Ideas/suggestions & other speculation for Okehampton / Exmouth lines

[uglymonkey]

There is plenty of evidence that the viaduct is a major obstacle to reopening Bere Alston-Okehampton (e.g. https://www.okehampton-today.co.uk/news/meldon-viaduct-may-scupper-mainline-plans-424938 ). The solution is simple, but expensive: replace the viaduct. As mentioned above it was considered unfit for trains over 30 years ago, so it's hardly conjecture to say so.

I think they even took one viaduct out of use, even in the 1960's ( when it was still a through route) as it was so weak and only used single line working the other one ( I want to say South, the original one - but I may be wrong) from then until closure.

 

[alf]

There is plenty of evidence that the viaduct is a major obstacle to reopening Bere Alston-Okehampton (e.g. https://www.okehampton-today.co.uk/news/meldon-viaduct-may-scupper-mainline-plans-424938 ). The solution is simple, but expensive: replace the viaduct. As mentioned above it was considered unfit for trains over 30 years ago, so it's hardly conjecture to say so.

A report in a giveaway local newspaper is not “plenty of evidence” that the viaduct needs replacing.

Sir Peter Hendy mentioned in the article is a great friend of railways as well as top dog at Network Rail.
He should get a “can do” bridge engineer to spend a few days at Meldon with binoculars to work out what steels(or cast iron) needs replacing, if any.
If the viaduct really is the only serious obstacle to bringing back the L&SWR route to Plymouth it would be great news if the work required is not that enormous.

It would be an interesting field trip for civil engineering students at Exeter University, supervised by their professors, to come up with a scheme to bring the viaduct back to use economically.

 

[Bald Rick]

If the viaduct really is the only serious obstacle to bringing back the L&SWR route to Plymouth it would be great news if the work required is not that enormous.

It isn’t the only serious obstacle. There’s plenty of others, not least that the proposal would be a comprehensive waste of taxpayers’ money.

And that report in the local paper was, obviously, reporting on various studies that have been done. Network Rail will no doubt have structural engineering reports - peer reviewed externally - that the viaduct must be replaced. Thinking otherwise is simply clutching at straws.

Peter Hendy is indeed a great friend of the railways. And he knows not to spend money on a project like this.

 

[Basil Jet]

Surely the fashionable solution is to leave the viaduct in situ and fill in the valley.

 

[yorksrob]

I think the viaduct itself being in a different position would be much more difficult than realigning the off-viaduct track bed to meet it - realignment seems fairly straightforward but the gorge that the viaduct crosses quickly widens south of the viaduct and I think it may do so north of it too.

Either way: a new viaduct south of the current one would block what is by far the best view of it, whilst going north would make it more difficult to keep the existing walking access on to the old viaduct from Okehampton. Perhaps it would be easier to get the thing delisted - obviously that would be a shame, but the choice between the railway vs. memories of the railway is an obvious one to me.

A new viaduct North of the existing one would be the most sensible option. It could include pedestrian access alongside, while the current one could be retained asa scheduled monument.

 

[Deafdoggie]

Surely the fashionable solution is to leave the viaduct in situ and fill in the valley.

Probably cheaper than a lot of the other suggestions on here!

 

[DelW]

Sir Peter Hendy mentioned in the article is a great friend of railways as well as top dog at Network Rail.
He should get a “can do” bridge engineer to spend a few days at Meldon with binoculars to work out what steels(or cast iron) needs replacing, if any.
If the viaduct really is the only serious obstacle to bringing back the L&SWR route to Plymouth it would be great news if the work required is not that enormous.

Unfortunately the viaduct isn't the only serious obstacle, the biggest one is the lack of a viable business case for rebuilding the line.
Yes, it would provide an alternative route for the few occasions when there are problems along the Dawlish seawall, but at a very large cost which could be more usefully spent elsewhere, or indeed not spent at all.

 

[uglymonkey]

Would the council in Tavistock be very happy with their offices being demolished?

 

[yorksrob]

Would the council in Tavistock be very happy with their offices being demolished?

Probably. Local authorities are desperate to offload office space. Have been since austerity.

 

[alf]

Surely the fashionable solution is to leave the viaduct in situ and fill in the valley.

A very green solution.

A hydro electric dam with the railway atop. & not a great eyesore since the river runs in a steep walled private canyon with a huge section of Dartmoor as the catchment.

 

[patrick.hearn3]

From the 2014 NR West of Exeter Route Resilience Study at https://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/West-of-Exeter-Route-Resilience-Study-1.pdf (page 19):

Meldon viaduct [..] is too badly deteriorated for re-use. A new structure would be required, adjacent to the existing viaduct.

West Devon Borough Council offices and an NHS clinic occupy a site adjoining Tavistock North station, with a housing development on the trackbed north of Tavistock viaduct.

(And more!)

Patrick

 

[Irascible]

Would the council in Tavistock be very happy with their offices being demolished?

Surprisingly, yes - I can't remember where they said so, but they did. Dunno if they are expecting to pay for it though.

The line has to get *to* Tavistock first, if that goes at the rate Portishead is going the council buildings will have collapsed of old age before anyone needs them demolished...

I think they even took one viaduct out of use, even in the 1960's ( when it was still a through route) as it was so weak and only used single line working the other one ( I want to say South, the original one - but I may be wrong) from then until closure.

Headshunt was the one nearest the quarry I think? very vague memories of seeing something on the bridge as a youngster ( from some distance away ).