Vale of Berkeley Railway

[whole diary]

[johnneyw]

Looks like, after the aborted 2012 attempt, the Vale of Berkeley Railway from Sharpness has relaunched recently. They have their own website now on http://valeofberkeleyrailway.co.uk and although it's still very much a fledgling site there's some interesting information there already.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Wow! 

Thanks for posting this topic, johnneyw - it's absolutely fascinating! 

Best wishes to them!

[johnneyw]

Quick update. Their Facebook page has just announced that memberships are now available (^12 p/a) and I daresay their website will follow up with this shortly.

Had a look down there twice in the last couple of months. Each time they've taken time out to have a chat/ show me around the place. Very impressed and they're moving there with a lot...and I mean a lot, of engineering kit, stock and other equipment. Big plans indeed and a great start.

[johnneyw]

Vale of Berkeley Railway were interviewed from their exploratory digs at the site of the old Berkeley Station last Wednesday by BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Points West. Looks like it will be broadcast on Monday 13th September unless more pressing news takes precedence.

[johnneyw]

With our last mainline railway signal boxes being lost at a very fast rate, Vale of Berkeley Railway have launched a crowd funding appeal to rescue two boxes due to demolished soon to be relocated to their new line. More details on:

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/railway-signal-fund

[Lee]

From the Gazette:

Volunteers at a decommissioned railway line are celebrating after a vehicle ran on the tracks for the first time in 25 years.

This major milestone was achieved by the Vale of Berkeley Railway team earlier in the month.

On Friday, November 9, the first of four 880’ sidings was sufficiently cleared of undergrowth to actually run a hand trolley.

Volunteers have been clearing undergrowth and trees at Oldminster Sidings - a 2.5 acre site adjacent to Sharpness Docks - for over seven months.

Working under a temporary licence from Network Rail and within environmental and ecological guidelines all of the clearing has been carried entirely by hand.

Oldminster Sidings were laid as an exchange point for outgoing trains off the dock railway system, but were last used over 25 years ago.

The Vale of Berkeley Railway team hopes to lease the site from Network Rail in due course as an operational base for a heritage railway using the Sharpness to Berkeley Road branch line.

Rolling stock for the project is being worked upon at the Old Engine House on Sharpness Docks where visitors are welcome on Saturday mornings. New volunteers of all ages and abilities are always welcome.

Further details about the project available via: http://valeofberkeleyrailway.co.uk/

EDIT to fix website link