Washout at Dawlish

[Chris M]

35 minutes ago, D826 said:

As were Kennaway, Coryton, Phillot, Parsons and Clerks tunnels   Chris. 

 

Whether in the fullness of time Sprey point disappears in some new route alignment we shall see.  

 

I'm looking forward to walking the sea wall at Dawlish again, but progress will be tinged with memories and ghosts of dead relatives. (And of long gone traction and trains - especially goods, particularly the Milks- distinctive sound they made and always an impression of weight and speed).

 

Matt W

And memories of youngsters who are now adults with their own families waving at the trains along the sea wall and getting the odd toot back. I love the place and always will.

 

My layout. This is a video I made for the N Gauge Forum virtual show. This link takes you the  pertinent bit (Langstone Rock) but there is a whole 12 minutes worth for anyone who needs to cure their insomnia.

 

 

Edited March 2, 2022 by Chris M

[corneliuslundie]

And of course military sites. I think they have given up now as you can see everything anyway on Google Earth but for example there was a big empty area on the OS map near Stroud. The locals knew what was there of course.

Jonathan

[Not Jeremy]

1 hour ago, corneliuslundie said:

And of course military sites. I think they have given up now as you can see everything anyway on Google Earth but for example there was a big empty area on the OS map near Stroud. The locals knew what was there of course.

Jonathan

 

Nailsworth

 

[PhilJ W]

I have a book on Brunel's Atmospheric Railway published by the Broad Gauge Society, edited by Paul Galsworthy and featuring the water coloured drawings and maps of William Dawson who engineered the line. At first there were more tunnels on the line such as at Teignmouth that have been opened up into cuttings. A very interesting read and now hard to get.

[The Stationmaster]

15 hours ago, D826 said:

Indeed Gwiver.

 

Last time I was there- a couple of years ago taking my old Ma for a stroll down memory lane. it was called the Rocca Rossa cafe or something like that.

 

Even those allusions of semantics don't make South Devon the Amalfi Coast ....not even the GWR publicity department tried that one.

 

I get very particular about place names.  Especially since, when I were a lad, there was a platelayers hut at the Langstone Rock, (lineside), not a cafe.  If its good enough for the Ordnance Survey, it's good enough for me.  Mind you, I get ratty about the 3 words georeferencing for the UK on the basis that anyone worth their salt should be able to give a 6 digit OS map reference.  Being able to read a map maybe isn't the necessary skill it used to be.  (See, I'm stuck in old git mode, perhaps I need to reboot).

 

Yours tongue in cheekedly Matt Wood- residing not far from a place we love to call - 

 

Saint Evenage, or just, 'the nidge'.

 

 

IGreat pics Rich but please not "Red rock" - it's the  Langstone  Rock - please humour the geographical pedant in me.  

 

Best regards

 

Matt (who spent many a happy hour on the Langstone Rock).

re the sentence in bold - they used Cornwall for that, not Devon

 

 

As far as using various methods of identifying where you are I agree entirely with you - what on earth don't 'they' teach in schools mo nowadays?  But some years back I was even more horrified to find in a fire engine that their list of 'special' (various) sites used Postcodes and not map references.  I wonder when they succumbed to that sort of nonsense as going back to the 1960s when my dad was a Retained Fireman the sites were all shown with their proper, full, map reference.

 

 I don't necessarily expect most people to be able to work out the magnetic variation when using an OS map as the reference when walking on compass bearings but I would expect any properly educated person to be able to read one even if they are using GPS to find where they are on said map.  Must be an age thing 

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

4 hours ago, corneliuslundie said:

And of course military sites. I think they have given up now as you can see everything anyway on Google Earth but for example there was a big empty area on the OS map near Stroud. The locals knew what was there of course.

Jonathan

 

I lived in Stroud as a lad, back in the 1970s.  What are you referring to?  

[Bucoops]

When I broke down last year I used what three words. The RAC guy ended up over a mile away. Go figure.

 

I now only use it as a password generator.

[corneliuslundie]

In answer to Dr Gerbil Fritters, it is some time ago now that I was involved with a construction industry archive in Stroud (actually Kimmins Mill, Dudbridge) but I seem to remember that it was close to Minchinhampton that there was at that time an empty space on the map where there was a military installation. Would it have been Aston Down airfield?

