Turntables

Cheers mate!

 

Seriously the Turntable was bought by the Bluebell, I think in the 1970s after it wasn't needed to turn the observation car. After being dumped at Horsted Keynes for a number of years it was purchased by a consortium of SVR volunteers, moved to Bewdley in 1981 and stored on the old Cleobury Mortimer branch trackbed while funds were raised to install it at Kiddy.

 

Don't expect too much from entries on the statutory list, they are only ever intended to aid identification of the asset and thus are often not factually correct as they were written by field workers who were not experts in the subject (so to speak).

If it were the listed one the easiest way to check would be to see if there was an application for listed building consent for it to be moved/removed in c.2000?

 

Ahhhh! Going to go OT now, so the SVR has had 3 turntables then? One ex Fort Bill, one ex Pwhelhi (have I spelt that right?) that's now at Minehead and the ex Bristol Bath Rd one (now at Eardington)

 

That rings a bell, didn't the Earlstoke Manor fund have that?

 

John. This turntable was not purchased by the Bluebell, but was purchased by the Merchant Navy Society. They moved it from Fort William to a private site at Osterley, Middlesex. When
they had to move it from Osterley it came to Bluebell and was stored at Horsted Keynes, until purchased by the SVR. The rest of the story is in your reply and as they say history!
Re the turntable which was going to be installed at Mallaig, I believe this has now moved to Carnforth after being in store at Corpach and being at Whitchurch, Shropshire formerly.
Lastly the turntable ex Pwllheli is now installed at Minehead and is an excellent ambassador for theWSR.
Note for the MODS, would it be possible to either rename this thread Turntables, or create a new thread just on this subject? Thanks.
Roger Cruse.

 

Thanks for correction Roger, I knew it went to the Bluebell so made the wrong assumption.

 

(Sticks hand up from the back) Sorry for taking this off topic, but turntables are intresting subjects eg locations etc

 

There is a very good reference list for all Cowans Sheldon drawings http://85a.co.uk/forum/attachment.php?id=1128 which includes their turntables of course. If you want information about the Mallaig turntable try an enquiry to NELPG as they are up there for the summer so may know what is the progress.

 

As far as I know the project has been abandoned, James or someone from WCRC may be able to confirm that or otherwise. I assume the TT is being kept as insurance in case the ORR ever ban tender first running.

 

EMF were not directly involved with that.

 

Thanks for that, I had a similar thought as I typed.

 

Fair enough, but wasn't there a loco owning group involved? Or am I totally off target?

 

Well, West Highland Rail Heritage Trust was dissolved in 2008, so that's the complication I've run into on that one, thus far

 

Sorry if I am being a moron here, you are referring to the Grade II listing here, rather than the VCT entry?

 

Apologies, the result of 20+ years dealing with listed buildings, yes I meant the entry/description of the listed building. No doubt the vct description will be completed by an expert in the field (not belittling those who prepare listed building descriptions but you cannot be an expert in everything).

 

Great thanks

 

On the St Blazey thread

None of the OS maps that I looked at shows turntables in both those locations at the same time. Unless you have found one that does it looks most likely that there was only one in place at a time, though it remains uncertain whether the one adjacent to the Rossmore Road bridge was the old one, moved from its previous location, or a new one.