derby 1956

ED7 (copyright Rail Thing)

(41535 copyright Rail Thing)

The Rail Thing is still busy buying up negatives of a wide range of railway items. These two were both taken in the year I was born, in Derby. Eventually the aim is that we will provide a full service for railway revival and heritage projects, and that quality photographic prints of all these subjects will be available.

Looe branch, 1972

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Following on from Abby's picture of Liskeard yesterday, here are some 1972 shots I took on the branch.

This line is very scenic and also extremely useful, although the strange junction arrangements at both Liskeard and Coombe Junction did lead the GWR to propose an alternative branch line in the 30s, which fortunately never happened!

The line is now VERY busy and getting busier every year. Cornwall held on to a few of its branches - Falmouth, Newquay, Looe and St Ives, but sadly some lines which really should not have closed - and are DESPERATELY needed now - still remain closed. Helston is bringing its line back bit by bit, and the Bodmin Railway is getting closer to Padstow, Fowey has a freight line only but Bude is still about 30 miles from the nearest railhead and Newquay's other branch, which served lots of Cornish villages, remains closed.  

good girls

Liskeard (Looe Branch platform - copyright Abby Hitchins)

Blackpool 15.10.2011 (Both copyright Danielle Hitchins)

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Nice to see I'm starting to have an influence on my two stepdaughters! They've both posted rail shots to Facebook today, and both from locations I've visited and photographed.

Liskeard looks hardly different from when I photographed it back in 1972, though the mock WR sign is a new feature. And Blackpool is, at last, starting to update its tram fleet with some fantastic new vehicles, which I believe they're going to roll out a couplke a month.

East Grinstead. 1977

(All 1.8.1977)

East Grinstead will soon have trains to the south again once the Bluebell Railway finally gets through Imberhorne. Back in 1977 the dream of steam returning to East Grinstead would have been an impossible one, which just shows how much progress has been made in the last 34 years!

Of course back in 1977 rail was on the defensive, you couldn't even be sure that East Grinstead would survive, beoing on a dieselised and truncated route. Once East Grinstead had lines to all four points of the compass, by 1977 you could only go north. Soon you'll be able to head south again, and no doubt eventually east and west as well as the Three Bridges to Eridge route returns to the map. The 1967 closure of the route which gave access to Gatwick Airport and Tunbridge Wells was particularly short sighted!

East Grinstead originally had both an upper and lower station - the lower station is the one that survives. Hopefully future developments will allow all trains to use this lower station to make interchange easier.

Once trains start to operate southwards of East Grinstead how long before the pressure builds on the Bluebell to restore the Sheffield Park to Lewes line? This would give the Bluebell a genuine purpose again as well as allow it to tap into tourist traffic from Brighton and Eastbourne. Okay, so today a lot of people visit the line by car or bus, but these options will disappear altogether over the next few decades. And with the Bluebell also owning the Ardingly route they are setting themselves up nicely for THREE eventual Network connections, surely assuring them of a future role in an energy constrained world?

by the dart

(All 6.8.2011 © Steve Sainsbury/Rail Thing)

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My birthday treat this year was a trip to the South Devon Railway, which runs from Totnes (Littlehempston) to Buckfastleigh. I first visited this line in 1972 when it was called the Dart Valley Railway. It was a privately owned heritage style railway back then, which later took over the Kingswear line from BR, the latter route becoming its main interest soon after. A preservation society was set up to take over the Buckfastleigh line, probably the first example of a preservation society taking over a heritage route!

It's a nice line which follows the River Dart for a lot of the trip. It almost connects with the network at Totnes, but has a separate station a pleasant 300m walk from the main station in Totnes. One of the buildings used to be at Toller on the Bridport branch, I have photos of it in its original position.

There's plenty to do at Buckfastleigh, it's easy to pass two pleasant hours there, more if you're a railway buff! And at Totnes there's the excellent farm park with hands-on animals.

