34006
Member
Does anybody have any news on the Lynton and Barnstaple , Transport and Works application ? Are they only applying to get to Parracombe, or the whole line through Blackmoor Gate ?
The endgame of the L&B railway is to try and get to the outskirts of Barnstaple when it can get the funding and permissions. At the moment, yes Parracombe is the main target just so that they can show that they are successful with extending the line and once trains have got to Parracombe then Blackmoor will be worked on immediately. As of current its mainly the fact of negotiating the site of Blackmoor station as there are proposals that it could be a park and ride with the L&B once the line gets there.Does anybody have any news on the Lynton and Barnstaple , Transport and Works application ? Are they only applying to get to Parracombe, or the whole line through Blackmoor Gate ?
With the New Year, comes the news that the funding for the Return to Parracombe appeal has reached £700k and, therefore, we have sufficient funds to reconstruct the railway to Bridge 64.
This figure is a tremendous total achieved in a relatively short time of just over 7 months and includes a generous contribution from Gift Aid of approximately £42k. Thank you once again to all of you who have contributed.
Those donors who have sponsored a foot, or more, of the trackbed to Parracombe (£360) continue to receive certificates of donation featuring a painting of Parracombe Halt by Eric Leslie. All donors who have made a qualifying contribution up to December 31st should have received a certificate by now.
What does this involve please, I don't understand.The Welsh Highland and the Ffestiniog have had to re-shape their services away from the traditional railway timetable to a "coach trip" in order to avoid running partly-filled trains.
I may be only partly-informed (and biased) but I gather some operators have taken to running trains in rather the style of coach outings. Rather than operate trains to timetable with stops at intermediate stations and a full range of fares available, they require advance bookings on trains with only one possible starting station and the only journey option being a return for the whole trip. In the event that there are insufficent bookings then the service is cancelled and fares refunded or an alternative time offered. This reduces costs, but has the effect of making any journey except a return from one end (or buying a return in that direction but not returning) impossible. Supporters of the model point to the savings and argue that hardly anyone wanted any journeys except returns from the end with a car park, critics either did make such journeys and want to keep doing so, feel that this makes the operation less like a 'real railway' or think that while it is true that the 'coach trip' style punters are the majority, most volunteers tended to be drawn from the minority of other users and so fear this approach might alienate them.What does this involve please, I don't understand.
Forums but not the official L&B web site have mentioned 2 big issues.
A The failure to buy Blackmore pub which was & should be the Station again (myself & a friend have substantially contributed to the purchase fund among very many others)
It does seem like an extraordinarily ambitious project. The website quotes £1.7 million just to reinstate a relatively short distance of the narrow gauge trackbed that will extend from the halfway point between two of the original stations.
I can only assume the cost comes from reconsttruction of 4 bridges, and, presumably, using professional contractors for the work. And to to reach Barnstaple there are 60 more bridges to go...
You aren't going to get much out of contractors for that sort of money! I would imagine it's more the cost of things like hiring plant, and running it - diesel isn't cheap after all. The WHR cost something like £40m and that was ~15+ years ago so I can well believe that £1m a mile is the going rate, even with mostly volunteer labourIt does seem like an extraordinarily ambitious project. The website quotes £1.7 million just to reinstate a relatively short distance of the narrow gauge trackbed that will extend from the halfway point between two of the original stations.
I can only assume the cost comes from reconsttruction of 4 bridges, and, presumably, using professional contractors for the work. And to to reach Barnstaple there are 60 more bridges to go...
And the WHR trackbed was still intact because of the legal situation applying at the time the original line was closed - whereas the L&BR's route comprises a patchwork of different land owners.You aren't going to get much out of contractors for that sort of money! I would imagine it's more the cost of things like hiring plant, and running it - diesel isn't cheap after all. The WHR cost something like £40m and that was ~15+ years ago so I can well believe that £1m a mile is the going rate, even with mostly volunteer labour
Yes, there has been correspondence in the magazines about this style of operation, which made sense during the Covid restrictions.I may be only partly-informed (and biased) but I gather some operators have taken to running trains in rather the style of coach outings. Rather than operate trains to timetable with stops at intermediate stations and a full range of fares available, they require advance bookings on trains with only one possible starting station and the only journey option being a return for the whole trip. In the event that there are insufficent bookings then the service is cancelled and fares refunded or an alternative time offered. This reduces costs, but has the effect of making any journey except a return from one end (or buying a return in that direction but not returning) impossible. Supporters of the model point to the savings and argue that hardly anyone wanted any journeys except returns from the end with a car park, critics either did make such journeys and want to keep doing so, feel that this makes the operation less like a 'real railway' or think that while it is true that the 'coach trip' style punters are the majority, most volunteers tended to be drawn from the minority of other users and so fear this approach might alienate them.
Very true, however the railway already owns the section as far as Parracombe, so the cost is purely for constructionAnd the WHR trackbed was still intact because of the legal situation applying at the time the original line was closed - whereas the L&BR's route comprises a patchwork of different land owners.
Have no connection to the L&B other than i once sat next to the chairman at a HRA Dinner but having been involved with another "new build" scheme if you are negotiating with third parties in the modern media world its a very difficult situation where you will be damned if you do, damned if you don't. Problem is any information that's given to members will invariably be picked up by local press. Most local journalists are fighting for their jobs and the only way they keep them is by attracting "click bait" to their websites. this involves getting an announcement from an organisation and presenting it to the public with the most controversial slant possible unfortunately.I am cross.
I have been a L&B life member for years & the amount of info on the web site & the passworded members section is zero for months.
There was nothing there about the £700k stated above and I have looked back to last October( which took 20 secs)
Forums but not the official L&B web site have mentioned 2 big issues.
A The failure to buy Blackmore pub which was & should be the Station again (myself & a friend have substantially contributed to the purchase fund among very many others)
B gossip that the council want a roundabout where the line was planned to go.
It is rumoured there are other serious planning issues too.
Please will some one from the railway reassure us here & on the Web Site that I am talking tripe, or if I am not, tell where the railway stands.
But let’s not have reassurance from well meaning but uniformed posters like me who know no more than me!
It is a great project but L &B members & enthusiasts do not want to be treated like mushrooms...kept in the dark etc.