11 hours ago, Mikkel said:

To which we must add the risk of subsidence caused by centuries of lard mining in the area.

There are certainly some genuinely strange things in this part of Wiltshire (and I don't just mean the people). There really are geological fault lines - the "Heywood Fault" is one of several.

Then there's :

Trowbridge Fault

Great Hinton Fault

Heywood Fault

and the Steeple Ashton coral bed

Plus the Westbrook - Calne fault

and the Rowde Faults

More here:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292950724_The_stratigraphy_and_geological_setting_of_the_Oxfordian_Corallian_Group_around_Steeple_Ashton_and_Westbury_Wiltshire_UK

That black and white diagram shows "Site of Seend Ironworks". Which was only a short distance west of Devizes (as mentioned in Option A)

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17.2&lat=51.35180&lon=-2.09447&layers=178&b=1

Then there's the Wootton Bassett Mud Springs (not far from Lyneham)

https://swindonian.me/2021/02/27/royal-wootton-bassett-mud-springs/

With unique microfossils

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228534717_Microfossils_from_the_Wootton_Bassett_Mud_Springs_Wiltshire_UK

Who knows what strange and wonderful geology might be discovered during the construction of the N&SWR?

Perhaps an outcrop of the Somerset Coal Fields? (It's not far to Radstock)

Or even the Dorset Oil Fields?

It appears that news of the plans for the N&SWR have already leaked to the press in Salisbury.

Quote

Plans to reopen northern entrance to Salisbury Railway Station

https://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/23784254.55k-put-toward-reopening-north-entrance-salisbury-railway-station/

28 minutes ago, Mikkel said:

it raises the wider issue of what the N&SWR stock actually looked like

A good question. Perhaps like the M&SWJR it was older GWR stock that had been relegated?

Another question; would the N&S have had any through-workings from the SR? Perhaps specials to Avebury?

GWR Swindon has sent us an update.

They say they could spare one of their Steam Railmotors.

This one has destination boards for Swindon, Bath, Bristol, Avonmouth and Weymouth.

Can we make extra boards for Avebury and Salisbury?

https://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/p/50708/K2303-DJ-Models-GWR-Steam-Railmotor-number-63-in-GWR-Brown

On 15/09/2023 at 13:52, Northroader said:

What, what ... what on earth is that?

Notice to Trustees of the N&SWR

Wilkins Micawber (Assistant Secretary of the N&SWR)

Has sent a copy of the annual accounts, with his summary comments.

Annual income twenty thousand pounds, annual expenditure nineteen thousand nineteen and six, result happiness.

Annual income twenty thousand pounds, annual expenditure twenty-one thousand pounds, result misery.

It appears we are in the latter category.

Oh dear, what are we to do?

7 minutes ago, KeithMacdonald said:

What, what ... what on earth is that?

It's a slightly modified GWR 517.

On 17/09/2023 at 08:27, Northroader said:

I would have said a slightly neglected 517.

or this would be useful:

 

Is that a Dean Goods?

I can't make out whether it's v.dirty GWR livery, or the War Department black.

As available from Olivia Strains.

https://oliviastrains.com/product/oxford-rail-or76dg006-dean-goods-n101/

What does the panel think?

The proposed plans are inspiring might-have-beens, but the aspect that struck me (and to a lesser extent with the 'Calne to Hungerford' exploration) was the sheer number of new signal boxes needed. Expensive! There is also the question of who pays for, and operates, the new boxes - there doesn't seem to be a traffic advantage to the GWR for example.