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Meon Valley Railway Restoration

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by stephenvane, Jun 4, 2013.

  1. 21B

    21B Part of the furniture

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    Which is also not a locomotive, and which we have to completely restore before we can use. But yes, one has been leased to us for 30 years, and very grateful we are too (or will be when we manage to get it restored).
     
  2. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    I think your own big bit was probably more useful to the MHR over the last couple of years than ours would have been! Though you did send the tender back painted a very odd shade of green, and I coldn't find the word "Southern" written on it anywhere ;-).

    Indeed. That's the kind of swap of assets that a few people have alluded to on other threads. Realistically, that carriage wasn't going to get restored on the Bluebell within, say, 25-30 years, whereas hopefully the MHR will be able to restore the carriage and then get plenty of use from it within that time. Which looks like a win-win and also a better heritage outcome for the carriage concerned.

    Tom
     
  3. Duty Druid

    Duty Druid Resident of Nat Pres

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    Interesting, yesterday I was having a mooch round the MVR website, just looked for it again - its gone! (for how long ?)

    Hmmmm............................... I wonder?................................. Though when I had a brief look, their FB page was still there.
     
  4. gios

    gios Member

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    DD. Try again - its still there !
     
  5. Duty Druid

    Duty Druid Resident of Nat Pres

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    Not for me it aint, and I've just been through the first 10 pages of google search............................................................................... shrugs shoulders, scratches head!............................................................................
     
  6. gios

    gios Member

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    DD. Try using 'Ghosts' link on page 5 of this thread. There is not a lot of information, suspect the site is in the course of construction.
     
  7. Duty Druid

    Duty Druid Resident of Nat Pres

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    Cheers, Gios!

    You're right its still "out there", but strange how it no longer appears in a google search! (well for me any way!!!!)

    Any way lets see how they pick up the baton and which way they run with it....................................................................................
     
  8. W14

    W14 Member

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    Having known the Meon Valley for a good few years, all post-closure I'm afraid, and having walked much of it, both north and south of West Meon, this is a fascinating proposal.

    I am loath to say that it shouldn't be allowed to happen, whether because of competition with existing lines or because of dreamy-eyed optimism. I was involved in preservation in the 1960s and we were told exactly the same things even then. Indeed, there was one body that tried to itself up as the 'regulator' of the preservation movement and decreed that there should only be one preserved railway in each region of the country for fear of diluting support.

    However, I have serious doubts as to whether it is a feasible proposition and even more doubts about the way this group is going about the project. It is very easy to set up a glossy website but when it's full of spelling mistakes it doesn't create an impression of seriousness. Nor do blank 'to be added later' pages. I also have doubts about the sense in organising a weekend dig in August to excavate the platforms at Wickham when the landowner (Hampshire County Council, not Winchester Council as stated on the website) has clearly not yet given permission and is unlikely to do so. And does anyone know why the platforms there (uniquely on the line) were infilled? Was there a problem of the platform walls collapsing? How much public liability insurance will the council require and what risk assessments will need to be carried out before August?

    My big fear would be local opposition to any planning application, if only because of the prospect of great volumes of traffic invading narrow country lanes, the fire risk in the Forest of Bere, etc, etc, etc. Sorry, but this is NIMBY country par excellence. Then there's the loss of the popular railway trail. Many of the bridges were built for double track but many of the cuttings and embankments weren't.

    Working south to north, the section south of Wickham is probably a non-starter because, as far as I know, the council sold off the land, retaining only a very narrow right of way for the path. In any case, there is no public access to the line at Knowle Junction and getting a junction there or even a station on the main line would be both expensive and unlikely.

    Wickham station has very limited room for car parking and the town centre car park is usually full at times when the railway would want to operate. A new station building will be required.

    The stretch to Mislingford is pleasant enough but it's hardly the most scenic part of the line. It's also fairly hemmed in by tree growth, which would need to be removed if passengers were to have anything of a view - the same applies to a lot of the line to West Meon. The river bridge just north of Wickham looks like it will need some TLC as well. Similarly, most of the fencing is non-existent or life expired, and the drainage will need attention. Nothing insuperable but adding further costs that need to be taken into account.