The line originally carried on to Ashburton, and one day it will no doubt return there. Amazingly part of the original route was lost to road building back in the days when roads were still being built. It will be nice when the line fulfills its proper purpose again, carrying passengers and freight from Ashburton to the main line at Totnes.

More info (from Wikipedia)

The South Devon Railway is a 6.64 miles (10.69 km) heritage railway from Totnes to Buckfastleigh in Devon. Mostly running alongside the River Dart, it was initially known as the Dart Valley Railway. The railway is now operated by the South Devon Railway Trust, a registered charity.

The Railway's headquarters and museum are located at Buckfastleigh railway station.

History

• The line was built by the Buckfastleigh, Totnes and South Devon Railway and first opened on 1 May 1872. It was worked by the larger South Devon Railway Company until 1 February 1876 when this was amalgamated into the Great Western Railway.
• The Buckfastleigh line was taken over by the Great Western Railway in 1897.
• The railway was nationalised on 1 January 1948.
• The line closed to all traffic on 7 September 1962 and was re-opened as the Dart Valley Railway, a preserved steam line, on 5 April 1969.
• The South Devon Railway Trust took over the running of the line on 1 January 1991.
• The South Devon Railway was named the Heritage Railway of the Year in 2007. A plaque on the station wall commemorates the event.
• The South Devon Railway Trust bought the freehold of the line from Dart Valley Railway plc on 8 February 2010.

Route

The line is 6 miles and 51 chains long (10.7 km). It stretches from Totnes (Littlehempston) station to Buckfastleigh station. Staverton station is the only intermediate station on the line. Just north of Staverton is a signal box known as "Bishops Bridge" where there is the only passing loop on the line. For most of its route, the line runs along the left bank of the River Dart. This means that the river, and the best views, can be seen to the left of the train when facing Buckfastleigh, and the right of the train when facing Totnes.

Services

Trains on the South Devon Railway operate daily from late March to the end of October. On most days a single train set operates, providing four journeys a day in each direction. On busy days (most of the school holidays) two train sets operate, providing more journeys. Other services include evening Dining trains, fish 'n' chip trains and Santa by Steam trains. Also the railway runs both full day steam and diesel footplate experience courses throughout the year.

Rolling stock

Main article: List of rolling stock preserved on the South Devon Railway

GWR 5700 Class 5786 atBuckfastleigh

The rolling stock preserved on line include many examples of steam locomotives typical of the Great Western Railway types that would have once worked on it, such as GWR 1400 Class number 1420. There are also other types of steam locomotives and a number of diesel locomotives. As well as those used in service there are a number that are undergoing overhaul or restoration, or are displayed in non-working condition. The most significant one of these is Tiny a South Devon Railway 0-4-0vb shunting locomotive on display in the museum at Buckfastleigh station. This is the only original 7 ft (2,134 mm) broad gauge locomotive still in existence in the United Kingdom.

There are a number of historic coaches in use including two Great Western Railway "Super Saloons", some coaches once used in the Royal Train, and three auto coaches that were used on small branch lines such as this.

bournemouth - easy climbing

(All August 2011, copyright Steve Sainsbury)

Bournemouth has apparently got three cliff lifts - a couple of weekends ago we used two of them. Both are very similar and have the same ownership. They both seemed fairly busy even though they are quite short.

I like funiculars, they are fun but also serve a very useful purpose. My favourite is probably the Great Orme Tramway, Switzerland also has some very spectacular (and long) ones, though there are a lot there I haven't yet used.

SBB roadside

(All pics copyright Steve Sainsbury)

I've just sent these five pictures to accompany a future article in Swiss Express.

The Seetalbahn is a fantastic 30 mile long roadside tramway that is part of the standard gauge national network (SBB). These shots are of the line in 1987, there has been much modernisation since, the line now uses ultra modern tram style trains.

In 1987 as well as passenger traffic there was a lot of freight, most seemingly originating along the route, including pick up freights.

Parts of the line have now been relocated on reservation so the roadside mileage is decreasing, which is a shame as the photo opportunities were fantastic.

The line runs from Luzern to Lenzburg, in Cantons Luzern and Aargau.