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Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development

Discussion in 'Narrow Gauge Railways' started by 50044 Exeter, Dec 25, 2009.

  1. Biermeister

    Biermeister Member

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    The tearoom plans from the website do indeed show a sympathetic addition to Woody Bay station:
    https://www.lynton-rail.co.uk/news/new-tea-rooms-planning-approved
    If the standard of the snacks and meals is maintained, as I would expect it to be, then it will be an excellent upgrade welcomed by all.

    Furthermore, let's hope that the planning amendment for the initial extension to Parracombe is granted, then we can all breathe a sigh of relief.
     
  2. Meatman

    Meatman Member

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    As some of you may be aware via EA's 'trackbed trails' the little Ruston locomotive that was at Lynton station and in a slightly sorry state was rescued last summer and on 13 July began its long journey via Barnstaple to Norfolk for restoration, it was planned that some volunteers at Snapper would do the work (a big challenge and very ambitious) but two brothers whose passion is diesel locomotives stepped in and offered their services for free so off 'Rusto' went off into the sunset.It should be noted that by this time 'Rusto' had been given to EA and a few shareholders kindly made donations towards any materials. By Christmas the little loco was looking very different thanks to the brothers and a couple of other volunteers, although a few little jobs remain to be done the brothers asked if it could be put forward for the HRA awards having themselves won an award for a previous locomotive restoration. Unfortunately 'Rusto' didnt get 1st prize but was runner up in two categories, an amazing achievement, so a heartfelt thanks and congratulations to all involved. Once run in 'Rusto' will be kept in storage until such a time that she can return to Devon IMG-5634.jpg IMG-6447.jpg IMG-6710.jpg IMG-6711.jpg
     
  3. H Cloutt

    H Cloutt Member

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    Well done - "Rusto" certainly looks like a different engine!
     
  4. Devon-Rebel

    Devon-Rebel New Member

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    Well done lads!!!!!
     
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  5. Michael B

    Michael B Member

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    The Coiley award is named after Dr Coiley who was Director of the National Railway Museum in 1978 when the idea of the NRM acquiring L & B Coach No 2 was put to him, hoping he would respond to being reminded that the organisation he headed was 'The National Railway Museum' and it had saved no exhibits from UK passenger NG Railways. Which, bless his cotton socks, he did. The Museum asked the owner to let us talk to him about it, and Dr Coiley, David Jenkinson, an Officer at NRM, Andrew Dow and Yours Truly were invited to tea. Luckily Mr Mitchel was prepared to consider letting it go to a good home. Other organisations were after it, probably including the Festiniog who had acquired No 15 nearly 20 years before. If they had succeeded it would have had the same treatment as that one. The coach had been in a garden 15 miles north of Exeter for over 40 years since being bought at the auction by what would probably have then been called a 'railwayac' for £13.10.0, and had suddenly started to badly deteriorate and was rapidly heading towards there be nothing to save. It took 5 years to arrange, but it was on Dr Coiley's initiative that the coach went to the Museum and was put under cover to dry out and saved for future generations. We have a lot to thank him for. It has to be remembered that at the time - 1978 - the L & B Association was a pipe-dream, and saving any coaches or bits of coaches was pie in the sky (where would you put them ? Towyn had turned down No 2) with comparatively little apparent interest from the Railway Community - the word 'Heritage' wasn't in the vocabulary then, demonstrated by the fact that the L & B Society was disbanded in 1964 after only 3 people turned up at the AGM. - see L & B Association Magazine 61. Restoring the Railway seemed a project doomed to fail (again) - the land was in the hands of 60 or so different private owners and most of the main road bridges had gone in order to get rid of the dangerous S-bends that the railway had created. It was only that year - 1964 - that the Welsh Highland Railway '64 Company was set up hoping to reopen that line, in a situation where all the trackbed was in the hands of one organisation - the Official Receiver.
     
    Last edited: Mar 26, 2022
  6. Mark Thompson

    Mark Thompson Well-Known Member

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  7. Mark Thompson

    Mark Thompson Well-Known Member

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    For those who don't do Facebook (including myself), and to show that Stuart Nelhams is also a pretty handy photographer. I really hope he won't mind me passing this along for wider viewing, but it really is a stunning picture of Woody Bay at sunset:
    275746103_10159983632349712_3919755039643754800_n.jpg
     
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  8. RailWest

    RailWest Part of the furniture

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    A new broom sweeps clean :)
     
  9. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    I have been looking at the L & B website and it is not clear when the line actually opens as it just says "late March", and there is no link to any timetable that I could find on the site...is it me being IT illiterate?....
    Correction ......It is Me! When I go direct to the site, the information is there, but on my stored linky thing it is not, for some reason.
     
    Last edited: Apr 9, 2022
  10. Glenmutchkin

    Glenmutchkin Member

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  11. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    Thanks Glen .....and today is the first day of public running!
     
  12. Meatman

    Meatman Member

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    yes the 9th
     
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  13. H Cloutt

    H Cloutt Member

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    There is a picture on one of the facebook pages of the Tea Room roof. The Cedar shingles look really good. I assume if won't be in use yet which is a pity with the line opening today.
     
  14. Mark Thompson

    Mark Thompson Well-Known Member

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    A very tidy looking job, it is: (Photo by Stuart Nelhams)
    277805141_10160024944304712_2147422082082843038_n.jpg
    At a very rough guess, given the rapid pace of work up to now, we're probably looking at another 4-6 weeks for internal fit-out, external painting, etc, so hopefully not eating too far into the season.
     
  15. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    I thought eating far into the season was the whole point? ;)

    Tom
     
  16. mgp

    mgp New Member

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    And for many a season to come!
    Mike
     
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  17. Michael B

    Michael B Member

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    Well done that man - you beat me to it ! I was thinking of bringing my sandwiches and vacuum flask to the gala.
     
  18. Old Kent Biker

    Old Kent Biker Member

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    Just don't bite off more than you can chew! :)
     
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  19. Small Prairie

    Small Prairie Part of the furniture

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    I dont post often on here anymore but do read a couple of bookmarked threads including this one .

    I'd like to volunteer my time more at woody bay but sadly time and a family have stopped me lately but I had the pleasure of meeting Stuart (autotank64) for the first time at woody bay for one of our MIC classes/meetings and it's got to be said that everything positive,neutral and negative seemed to have been taken onboard by him and I honestly think the railway has a new lease of life .

    Give him time and I think we'll be pleased to see what happens over the next 6 months to a year .

    Everything from rule book upgrades , competence updates , record keeping and so much more have already seen a positive move forward.

    10/10 to the bloke.
     
  20. Mark Thompson

    Mark Thompson Well-Known Member

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    From the website, a nice photo feature on the recent NHRA Hendy/ Pendle Trust award ceremony at Chelfham:
    https://www.lynton-rail.org.uk/stor...veiling-ceremony-saturday-2nd-april-more-news

    Apart from the completion of the gents, plus some additional SR fencing, and down platform lamp standards, it seems there's not much more which can really be done. But one feature which is so prominent in old photographs is the large fir tree at the Barnstaple end of the up platform, which formed a kind of exclamation point between the station building and the viaduct. I wonder, are there any plans to plant a replacement? It just works so well in the composition of the station in the landscape. Who knows- by the time trains return, it may well have already achieved a decent height:
    Chelfham1935_1_1.jpg
     

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