What's your dream obscure railway restoration project?

Nidd Valley?

Not sure about Nidd Valley but Harrogate Ripon Northallerton is a must. east Coast relief plus would re-open access to Ripon and North Yorkshire and cut so much traffic from the roads as North East short cuts to the Manchester conurbation

 

The Great Central from Rugby to Aylesbury with Bulleid and Standard Pacifics in Dark Blue livery hauling the same coloured coaches with an orange line through them. [haven't I seen that recently some where, Kings Cross?]
Also with connections to the West Coast at Rugby we could even see Merchant Navy's hauling Channel Tunnel Container trains.
Cheers Bernard

 

Probably the Forge Valley line, although the amount of work which would need to be done in order to reinstate the section between Snainton and Ayton would doubtless make it prohibitively expensive. Pickering to Thornton le Dale ought to be relatively straightforward however, and would make a more logical southward extension for the NYMR than the line to Rillington.

 

Nidd Valley would be interesting, whether NVLR or Pateley Bridge. Last NVLR loco is coming together at Embsay at the moment (Illingworth / Mitchell) - however, it does have duties here...

 

Canterbury and Whitstable plus some R1s to run on it, or even just an R1

 

Ruabon to Bala, and include the Bala Junction to Bala Town section.

Anyone know the number's for this weeks lottery

 

Not a line, but having recently visited the MRC, I'd like to see the batch of 19th Century coaches & wagons they have be fully restored and running behind the Midland loco 158A.

Before you ask; sorry I can't afford to pay for it.

 

Somewhere in a box at my folks' there's a hand-written guide to this very scheme. I wrote it at the age of about nine! "Clarbie Road" was my local station as a kid (I grew up in New Moat), so in planning my full-scale private railway, I sensibly chose somewhere I knew well and presumably was within easy pedalling distance.....

I seem to remember my guide includes a route guide, track plans, stock list. Trecwn RNAD depot was to become a large restoration centre.....most of the steam locos would have been the unreserved locos from Barry scrapyard, examples of BR diesel classes being withdrawn at the time or not-long-withdrawn ex-NCB Austerities. I may have amended the plans in my early teens on discovery that Austerity 2-10-0s still existed in Greece.

Going back earlier, I think I also produced detailed plans for re-opening the Maenclochog Railway (Rosebush to Clynderwyn only), the Cardi-Bach and very probably, taking over the Pembroke Dock branch, which I felt was completely under-utilised.

 

I remember as a kid - I wrote a story on Re-doing the Ilfracombe to Barnstaple section! Now imagine what fun that would be with a Bulleid and a banker with 11 on?

 

As a resident of Wolfscastle who cannot drive, I must admit that I have a vested interest in the halts being reopened... Trecwn would also be a decent place to store rolling stock (out of the way from prying eyes!), leaving the running line clear of unsightly wrecks. Judging by the development of a commmunity rail project on the Brockenhurst-Lymington branch, I think it's not completely cloud cuckoo-land to undertake such a project. It just needs a lot of time, money and negotiation skills...

 

I would love to see the Moretonhampsted branch rebuilt complete with trainshed and connecting with mainline trains at Newton Abbot. A railtour from Waterloo to weymouth quay featuring a bullied pacific giving way to GWR pannier like 1369 for a amble down the quay

 

Is the quay line still officially open? If so, we do have a mainline pannier now...

 

I'd pay for new turning facilities at significant terminii and junctions on the network.

Anyway: The Brecon and Merthyr (to link up with the Mid Wales which will, of course, have already been reopened). Just for a final touch, the Hereford, Hay and Brecon and then lets push on thorough to Neath!

Lets say that Network Rail insist on taking over the Mid Hants and reopening to Winchester Junction. They would have to compensate by acquiring the Meon Valley (at least from Knowle to West Meon) although the Bullieds might look a bit lost running through Mislingford....

The Hayling Branch (which might actually work if run for commuters to Pompey) and Gosport, including the restoration of the listed William Tite station.

Finally: Castleman's Corkscrew loop from Brockehurst, Ringwood, West Moors, Wimborne, Broadstone and so to Poole. A significant commuter route which could have been saved had men of greater vision been around in the 1970s. RIP

 

i would open the nottingham to northhampton and leicester railway that ran through melton mowbray

 

I think Barnstaple to Great Torrington and beyond would be on my list as well

 

I'd second Quarterjacks comments about Castleman's Corkscrew. Many many people suffer the misery of the A31 heading westwards into Dorset, and I wonder how many remember the old Ringwood and Wimborne line? I absolutely agree with the comment regarding commuter potential. As we are dreaming here it would be nice to imagine its trains running into Bournemouth West too, no doubt alongside the S&D trains already wished up by another poster! The "old Road"'s use for heritage steam operations across the New Forest would be the icing on the cake for me. An up Standard 4MT pulling 2 Bulleid coaches into Holmsley Station on a misty autumn day.

 

I though of a new one after watching Railway Walks last night: The Dolgelau to Barmouth line (I don't think anyone else has surgested it although Bala has been mentioned). The views across the estuary looked fantastic.

New terminus at Dolgelau, restore Penmaenpool Station, and build a new conection with the Carbriam Coast line at Barmouth Junction/Morfa Mawddach Station. Get hold of a Manor and the 'Dukedog'...

The people who care for and walk along the Mawddach Trail featured in the program might take not like it though...

 

i would like to open the line from swanage on the main line up to hamworthy junction then to wimborne

 

what about Hatley railway station