Wiltshire Narrow Gauge Railway Society

Would anyone be interested in the idea? Gradually find a site, get some stock together maybe?

 

Why not join one of the many other preserved railways, that way they might start to make some progress.

 

Nice idea, but I am not local enough for it to be worth my while! (Unlike some who only have to fall out the door to be at their railway)
There are quite a lot of places always after new members, but not everybody has the time/resources to be able to travel to their favourite!! or have stronger commitments to other things or are restricted to armchair support roles for other reasons. But every one has to start somewhere, with a small group - look at what Len HH did in Bristol!!!

 

Are you really that far from Toddington or Hollycombe ?

Richard

 

At a time when there was very few preserved railways, he also chose a railway which happend to have track, stock and locos allready on site, hence his success.

You can always set up an area group to support a society, do projects in someones garage, and hire a minibus and have trips down to the railway for working parties. Everytime another group appears, there is yet another appeal for money and the money that gets to railways decreases because a chunk is going to yet another new project.

 

This is an old argument.
One point of view is that each new start-up only dilutes a finite set of resources (sites, stock, money, volunteers etc).
Another viewpint is that each new start-up represents new blood added to the resources bank.
Personally, I think that the truth lies somewhere between these two states. I believe that the more opportunities there are, then the better it is for everybody - taken as a whole! (of course, some people can, and do, transfer to another cause, better that than leave the movement completely!)
Once something is scrapped or otherwise destroyed then it is effectively lost forever - unless the information and resources can be found to build a replica!

 

For a minute, I thought I had stumbled upon a new group - or railway I hadnt heard about ;-)

What with the Avon Valley / East Somerset / Swindon & Cricklade plus small gauge lines (Longleat / Smokey Oak / Coate Water) there is more than enough within easy reach of Wiltshire.

Starting a new narrow gauge railway isnt as easy as buying a few narrow gauge tipper wagons and jubilee track and chucking it down, as there are various permissions, ROGs etc to address - unless you want a private NG railway affair which cant open to the public. Better still volunteer for somewhere like Westonzoyland or Toddington - where there are existing NG lines where help is needed!

Devonbelle

 

SpudUK...........not another start up.....why? With the L&B needed so much support.

 

I agree with the previous doubts about yet another scheme. A bit of travel is hardly likely to cost more than setting up another scheme, especially as the standards required get more onerous (quite rightly) by the year. Along the south coast there are established lines or projected ones from Tinker's Park in the east to Corfe Castle in the west. Amongst these there must be one location congenial to everybody.

In my case I travel from the south coast to Kew Bridge Steam Musaeum in West London. Here there is a very successful newly built "Wren" operating around a site of world significance. It takes one and a half hours to get there which is harldy excessive.

Paul H.

 

Hi Chris

I think I know the reason behind why you sent this out, but it is never that bad, I have got more details somewhere of the guys at Toddington, so give me a few days to find them again or you could try the following and contact Mike Squares at information@toddington-narrow-gauge.co.uk

Regards

Colin Rainsbury

 

Cheers, I did email them a while ago and no-one got back to me! I need somewhere to learn to drive whilst I can't get down to the L&B!