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Chasewater - Newquay preservation attempt

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by ady, Sep 2, 2009.

  1. ady

    ady Well-Known Member

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    Being of a GWR fan I take interest in various lines and one of my favourites is the Chasewater to Newquay line which the GWR opened its self in the early 1900’s, built to ensure the LSWR couldn’t get any further in to Cornwall, using part of the industrial line built in the 1850’s. One of best bits was the use of GWR 1898 architecture in the station buildings. Perranporth station building was a rather interesting Island platform version of the style, with the canopy extending around the building, sitting on a wooden platform with a subway, which was rare for a countryside station. It was also by the 1950's a strong outpost for 45xx/4575 'small parires', although I seen a image of a 28xx on a recovery operation.

    Any enough being boring, according to ‘Steam Railway’ when they were musing about railway preservation schemes which have failed and it stated that this line was subject to such a attempt. Anyone know what the ideas were and why it floundered?
     
  2. Martin Perry

    Martin Perry Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator Friend

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    There was a preservation scheme started on the Newquay - Chacewater line, the exact name of the location escapes me just now, could have been Lanteague - but I remember visiting it at some time in the early '80's.
    If memory serves, they had a couple of ex-Devonport diesel shunters (One of which is now at St Agnes?) and a BR brakevan - all located in a field next to the formation (Which was being 'cleared' by a herd of goats!!)
    At a later stage they were given the wooden goods shed from Lostwithiel, but this was subsequently burned as a protest against the refusal of planning permission for the site.
     
  3. ady

    ady Well-Known Member

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    A little bit silly wasn't, they could passed it one to someone else.

    Acording to a book I have on the Devonport railways, the diesel at St Agnes was damage in a crash and was withdrawn. Its cassis was twisted - or something - so it proberley wise it plinthed now!

    So it failed on planning issues? A list will have to be made of all failed railways and see it lessons could be drawn from them so the same mistakes are not repeted. Although sometimes it bleeding stupied ones!
     
  4. Martin Perry

    Martin Perry Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator Friend

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    It was a very silly thing to do indeed but there you go. Someone obviously felt they were making a point, but at the end of the day, the only result was ashes.

    Incidentally the brake van ended up at Bodmin I think, but I also seem to remember there was a Cornwall Railway coach body on a farm trailer, I wonder if that ended up on the bonfire too?
     
  5. nanstallon

    nanstallon Part of the furniture

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    I don't think it was a planning refusal, but the English Tourist Board (if that is the right name) refused to make a grant, so the instigator of the project threw his toys out of the pram. To be fair, I'm not sure that anyone else could have done much with the old Lostwithiel goods shed - the main issue is transport with such a large building - but the chance should have been offered.

    Sadly, quite a few preservation items have been lost after having been 'saved' - in 1971 or so the Swansea and Mumbles tramcar in Leeds, and in 1966 BR managed to scrap the 0-6-0 Ben Alder. Anyway mustn't rake up old embers!

    John
     
  6. Eightpot

    Eightpot Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    Went on holiday with parents to Perranporth in 1946. Recollection is that access to the platform was gained via a stairway built into the bridge. Could you confirm this (or otherwise), please?
     
  7. ady

    ady Well-Known Member

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    Middleton's press book "Branch Lines around Newquay" says it was a sub way and the OS map shows a seprate 'area' (?) which lines up with rather then the road bridge to the north.
     
  8. 61624

    61624 Part of the furniture

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    The promotor of the scheme was one Chris Tankard, I believe, who started other preservation schemes and used to write irate letters to the railway Magazine criticising the world in general for not supporting him. I think he started a society to preserve a GW 2-8-0 tank as well. I believe he may still be around on the fringes of the traction engine world as I saw a letter from him to "Old Glory" a year or two ago.
     
  9. Nick Gough

    Nick Gough Well-Known Member

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    He was an early member of the 'King Preservation Society' too & IIRC the secretary or treasurer in the early '70s..
     
  10. Martin Perry

    Martin Perry Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator Friend

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    Sorry it was well before my time! - there seems to be a dearth of photos of Perranporth Station on the net, but there were some good ones in the 'Past & Present' book covering the area.
     

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