Kinghambranch
Member
It was an attempt at a bit of humour kinghambranch. What with all the negativity on here I think we need to consider that in many cases the only thing missing for any line reopening is for people not to believe it can happen. I wasn't just commenting on yourself, so proababy shouldn't have mentioned you. It's good to know that you are involved in so many railway interests and hope they all succeed.
Thanks Bill EWS, I will let you into a little secret (well and whoever else reads this stuff!) many years ago some farmland came up for sale including a stretch of the Kingham-Cheltenham trackbed between Notgrove and Bourton on the Water. I contacted the Estate Agents and offered to buy the 3 miles or so of trackbed, cess, bridges, culverts, rabbits, badgers and everything else but the owner would not split it as parts of the trackbed made a useful farm road. I could have afforded it at the time but now, well, perhaps not!Had I got together with more like-minded souls to protect this corridor and even put some track on it (have you ever tried to get into Bourton on the Water by car on a public holiday?) I would probably have succeeded. In the end all I came away with was a concrete gradient post (very heavy) and I paid the farmer for it. It now graces my garden within whistle distance of steam specials on the ECML. So I'll be the first to admit that I have had the occasional crazy dream about reopening closed lines. I think what changes dreams to reality is talking to all the right people and starting a money trail. If enough people can see the reason for something, and there is money in it, it'll happen.
Another confession: in 1981 I stood on the construction site platform of Toddington Station and saw the Barry hulks of 2807, 7821 and 7828 together with a number of people picking bricks out of heaps, moving sleepers and track and generally trying to tidy up a derelict yard and station building. Having visited the Mid Hants, Didcot and the SVR, I shook my head wistfully knowing that this regeneration was too late. Unfortunately I, and others, went back to help out. In 2008, I stood at the same spot and saw 5 locomotives in steam, including 34007, 92203, 3440 and 7903 whilst the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight flew overhead. I could never have imagined something so magnificent. Like so many things, the GWR has done well because local tourism and local authorities suddenly see the heritage railway "scrapyard" turn into a money maker. Get these people on your side and life might just become easier. That will soon happen with the Midsomer Norton site and as for the rest of the S&D, well, let's give the folks who are working hard the benefit of the doubt! Enough said from me I think, I don't want to bore you folks to death!