Tarka Valley Railway - Naming Ceremony

TonyK

Global Moderator
Hero Member

Posts: 6438

The artist formerly known as Four Track, Now!

Tarka Valley Railway - Naming Ceremony

« on: April 04, 2023, 16:53:04 »

Tarka^▸ Valley Railway has acquired a Class 143, and will be having a naming ceremony and other fun on Saturday 8 April 2023, from 1100 to 1700. This will feature the first passenger train to grace Torrington Station for over 40 years.

More information on Tarka Valley Railway's website, where this picture and others can be found.


	Logged

Now, please!

broadgage

Transport Scholar
Hero Member

Posts: 5410

Re: Tarka Valley Railway - Naming Ceremony

« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2023, 10:46:08 »

Good news, and as someone said in another thread "WSR take note"
I do not much like 143s but they are far preferable to nothing, which is what was previously available.
In the longer term, a battery powered train would be better in order to reduce carbon emissions, and noise. But again, a DMU^▸ is far better than no train.


	Logged

A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU^▸ is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.

grahame

Administrator
Hero Member

Posts: 40828

Re: Tarka Valley Railway - Naming Ceremony

« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2023, 10:57:27 »

Quote from: broadgage on April 05, 2023, 10:46:08

Good news, and as someone said in another thread "WSR take note"

"What-if"s are wonderful. What if someone wanted to run a low-cost commuter service over a heritage line into a main Network Rail connection - would a handful of no-longer-needed trains cover the first few years? The question here (or rather going off topic) is 143s, but there are now also 153 and some 156 units in storage. For a service that's only the length of a heritage railway, on board loos would be nice rather than mandatory, and a fleet of these deposed units might help overcome spare part issues that put now-unique and life-expired stock out of commission for extended periods.

Sorry - going off topic ...


	Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep

TonyK

Global Moderator
Hero Member

Posts: 6438

The artist formerly known as Four Track, Now!

Re: Tarka Valley Railway - Naming Ceremony

« Reply #3 on: April 06, 2023, 16:42:10 »

While it would be lovely to see the line reinstated back to Barnstaple and/or Halwill Junction for Meldon etc, at present there isn't really that much track laid. It's going be a very short ride. There is a campaign to get the railway back to Bideford, just up the road in Devon terms, although it has so far only got to where the Portishead campaign was in about 1980.

They are a very enthusiastic bunch at the TVR, and seemingly very capable. So who can say?


	Logged

Now, please!

johnneyw

Transport Scholar
Hero Member

Posts: 2276

From station to station, back to Bristol city....

Re: Tarka Valley Railway - Naming Ceremony

« Reply #4 on: August 06, 2023, 11:58:09 »

First train out of Great Torrington for umpteen years.... okay so it was only 300 metres but you have to start somewhere. See the Beeb article on link below for a few more details.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-devon-66416776


	Logged

Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

Pages: [1]

« previous next »