Washout at Dawlish

[corneliuslundie]

Bringing the discussion back down to earth (!), there are numerous stretches of railway line which are equally close to the coast but which do not seem to have as many problems as the line at Dawlish. I am surprised that the avalanche shelter has taken so long to be thought of, as they are pretty common in other places (even on the Cambrian coast line at Friog).

Is there anything different about the Dawlish - Teignmouth stretch?

Jonathan

PS Any more mon(key) business and perpetrators will be awarded two weeks' holiday at a Greek monastery. To find out what the prize involves read Patrick Lee Fermor's book "Rumelia".

[rab]

47 minutes ago, corneliuslundie said:

PS Any more mon(key) business and perpetrators will be awarded two weeks' holiday at a Greek monastery. To find out what the prize involves read Patrick Lee Fermor's book "Rumelia".

Best stop aping then

[rodent279]

I guess the objection would be the loss of the scenic view from the train over the sea, and the view of trains running along the sea wall. I wonder if the railway was covered over, with largish gaps in the sea facing wall to maintain some sort of view from the train, would break up the waves enough to resolve the problems?

[Dunsignalling]

1 hour ago, rodent279 said:

I guess the objection would be the loss of the scenic view from the train over the sea, and the view of trains running along the sea wall. I wonder if the railway was covered over, with largish gaps in the sea facing wall to maintain some sort of view from the train, would break up the waves enough to resolve the problems?

Ultimately, though probably not in my lifetime, the loss of the sea views from the train is part of the price that will have to be paid for maintaining a transport link that doesn't fall down as soon as the weather gets up.

 

Those who wish to gaze will need to break their journey.... 

 

John

 

 

[Not Jeremy]

35 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

Ultimately, though probably not in my lifetime, the loss of the sea views from the train is part of the price that will have to be paid for maintaining a transport link that doesn't fall down as soon as the weather gets up.

 

Those who wish to gaze will need to break their journey.... 

 

John

 

 

 

You are quite right of course, no matter how hard you try it just isn't possible to see the sea as you are whisked over Meldon Viaduct in an immaculate SWT Class 159....

[corneliuslundie]

From the visualisation the proposed structure looks like a typical avalanche shelter, largely open on the seaward side. At that point it is keeping the cliff off the track rather than keeping the sea out. 

Jonathan

Edited December 18, 2021 by corneliuslundie

[Oldddudders]

14 hours ago, Trog said:

 

Did they not have their own Chip Monk, or would that have been down to the head Fryer?

No, no, no - that's the Fish Friar!

[rodent279]

Well, if the line gets washed away and closes, there won't be much of a sea view from the train anyway. Even if the Dawlish stretch was properly boxed in, you'd still have the stretch along the estuary at Teignmouth.

[Dunsignalling]

29 minutes ago, Not Jeremy said:

 

You are quite right of course, no matter how hard you try it just isn't possible to see the sea as you are whisked over Meldon Viaduct in an immaculate SWT Class 159....

I'll be more than a little surprised if our faithful 159s are still around by the time the moorland route is likely to be reopened throughout. 

 

John

[rodent279]

I'd be surprised if any of us are around if/when that route reopens!

[PhilJ W]

3 hours ago, rodent279 said:

I guess the objection would be the loss of the scenic view from the train over the sea, and the view of trains running along the sea wall. I wonder if the railway was covered over, with largish gaps in the sea facing wall to maintain some sort of view from the train, would break up the waves enough to resolve the problems?

Unless they devise some form of offshore breakwater the diminishes the waves before they hit the shore.

[PhilJ W]

12 hours ago, Titan said:

 

There was the 250lb monk that was studying Philosophy, he was the Deep Fat Fryer.

 

1 hour ago, Oldddudders said:

No, no, no - that's the Fish Friar!

Bring back the GROAN button now.

[Rivercider]

7 hours ago, corneliuslundie said:

Bringing the discussion back down to earth (!), there are numerous stretches of railway line which are equally close to the coast but which do not seem to have as many problems as the line at Dawlish. I am surprised that the avalanche shelter has taken so long to be thought of, as they are pretty common in other places (even on the Cambrian coast line at Friog).

