The most decrepit, derelict station photo challenge

[Ben B]

13 hours ago, Northmoor said:

I've just reminded myself that Second Generation DMUs are now approximately as old as the First Generation DMUs were when the last were withdrawn.......

 

I'd been thinking something like a 101 for the views and big windows, as well as a heritage atmosphere which might attract some extra punters.

 

To be honest, what the Conwy line actually, probably, needs are just more trains a day, as does the Coast. That would need Transport for (South) Wales to get their affairs in order though, and appreciate what exists north of the Heads of the Valley road. Given I read yesterday they are actually cutting some Cambrian Coast services, retiming others, and punting the summer-only hourly Shrews-Aber trains to 2026, it seems unlikely...

[009 micro modeller]

3 hours ago, Ben B said:

I'd been thinking something like a 101 for the views and big windows, as well as a heritage atmosphere which might attract some extra punters.

 

To be honest, what the Conwy line actually, probably, needs are just more trains a day, as does the Coast.

That’s what I was getting at, you could provide a special service with heritage stock, overlaid on the current fairly sparse service, but because the existing service is so infrequent it might be used by prospective passengers as just another train, in which case is there much point in making it that different from the normal service (rather than just providing these tourist facilities on some of the normal trains) and is it fair to charge a slightly more expensive tourist train fare, as might be the case? I’m not sure if this issue is relevant with the Jacobite as it would depend on the frequency of the normal service trains on that route, though in that case as a steam train it is more substantially different from the other services that run on the line.

[Not Jeremy]

On 15/04/2024 at 11:32, Ben B said:

 

I've had the impression since ERTMS was bought in, and the railtours mostly stopped, all emphasis was aimed at trying to keep the basic day-to-day minimal timetable running, rather than the surroundings. I'd guess there was probably hesitation to spend on the stations in case the crumbling Barmouth Viaduct led to closure. Now that's been sorted, maybe TfW will throw some more effort at the line. As a premier seaside route tapping the West Midlands it ought to be a winner.

 

...but, it's near 4 hours on a two-car tired 158 from Wolvo to Barmouth, not exactly a nice day out at the seaside if you only get a few hours there, pending delays. The new trains, not in service yet, are also just 2 car and only enough for the minimal service, with no more train paths without relaying some passing loops. NR only have a couple of compatible ERTMS locomotives, no chance of occasional loco-hauled extra capacity ad-hoc workings, they seem to barely be able to operate the one regular weekly freight on the Aberystwyth section.

 

I was told (rather bitterly) by family in the area that TfW don't seem massively fussed about cross-border travel, let alone in North or Mid Wales, so I'd personally expect it to be unlikely they'd shell out much to make it easier for Brummies to get to Towyn or Barmouth for the day... And of course, do you spend on upgrading a line which could be lost in a few decades to sea-level rise?

 

I travelled on the Cambrian and was at Towyn (as a TR volunteer) back in the days of semaphores, Class 24s, gunpowder vans and coal in mineral wagons for the Town and TR. It was lovely, and I feel nostalgic etc,  but given the reality of things fifty years later (feck!) I find the above characterisation of how it is now to be waaaay too negative.

 

I travelled up to Tywyn (see what I did there?) back in November to spend a fabulous few days with good friends, and the whole journey experience was utterly magical. The Class 158s I travelled on were spruce and comfortable, the staff were all unfailingly great, cheerful, engaging and friendly the scenery was as beautiful as ever, and it struck me that the whole enterprise had a sense of purpose and future about it. Apart from Barmouth bridge itself, there was evidence of much work just outside Dovey Junction, Dovey Junction had sprouted an additional loop and long platform that crosses trains ingeniously,  there was evidence of more work elsewhere and the trains were running with quite a lot of passengers on board (and on time) The base at Mach has a wonderful self contained atmosphere too. And there is even freight to Aber again, and the VoR - Wow!

 

I don't know when you travelled on the line or what you experienced or have been told to make you feel so bad about it all. 

 

For myself, I truly got a very positive impression from the whole experience, get up there and travel the line -  it's bloody marvellous! 

 

 

[Nearholmer]

I was up there last summer, and the railway does seem pretty spruce and well run, but every time I thought about the amount of infrastructure involved, the cost of that, and the number of passengers, I kept getting a sinking feeling.

 

One can only hope that as the inevitable increases in the cost of motoring continue, there will be a slow swing back towards more people using the trains, and fewer using cars, but that in itself poses big questions about the economy of the area, and how dependant that is upon car-borne tourism.

[KingEdwardII]

5 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

as the inevitable increases in the cost of motoring continue,

Unfortunately, the increases apply equally inevitably to rail fares...

 

Yours, Mike.

[billbedford]

On 15/04/2024 at 11:32, Ben B said:

And of course, do you spend on upgrading a line which could be lost in a few decades to sea-level rise?

How many decades? SLR is <3mm/year around Britain. 

[Ben B]

2 hours ago, billbedford said:

How many decades? SLR is <3mm/year around Britain. 

 

True, but I was thinking that the Welsh Government have already formally admitted they'll abandon Fairborne when the time comes, so will the Cambrian Coast line through the village be diverted or defended?  Of course if by then they've gone through with the plan to restore Bangor-Afonwen, which gets talked about periodically, then that'll be an option to keep the coastal towns served even if Fairborne goes under.

[Wickham Green too]

Has Blackburn featured in these pages before ? ..... if not it should have : - 

 

from Cumbrian Mountain Express : 24/4/99

[Northmoor]

14 hours ago, billbedford said:

How many decades? SLR is <3mm/year around Britain. 

That is very rapid in considering whether to defend low-lying areas, which is why I believe the plan is NOT to defend the Fairbourne peninsula, one of several such areas around the British coast.  If the sea has risen 4 inches in 40 years, the implication is that current sea defences will normally be over-topped several times a year, instead of perhaps once every four years.

 

If I ran the Fairbourne Railway, I'd be looking for a new site to relocate to already.

[woodenhead]

@Wickham Green too Blackburn has received some TLC in recent years though

https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~owend/interests/rail/stnpages/blackburn.html