs to bridges and stations, plus overhauling the DMU for a Christmas return and the steam loco for 2022.
     
    Last edited: Aug 20, 2021
  11. ghost

    ghost Part of the furniture

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    Which steam loco? I didn't think they had a resident operational steam loco.
     
  12. 61624

    61624 Part of the furniture

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    They don't, but they do have RSH No. 40 under overhaul.
     
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  13. DcB

    DcB Well-Known Member

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    No longer heritage, but railadvent reports test trains will run on the Dartmoor line from tomorrow. Network rail are asking people not to use the unmanned crossing for safety during tests.
     
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  14. S.A.C. Martin

    S.A.C. Martin Part of the furniture

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    Ah, John Shuttleworth. If you read his page regarding "interests" in office you will see his views on railways quite clearly: supporting buses, roads, car parking.

    https://democracy.durham.gov.uk/mgDeclarationSubmission.aspx?UID=171&HID=971&FID=0&HPID=22312768

    Afraid his experience and knowledge of how local transport systems work hand in hand is rather poor (for example he seems to have ignored that the link to the ECML the Weardale Railway can have suggests they may get a further influx of visitors, happily travelling by train and not by car - which if you live locally, is what you want as you don't want a large influx of cars from outside the area).
     
  15. DcB

    DcB Well-Known Member

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    Hopefully his views will not sway the council into stopping the Weardale railway grant?

    For Dartmoor some Wickham trollies have gone to Ongar and a Buffet coach to Swanage, still some rolling stock left.
    A class 150 dmu was testing on the line, photo from the supporters association
    https://www.dartmoor-railway-association.org/comingsgoings
    [​IMG]
     
  16. Wagoniester

    Wagoniester Member

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    The Oil Tanker has also moved to the Great Central, as documented in the wagon group blog.
     
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  17. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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  18. nickt

    nickt Member

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  19. garth manor

    garth manor Well-Known Member

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    Consolidation of the tory vote in Co Durham could be good news for the line but not for the heritage operation which seems to have always struggled.
     
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  20. northernsteam

    northernsteam Member

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    Yes, it could be a good move for the valley, road access is poor up the valley and an opening to travel easier to Darlington etc could be a real benefit. Easier access to Crook, mmm, not sure if that is a good move, would have thought they would be looking towards Durham City and there could be difficulty with re-instatement of track bed. Good luck to all of them anyway.
    It is a bit off-putting seeing the Anglia marked rolling stock on that photo, tho' I bet the local travellers would enjoy that level of comfort instead of the rattling DMU's or Pacers the rest of us have endured over the years.
     

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