Is there anything different about the Dawlish - Teignmouth stretch?

Jonathan

PS Any more mon(key) business and perpetrators will be awarded two weeks' holiday at a Greek monastery. To find out what the prize involves read Patrick Lee Fermor's book "Rumelia".

The Exeter to Newton Abbot book by Peter Kay gives a lot of detail of the route.

Cliff falls plagued the line in the early years after opening, as rock loosened by blasting during construction work subsequently fell. Several stretches of cliff have been reprofiled involving additional land purchases at the cliff top. Also Parsons Tunnel was extended by 147 yards at the east end in 1921, as protection against rock fall, other tunnels or tunnel extensions were proposed, but not carried out.

 

cheers    

Edited December 18, 2021 by Rivercider
Additional info

[RJS1977]

4 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Unless they devise some form of offshore breakwater the diminishes the waves before they hit the shore.

 

That's always been my thought - another sea wall, further down the beach, would hold the sea back, with the gap between the two potentially being infilled as pleasure gardens etc. Even if the seaward wall did fail, it would have protected the 'railway' wall and could be repaired without disruption to train services.

[boxbrownie]

Just now, RJS1977 said:

 

That's always been my thought - another sea wall, further down the beach, would hold the sea back, with the gap between the two potentially being infilled as pleasure gardens etc. Even if the seaward wall did fail, it would have protected the 'railway' wall and could be repaired without disruption to train services.

Problem there is your potentially building a reef which will be at various depths according to tides, bit of a hazard to shipping/boats/skiing…..all sorts really.

 

It could also play havoc with the sand retention of the beach.

[RJS1977]

If it was built to the same height as the existing wall, it wouldn't be a danger to boats. I'm not sure how far out to sea it would need to be, but probably not all that far - maybe even just a distance equivalent to two more tracks would be sufficient.

[boxbrownie]

11 minutes ago, RJS1977 said:

If it was built to the same height as the existing wall, it wouldn't be a danger to boats. I'm not sure how far out to sea it would need to be, but probably not all that far - maybe even just a distance equivalent to two more tracks would be sufficient.

if it were built to the same height as the existing wall I am not at all sure it would ever get through planning, building a ten foot (roughly) wall that cuts off any view of the sea from the beach might not go down too well with the local hospitality trade, or town council.

[RJS1977]

There would still be beach below the wall, albeit not as much, and not for as long each day.

[Rivercider]

2 hours ago, boxbrownie said:

if it were built to the same height as the existing wall I am not at all sure it would ever get through planning, building a ten foot (roughly) wall that cuts off any view of the sea from the beach might not go down too well with the local hospitality trade, or town council.

Brunel's original proposed route was to have been a few yards further out to sea along Dawlish beach, but understandably met with local opposition,

 

cheers

Edited December 18, 2021 by Rivercider
Out to sea (not see)

[mdvle]

Latest update video from Dawlish Beach Cams.

 

shows the prep work on the platforms for the possessions that happen on weekends in February, including prep work for the raising of the platform height around the station.

 

Shows the almost completed diversionary channel for the brook, awaiting approval to be used.

 

Talks about what will be happening in the future.

 

 

[The Stationmaster]

The tops of the new walls all appear to be vertical with no sort of outward curve to deflect braking waves.  I wonder why?

[Mike_Walker]

16 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

The tops of the new walls all appear to be vertical with no sort of outward curve to deflect braking waves.  I wonder why?

In the video it is mentioned that they will be added at a later stage.

[KingEdwardII]

13 hours ago, mdvle said:

Latest update video from Dawlish Beach Cams.

Clearly aiming at an entry for "Least appropriate music on a Video". 

[mdvle]

2 part video this week, they revisit 24 hours after the first video.

 

 

 

 

[woodenhead]

What a night to be working on the beach at Dawlish.

 

No doubt in preparation for the arrival of Eunice