Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development

I come back to the point I made many years ago, and what is missing from the L&BR project is a voluntary accommodation base somewhere for about 20 to 30 people to be able to rest, relax and get to know each other over dinner and a beer. It could be run on the Youth Hostel Model, where everyone who is staying there mucks in and keeps the place clean and tidy.

 

That never works in my experience.
There’s usually a number of, let’s call them messy individuals (other descriptions are available), who don’t clean up after themselves and expect others to do everything for them.

 

There are plenty like that. I volunteered on the TR for a good number of years, regularly making the 320 mile return trip at weekends.

 

I'll add something to the last couple of days thoughts, as I have had a busy week and not had time to type something coherent. This is from my viewpoint as an interested person who volunteers at another railway but no in depth knowledge of the L&B beyond being a fan. A lot of this is WIBN but a long term plan again might be beneficial

A large Volunteer Hostel is a very good idea as I have done 3 volunteering trips to the Ff&WHR with cross industry learning, development and networking sort of groups (can't think of a good way to describe it) that only happened due to this capability. Small ones are fine for your own volunteers if small but being able to throw a large group on Volunteer leave from a company or whatever is a good thing! IIRC the L&B has a small volunteer lodge which is better ?

Jumping back to Locos & Stock:
Steam
The Turning down of gifted locos: where I volunteer was offered pacers by several looking to preserve them and said no as we didn't have the capability/space/use for them. While it is nice to be in the F&WHR position of being able to have threr does need to be a realistic idea of what you can use & maintain. On the other hand though having a small loco for Driver for a Fiver (plus inflation to you cost of choice at the loss of a snappy name) in station limits or that can take at least a coach or brakevan on the line for Driver Experience or small parties (we have done quite a few wedding trains, often just the Bridal or Groom's Party but equally any small party looking for lots of costs) could be a use if you have the ability to use & look after it. But then after 1 or 2 you don't want to end up with too small of a fleet. Th VoRR (or one of their supporting organisations) has a small loco for Driver for a Fiver. Also if you are short on 'full size' for you line locos you can double head with a non steam loco and a smaller steam loco to keep the punters happy.

Diesel (and other non steam) locos
Definitely needs to have sufficient locos for thunderbird missions, but if there is none suitably sized diesel to restore, even ones not 'important' enough historically to adapt to L&B loading gauge I think a decision to go for another traction (Battery or Hydrogen) might be worth considering. As a person who only holidays in the region I don't know what that may be but Heritage railways in the UK are trailing both with both new build and adapted locos with Battery and Hydrogen for various tasks.

Coaching Stock
Again needs a forward plan, if their Regional C&W folks reach the end of the restoring the bits found in fields and farmyards to superb working carriages the stage needs a plan if the L&B is to extend and have stock. I agree with the earlier comment that the 3rd class seats may be a bit much for some on a longer journey as lovely and historic as they are. . I'd think that deciding on if a mix of full Heritage Trains and 'Modern' Stock Trains might work, but with the area it is my opinion is the way to go is, like the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland on both lines, with a corridor 'modern' section and Heritage Non on the End so people can choose on each train. This allows to run one train and people choose. This decides loop length as well, though it could be 1 or 2 Non corridor and 3 or 4 'Modern' coaches. For 'Modern' coaches I think the L&B has enough history to go for something 'in keeping' to an extent, such as Outwardly like the heritage Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works coaches but a corridor through plus a service car if they want it (though the Isle of Wight does limited catering on non corridor with hampers). Equally my cranky idea is to do Mini Maunsell, if the Southern wanted new coaches that is what they probably would have done, the Hastings coaches are only about a bit wider than the Ducketts on the L&B Brakes

Ooops, that ended up a ramble
I should probably go to sleep

 

To be fair, an unwritten rule isn't worth the paper it isn't written on. If these rules were to apply (and by 'rolling stock' I assume you mean 'locomotives'? There is a difference!) at least half the locomotives at Woody Bay will need to be disposed of!

 

I do get your point, but I think the reason they came about in the first place was to basically stop Woody Bay becoming a 2ft gauge Barry scrap yard of narrow-gauge ex-industrial diesel locomotives, of which there were a number looking for new homes at the time. I think, looking back, it was the right decision to make.

Of course, it also had repercussions for how we have ended up with the current steam locomotive fleet-wise. If I recall, we didn't have that many people involved at the time who had steam engineering experience and who were based in North Devon (with the exception of the guys from the TR who came down a couple of times a month or so).

There was a lot of confusion as to what we should do steam locomotive-wise. Don't forget, we have owned AXE for around 43 years by now and for around the first 20 years she was just a pile of bits until she was sent off to Gartell to be completely rebuilt.

Even now, the railway does not own any other steam locomotive; all are hired in, even LYN. There is still part of me that would like to see a reasonably sized home fleet in North Devon, but the bottom line is that someone somewhere needs to have access to a lot of money when it comes to engineering and restoration costs.

I have been informed that an L&BR-size steam loco built from scratch could cost around 2 million pounds if built outside of the railway's own workshop. A non-working 2 ft gauge steam loco, you need to be thinking around the 50 to 75,000 pound mark just to buy it.

Over the years, there have been a few suggestions, but as far as I know, none of them has come off.