    North of Mislingford there is more of the same. An underbridge at Soberton has only a single line deck which may be fine for foot traffic but a new adjacent span would probably be needed for a rail line. The big obstacle on this stretch is, of course, Droxford station. It sold for just under £1 million in 2009; the new owners have since spent a fair amount on it. Of course, they may not be willing to sell. There is no obvious site for a replacement station south of Droxford with good access and space for car parking.

    North of Droxford the line is much more scenic (or would be if the tree growth was removed) but there are a few missing underbridges which would need replacement. Some of the cuttings are quite narrow and have suffered slips. The station site at West Meon is quite substantial and would allow some car parking but not a huge amount.

    If I were seriously interested in putting a railway back on this trackbed, I would be looking at a narrow gauge line from West Meon south to Meonstoke as likely to involve the least problems and objections but, even so, the cost will be considerable. I can't see it happening myself.

    As for north of West Meon, forget it. The list of obstacles is massive - the viaduct at West Meon, the sold station sites at Privett and Tisted, the missing bridge and realigned A32 road at Hedge Corner, the missing bridge over the A32 at Farringdon, the industrial development on the trackbed at Farringdon, plus infilled cuttings south of Tisted, south of Farringdon, and near Chawton. A substantial viaduct would be needed to cross the junction of the A31 and A32 at Chawton - the roundabout and part of the eastbound A31 actually sit on the old course of the line. There is also another missing bridge over a minor lane just before Butts Junction and a bit of infilling too.
     
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  9. MVRHS

    MVRHS Guest

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  10. marshall5

    marshall5 Well-Known Member

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    Do you actually have a website at present? I can only find one which refers to a proposed 2'g line , a mention on a London Underground forum and, of course, Facebook to which I don't subscribe.
    I sincerely believe that your scheme would have a lot more credibility if you told us who is behind the scheme and most importantly their previous experience in developing/operating a heritage railway. A lot of vague statements such as above do nothing to dispel the feeling that this is another 'mad cap' scheme doomed to failure. Ray.
     
  11. MVRHS

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  12. marshall5

    marshall5 Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for the clarification but I am curious as to why you seem reluctant to name any of the officers of the Society either here or on your website. It only makes it look as if you have something to hide - and I'm sure you haven't. Ray.
     
  13. MVRHS

    MVRHS Guest

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  14. simon

    simon Resident of Nat Pres

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    DPA doesn't extend to not naming people on a website.
     
  15. Miff

    Miff Part of the furniture Friend

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    The majority of established heritage railways that I can think of do not have a list of managers/committee members on their websites, although they are generally listed in house magazines and newsletters. In contrast some of the 'Facebook new build' locomotive projects seem to have appointed large committees but done little else.
     
  16. gios

    gios Member

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    Maybe the group should be given the space and time to see if they can get their project off the ground. I wish them all the best in their attempt at what is clearly a difficult project.
     
  17. quarterjack

    quarterjack New Member

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    I used to live at Soberton Heath and have walked both Privett and West Meon tunnels in my time. There is little of the MVR that I haven't explored in the last 30 years and I wish that the 1960s scheme had prevailed - but it didn't. I share the view that, ultimately, local landowners and residents will object and other logistical problems e.g. possible congestion on the A32 will put paid to these aspirations. I don't know what the business case will look like and I hate to be a doom merchant. The Bishops Waltham branch might prove to be a better location but this has had its schemes which have come to nought.

    That said, I wish the MVRHS the very best of luck and I hope that they are made of better stuff than I.
     
  18. Steam Yak

    Steam Yak New Member

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    You could at least make yourself less anonymous by signing your posts with your name. I prefer to interact with real people. Sean Cullen
     
  19. cct man

    cct man Part of the furniture

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    Ah but hats the problem Sean, they DO usually have something to hide.

    Chris Willis
     
  20. quarterjack

    quarterjack New Member

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    Just a thought everyone, but we are all enthusiasts here so why don't we all back off a bit, allow a bit of breathing space for this particular bit of enthusiasm and wait to see the first panel of track laid somewhere between Knowle Junction and West Meon? That's usually a concrete statement of intent. Anything before that is just conjecture (even if that is one of the purposes of this forum!).
     
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