Parry people mover for Pen Mill To Yeovil Junction tains

[whole diary]

[penmill]

Just an Idea cause not many people use the bus.they all walk due to the price

[laird]

I'm sure it could work technically, the question would become profitability and scheduling I guess?
Is there sufficient time to travel between Pen Mill and Junction allowing for the 5 minute connecting time at both ends or would the passengers end up with a long wait having just missed the connection?
Perhaps once GoCo have proven the operation on the Medstead route they might be tempted to try a Yeovil shuttle?

[paul7575]

I suppose this depends on whether it is seen as a means of connecting between the two routes, or primarily as a way of getting from Yeovil Jn to the town. As Pen Mill isn't particularly central either I don't see the latter being a major advantage.

If the timetable was designed for line to line interchanges is there any real suppressed demand?  I believe GoCo have already worked out there is no need for a service to Yeovil Jn from the north, so presumably it isn't seen as a potential source of passengers.

Paul

[laird]

Sadly the branches to Yeovil Town went a long time ago, if they had been there it probably would have been a good candidate for the PPM^‡(resolve).
Go Co may not have seen supressed demand but I don't suppose they were thinking of a frequent all day service?
Or was Penmill thinking of a particular demand in mind?

[eightf48544]

I see that PPM^‡(resolve) Car 12 is still not running on the Mid Hants, trouble with the LPG^▸ (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) supply.

[mjones]

Why does it use LPG^▸ (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) anyway? A non-standard fuel, requiring specialist storage and handling facilities, that doesn't actually offer signficant environmental benefits for this application in comparison with diesel? I seem to recall that arguments about the LPG storage site caused delays at Stourbridge as well. I'm sure the PPM^‡(resolve)'s more widespread introduction would be made much easier if it used more standardised engineering practices where possible.

[inspector_blakey]

I wouldn't like to be the person having to handle the paperwork for a Junction - Pen Mill shuttle using a PPM^‡(resolve)! I assume that route would necessitate them "mixing it" with heavy rail vehicles on both lines, which given their very lightweight construction may be an issue in terms of crashworthiness. The Stourbridge branchline where LM^▸ (London Midland - recent franchise) use them now is essentially isolated, so they are not sharing a line with heavy rail equipment in passenger service.

[laird]

Ooh thats an interesting thought, yes at both ends of the journey it would share track with the heavy rail network train. It does make sense therefore as to why they have appeared on routes which are separate from the mainline or in the case of the latest route presumably on a one train working basis. I guess if the test works then perhaps we might see it try to open up more preserved lines as commuter routes?

[grahame]

Sadly the branches to Yeovil Town went a long time ago, if they had been there it probably would have been a good candidate for the PPM^‡(resolve).

Pictures Somerset Live this morning.

...

In October 1966 the last passenger trains departed, and five months later - having been used for freight and parcel traffic - the station closed completely.

The loss of the station - which followed the culling of Hendford Halt in 1964 - and the closure of the Yeovil to Taunton line, left the town in the ludicrous position of having no direct rail link between the two largest towns in the region.

It is a farcical situation that persists to this very day.

[bradshaw]

Yeovil’s first station was at Hendford and opened by the Bristol and Exeter in 1853. It was at the bottom of Hendford Hill, where Bradfords is now. In by 1856 the line had been extended to Yeovil Pen Mill to meet the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway allowing construction materials to be brought to the site.
Pen Mill station opened in September 1856 by the WS&WR and extended to Weymouth the following January.
B&E^‡(resolve) services were extended from Hendford to Pen Mill in February 1857.

Brian Jackson’s book Yeovil - 159 years of Railways” is a good reference; p26/7 for photos of Hendford station.

Hendford halt was opened in 1932 to service the developing Westland’s site.

[SandTEngineer]

Yeovil’s first station was at Hendford and opened by the Bristol and Exeter in 1853. It was at the bottom of Hendford Hill, where Bradfords is now. In by 1856 the line had been extended to Yeovil Pen Mill to meet the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway allowing construction materials to be brought to the site.
Pen Mill station opened in September 1856 by the WS&WR and extended to Weymouth the following January.
B&E^‡(resolve) services were extended from Hendford to Pen Mill in February 1857.

Brian Jackson’s book Yeovil - 159 years of Railways” is a good reference; p26/7 for photos of Hendford station.

Hendford halt was opened in 1932 to service the developing Westland’s site.

Puts the complexities of building HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) in the shade.....

[paul7575]

My question about Parry People Movers, is will there ever be another order?  They’ve obviously found a bit of niche in Stourbridge, but is it really the only opportunity?

Paul

[TonyK]

My question about Parry People Movers, is will there ever be another order?  They’ve obviously found a bit of niche in Stourbridge, but is it really the only opportunity?

Paul

It's a good question. There are probably may routes on which they could be used for the last few miles from an extant line along a mothballed line. Some of those may merit a "proper" rail service, though, and we all know what happens when temporary measures are put in place on a railway.

[didcotdean]

I'd be interested in the reaction if this was suggested between Cholsey and Wallingford 

[grahame]

My question about Parry People Movers, is will there ever be another order?  They’ve obviously found a bit of niche in Stourbridge, but is it really the only opportunity?

Paul

It's a good question. There are probably may routes on which they could be used for the last few miles from an extant line along a mothballed line. Some of those may merit a "proper" rail service, though, and we all know what happens when temporary measures are put in place on a railway.

One can imagine on current mothballed and freight lines and short light relays (most of these intentionally provocative! and members will rule them out straight away!)
Lostwithiel to almost-Fowey
Bere Alston to Tavistock
Newton Abbott to Heathfield
Taunton to Bishop's Lydeard
Bedminster to Ashton Gate
Avonmouth to Chitterning
Yate to Iron Acton
Kemble to Cirencester
Swindon to Taw Valley
Oxford to Cowley
Honeybourne to Long Marston
Ashchurch to Tewkesbury
Cholsey to Wallingford 
Southall to Brentford
Andover to Ludgershall
Totton to Fawley
Burbage to Marlborough
Alton to Four Oaks
Aberdare to Hirwaun
Ystrad Mynach to Bedlinog
Neath to Aberdulais
Maesteg to Nantyfflion
Pontardulais to GCG
Letterston to Trecwm
Newport to Docks
Problem with any of these ... big setup costs these days.  If they succeed they need something with more capacity, and if they fail it's been money poorly spent.   As independent tramways, perhaps?