Swindon and Cricklade Railway - heritage line

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Thanks for that reference to the electric railway museum, very interesting site.

I never knew it existed and was unaware of the extensive collection they have there. I wonder how many could actually make it out onto the mainline.

I've often wondered about this museum / whether to take a trip there but I wonder at how sad and perhaps decrepit some of the exhibits might be and whether I want to.  Little in running order, I guess.

I've a fondness for Southern Electric having been brought up on it and would love to see a running site; health and safety would be an issue, with the 750v around, and I suspect that little stock would be mainline capable.   Candidate lines could include Horsted Keynes to Ardingly which was once electrified, or perhaps Brockenhurst to Lymington Town alternating in the hour with the SWT^▸ (South West Trains) service to Lymington Pier - the one in the hour that connects with the ferry. Think there could be space for a good enclosed depot off the main line, and history tells us the line's a candidate for special consideration at times.

Where else are there electric units / coaches preserved?  There's a 4DD carriage at Sellinge and I think another one at Northampton Ironstone.   There's a 4COR unit.  Something at NRM^» (National Railway Museum, at York and Shildon - about) ...

[Oxonhutch]

At the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway we are host to Linda the Lymington Flyer: a BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) 411/9 - 3 car CEP.

She was out and about this weekend (4-5^th June) being hauled by a guest Class 66 very kindly provided by DB^» (Deutsche Bahn - German State Railway - about) Schenker.

Being only air-braked, the CEP usually requires haulage by our dual braked Class 08 as a third rail at 750V DC^▸ (Direct Current) on a heritage railway would be a bit dodgy! 

[grahame]

Answering my own question ...

http://www.emu.vintagecarriagestrust.org/Preserved%20Electric%20Multiple%20Units%20&%20Railcars.pdf

... looks like there's around 20 complete 3rd rail units around.

[bobm]

Made a return visit today to see how things were after the recent fire which destroyed one half of their "Thumper" and damaged the remaining part.

The railway operates a diesel service on a Saturday and without their DEMU^▸ (Diesel Electric Multiple Unit) they have pressed their Swindon built BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) Class 03 2151 into service with three coaches.







Saw the replacement half of the Thumper they have managed to obtain at Hayes Knoll - still in rather flaky Network SouthEast livery.

A very enjoyable day but rather concerned that my travelling companion and I were the only passengers on the three coach train as we made our trip from Taw Hill and there were only six more on the return trip.   

[grahame]

A very enjoyable day but rather concerned that my travelling companion and I were the only passengers on the three coach train as we made our trip from Taw Hill and there were only six more on the return trip.

We went up there yesterday and it was MUCH busier.   

Train to Swindon, No. 15 bus from the stop right outside the station to "The Tawny Owl", trains every Wednesday this month, every Saturday until the end of October, and every Sunday.   On Sunday to help confuse you, it's the no. 19 such from Stop E on Fleming Way!

Written up on Facebook to help encourage others.

Here's a different picture to the ones on Facebook:



Generals comment?

Interesting day. Lack of information about getting there by train / bus - nothing at Swindon Station (applies to finding just about anywhere in Swindon!) and bus driver didn't know whether he was the bus to catch on not. Lack of information at Taw Valley Halt; timetable was just a timetable leaflet pinned up (they have an odd timetable layout) which had faded so that steam and diesel train days looked the same - I suppose that didn't matter once you had arrived.   Nothing about where to get your tickets.   They could probably do a few little things to get a lot more passengers, and to be that much more welcoming.

Sad to see lines of stock awaiting restoration; they're by no means unique in this, but it depresses me.   Two locos in steam, 3 coach train which - let's put it like this - would probably need a lot of work to get it main line certified.   Nice display (as it was a special weekend) of traction engines and vintage cards, good to see it a lot busier than on Bob's visit.

Lots of happy volunteers doing it because they clearly enjoyed it.   A few might have benefitted from a little training in marketing and customer relations, but I do understand.

For what we got, I felt the price was a little high.  I commented this to other couple waiting for the bus back, and they explained just how expensive it is to restore and run steam locomotives, and that they're all volunteers.   Yes, I understand all of this but should it really have cost more from Taw Valley Halt to Brent Knoll (under 3 miles?) than it cost from Melksham to the Tawny Owl (just under 30 miles)

Clearly an ongoing project, and lots of potential. I hope they build on / up and do well.  Who knows - in 5 years time they may have a station alongside the Kemble line at Sparcells, and in 15 years time have a connection there from Swindon, or indeed a though service from Swindon to Cricklade using what will by then be a heritage 153!

[TonyK]

... and in 15 years time have a connection there from Swindon, or indeed a though service from Swindon to Cricklade using what will by then be a heritage 153!

Heritage 153 in only 15 years?

[bobm]

Some on the 17:35 from Swindon on weekday evenings might suggest they are heritage now. 

[grahame]

Some on the 17:35 from Swindon on weekday evenings might suggest they are heritage now. 

Indeed ... but there's some wonderful and useful heritage stuff about. Recall the LHCS^▸ (Locomotive Hauled Coaching Stock) trains from Cardiff to Taunton that were preferred to the newer 150/1s?   In fact the 153 are so popular that we need another couple now - attach one to the current diagram, and run a new single car service opposing it, passing around Chippenham.

[TonyK]

Some on the 17:35 from Swindon on weekday evenings might suggest they are heritage now. 

There's a difference between "heritage" and "knackered", although I'm not sure how to put it into words. Something on the lines of "If you see a rook on his own, he's a crow, and if you see a lot of crows together, they're rooks". Probably a better comparison would be Spike Milligan's "One man making a tactical withdrawal is desertion, but a whole regiment deserting is a tactical withdrawal" (or similar - from Puckoon)

[Chris from Nailsea]

There's a difference between "heritage" and "knackered", although I'm not sure how to put it into words.

'Heritage' is a 153.

'Knackered' is a 143.

 

[TonyK]

The thought of riding in a 153 - and a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) for that matter - on a heritage line does not compute. But it must happen one day.

[John R]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) ran an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) to Minehead a few years ago, and it got far more attention than those boring old steam locomotives for the many linesiders. Was a very good day out.

[grahame]

The thought of riding in a 153 - and a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) for that matter - on a heritage line does not compute. But it must happen one day.

Works for me ....



Let's imagine 2 x heritage 153s based at the 'far end' of main line connected heritage railways that serve significant populations at the far end.  One diagram, so that there's a robustness while the other is serviced, and perhaps a national pool and some sharing arrangement which would give the ability to have centralised specialist work done and for replacement units to be available at times of heavy maintenance.

"Offseason" ... a single 153 runs from Terminus to Junction at commuter times ... perhaps a few back and forths, then an evening peak service. "Onseason" the back and forths during the day may continue, or may be displaced by a "more heritage" train or by changing from the 153 along the way.

Above is written in general very intentionally - may be "blue sky" or may be "pie in the sky" but there are places it might work.

It's not beyond the realms of possibility for the Swindon and Cricklade to actually reach both Swindon and Cricklade in a "few" years time.  And a service from Cricklade, calling at Blunsdon and Sparcells, to run into Swindon.  I saw a picture of a field at Blunsdon with a note "this will become 1,700 houses" the other day ... and someone mentioned a park and ride for Swindon on the Kemble line, as I recall.  Cricklade's not huge - it's only got about twice the population of Gunnislake, and perhaps not hugely different to Looe.

[PhilWakely]

The thought of riding in a 153 - and a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) for that matter - on a heritage line does not compute. But it must happen one day.

nuff said!

[TonyK]

And of course I have seen HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) at Minehead, but as visitors, not as heritage stock in use on a daily basis.