Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development

Great Way Round.

There’s only one sensible way to places beyond Exeter and it doesn’t start from Paddington …

Tom

 

I prefer Paddington because it gets me away from the east side of the country and away from London to the west quicker, the quicker the better!

 

The saga of Woody Bay & the pier is interesting to say the least.

What was interesting was that unlike most they paid steamers to call.

I can imagine a telegram from Barry Pier 'Britannia about to leave with a capacity crowd, whats it worth to add a call or decide Ilfracombe is unusable due to weather?'

 

He was clearly inspired by God.

 

Indeed, but so were many who have not sought to put themselves on His plane.

 

Not sure that IKB thought he was God and I wasn’t implying he did. Just that the GW broad gauge was a creation of great elegance.

 

Fair enough - though I'm in the vaguely heretical camp that sees IKB as a brilliant engineer who had a tendency to come up with brilliant yet impractical solutions - of which the broad gauge was one.

 

It was practical, in fact im many ways more practical for the engineering of the time, and resulted in higher speeds and greater safety. It just wasn’t widely adopted. The Betamax of its day

 

Can I be the first to suggest on this thread that my dream scenario (“money no object, no reference to original L&BR rolling stock”, as per the OP’s wishes) is for the entire twenty mile length to be relaid as broad gauge, with replica Gooch / Brunel era locos and rolling stock, and atmospheric propulsion on the steep bits …

Tom

 

And the Great Eastern to work the sailings from Lynmouth?

 

No, now you’re just getting silly

Tom

 

Nurse! Nurse!

 

Might we also include the long delayed Lartigue from Filleigh?

 

Far from wicker seats. Have you seen what the interiors of the HP42s were like?

 

If I were flying from London to India at 100mph I think I'd want a bloody comfortable seat!

Tom

 

That's a very odd headrest arrangement.

There'd be plenty of stops for gin on the way

 

Can we return to the matter in hand now?

 

Much like Pullman cars, no wonder they all had names!

 

Erm... what was that, now?