Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development

The workshop covers the structure, looking from the trackbed the garage is joined to the right hand wall

 

It is difficult to be certain from the resolution of the available copy, but the SR diagram appears to have been drawn in Jan 1927, the year after the Up Home was moved from the RH to LH side of the line, and hence shows the latter arrangement. So if there is an intention to install an EoD version of the Up Home in due course, then the diagram would need to be altered.

It is noteworthy also that the lever descriptions given on the SR diagram do not match the photographic record of the actual Lever Description Plates fitted at Chelfham. As Michael B may recall from our recent discussions, the LDPs would appear to be in a similar style to those used by EoD elsewhere, so Chelfham may have retained its original set until closure; apart from a couple of examples for Barnstaple Town, no other L&BR locations have yet been found in the SR's order book for replacement LDPs.

 

Many thanks, and thank you and the team for the great work you are doing at Chelfham

 

The modern copy of the Chelfham SR diagram which now hangs in the signal cabin at the station was made from the diagram I bought at what would now be called a 'Railwayana' stall in the mid sixties, along with the one of Barnstaple Town apparently altered after the L & B closure. I assume it is a copy of what went in the signal cabin. Here is a blow-up of the bottom right hand corner which suggests it is one compiled 6 months before the Southern Railway officially took over the Railway. I wonder if the movement of the Up Home from the west side of the line to the east (maybe because of a need to improve sighting because of tree growth) is relevant - maybe the diagrams at the intermediate stations were shown in a standard way ?

The picture of the signalman operating the Chelfham levers in 1914 on Ebay a few weeks ago seems to show lever plates different from those in the pictures taken at Chelfham and Blackmoor by HF Wheeler in 1935 (and the surviving plate from Pilton) in having the lever numbers at the bottom of the plate rather than the top. Which suggests the SR replaced them with new plates produced by EoD's successors (for an inexplicable reason) and if so, might explain why the wording is slightly different. Or, as the descriptions seem to have been painted on, perhaps they were merely repainted in a standard SR dictat.

 

Michael B wrote:-

>>> Here is .... a blow-up of the bottom right hand corner which suggests it is one compiled 6 months before the Southern Railway officially took over the Railway. ....

Ahh, that one is much clearly than my copy, where the '3' is fudged a bit and looked more like a 6 or 7 :-( I wonder if the SR produced new diagrams because perhaps the SBs never actually had any pre-1923?

>>> I wonder if the movement of the Up Home from the west side of the line to the east .... is relevant...

The date in the bottom RH is date when the original 'negative' was first drawn. It was quite common for diagrams to be altered at a later date (eg in the case of Chelfham the UH moving from RHS to LHS) and a new copy produced without the negative date being altered. Any amendment date would have been in the margins outside of the border.

>>>The picture of the signalman operating the Chelfham levers in 1914 on Ebay a few weeks ago seems to show lever plates different from those in the pictures taken at Chelfham and Blackmoor by HF Wheeler in 1935 (and the surviving plate from Pilton) in having the lever numbers at the bottom of the plate rather than the top....

I must disagree. You may recall that we discussed this a few weeks ago. The number of the lever is shown at the top of the plate in the photo. The number at the bottom of the plate is part of the 'pull list' (the levers which need to be pulled first) and just happens to be drawn larger in the EoD style than was later SR practice.

 

Another News Page was added to the L&BR website this afternoon. It is becoming clear that following the national pandemic lockdowns, project work at the L&B is beginning to move forward again.

Today's report features the rebuilding of L&B Van No.23, which is currently being undertaken at both the L&BR Carriage & Wagon Works in Essex, and the L&BR Workshop at Rowley Moor Farm.

See >>> https://www.lynton-rail.org.uk/trust/groups/pages/work-progress-van-23-8-ton-bogie-goods-brake-van

 

Thanks Chris... and others, for keeping we (distant) supporters up dated. It is really good to see the progress being made in so many areas - figuratively and literally!

 

Fantastic job done!
(But I still think it is a pity it isn't getting headlines under Latest News.
I know links are in the side bar, but it is worth more.)

 

Agreed. That work platform item has been the header for 8 months now, whilst enterprises of great pitch and moment pass, largely unnoticed, through the sidebar.
I rely on Axe +1 and Meatman for news updates, now!

 

Maybe in the Magazine due in the next week or so. I think I read the editor was spied at Chelfham with his camera.

 

Visited Chelfham today and can say that it's as good as the pictures suggest. There was a very friendly welcome from the volunteers working there and work was progressing on signal posts and toilets amongt othere things we were shown. Quite a few other visitors includig families. Donation duly left and I hope it helps for the future,

Also enjoyed a trip from Woody Bay and the morning trains seemed quite busy.

 

The latest work report for Chelfham has this evening been uploaded to the L&BR website. It focuses on the instalation of the signal post on the 'Down' platform, and concludes with two images of the completed 'Up' Starting Signal.

See >>> https://www.lynton-rail.org.uk/story/chelfham-signals-progress-26th-may-6th-june-2021

 

The up starter looks fabulous! All credit to Dave Stockwell and the rest of the team for their seriously impressive erections at Chelfham

 

Excellent work at Chelfham.......what is next I wonder?

 

Thanks for letting us know. Well done to all involved - 'up' starter very impressive. Can't wait for the 'down' starter to be completed.

 

Know what Phil, I'm so enjoying progress report popping up out of the blue, with superb and unanticipated images which bring a beamimg smile to even a crusty old git like me that I honestly don't want to know ahead of time. Coming from a hard bitten old cynic, that's quite some statement ..... and I've not even had my first cup of coffe yet!

 

Hard to believe how much progress has been made at Chelfham in such a short time. Can't wait to get down and see it all for myself

 

Fantastic work by the Chelfham team. Does a channel need to be dug in the platform for the signal rodding to the up starter?

 

It would be wire, not rodding

 

Thanks - I stand corrected! Do you know if a tunnel/conduit was provided for before the platform was surfaced?