Jonathan

[mdvle]

 

[Ramblin Rich]

Thanks for posting the video. I went along again today, even rougher seas! 

It looks like the down platform has been shortened, with a gate the same as the up side slightly further along (excuse the intervening bushes)

 

The old pool area where the Dawlish Water brook came out was being inundated by the sea, the big bank of rocks pretty much flattened / washed away. The machinery was getting a bit of a wash....

 

 

Distant view again from Lea Mount showing the waves against the wall. As mentioned in the video, the section in front of the station doesn't have any 'turnback' curves on top and the waves are breaking over it (just above the yellow excavator). EDIT- they are due to be added in coming weeks.

 

Hopefully back next weekend to have a look along the wall from Coastguards footbridge.

Edited April 3, 2022 by Ramblin Rich
'cos I STLL can't trype write

[96701]

Dawlish appears to have changed a bit since I took my first railway photograph.

 

Edited April 18, 2022 by 96701

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

On 02/03/2022 at 17:22, corneliuslundie said:

In answer to Dr Gerbil Fritters, it is some time ago now that I was involved with a construction industry archive in Stroud (actually Kimmins Mill, Dudbridge) but I seem to remember that it was close to Minchinhampton that there was at that time an empty space on the map where there was a military installation. Would it have been Aston Down airfield?

Jonathan

 

That seems very likely... I think as well.as the airfield there was some sort of MOD storage there too.  I went gliding from there once in about 1983.  Never again.  Horrible!

[mdvle]

5 hours ago, Ramblin Rich said:

It looks like the down platform has been shortened, with a gate the same as the up side slightly further along (excuse the intervening bushes)

 

For those who don't watch the video it is mentioned in the first minute that they still have 100m to do on the down side, this will get done over the next 6 to 8 weeks by using the normal Saturday night/Sunday morning period when no trains are operating so there will be no impact on passengers.

[Re6/6]

12 hours ago, Ramblin Rich said:

. .......the section in front of the station doesn't have any 'turnback' curves on top and the waves are breaking over it (just above the yellow excavator).

 

..one wonders why. Obviously there must be a reason.

[mozzer models]

2 hours ago, Re6/6 said:

 

..one wonders why. Obviously there must be a reason.

in the vid it says it still a work in progress & has still to be done

 

[corneliuslundie]

I must admit that I watched about two minutes of the video and then gave up.

They need some to edit their outpourings.

Jonathan

[Ramblin Rich]

5 hours ago, Re6/6 said:

 

..one wonders why. Obviously there must be a reason.

Re lavk of turnback coping: Sorry should have added 'yet'! As said it's hoped to be added in next few weeks.

Must admit I missed the fact they down platform is to be completed.

[mdvle]

Some additional info for those who haven't watched all the videos - that extra 100m on the down platform has been temporarily out of service for a while now, with the cooperation of GWR in allowing it to be blocked off Bam Nuttall were using that section of platform during the construction.  So with it already out of service there wouldn't be the same urgency in getting it upgraded that would require a line closure.

[Ramblin Rich]

Another Sunday morning visit while daughter helped at tennis coaching.

Weather still not very welcoming!

The section of sea wall from Rockstone footbridge as far as Coastguards footbridge has now reopened, the section alongside the actual station platforms remains closed.

 

Views from Coastguards footbridge which is now reopened.

 

 

Newly opened section, effectively on top of where the old lifeboat station was.

 

A view through the fencing towards the station with platforms to the right, this section not yet open.

 

And a memorial to the old lifeboat station, impressed into the end wall of the new section - taken from the steps leading down to the beach here

 

The waves were already breaking over the walkway, especially the section not replaced since 2014. Still 4 hours before High tide at this time and people were already getting a dousing from the waves!

 

The train is 633K from Liskeard to Westbury, presumably with used rail from the relaying works in Cornwall. 70 811 in charge. We got a cheery toot from the driver going past.

 

About 5 minutes later the next band of rain arrived & we retreated to the car!

[Rivercider]

Thanks for posting those great photos Rich.

Back in the 2010s we stayed at Dawlish Warren quite often, so often walked the coast path before the 2014 storm and also saw much of the early repair work in the following months. Since then I have only visited Dawlish once, although I have passed through on the train a few times it is not easy to see the work in progress,

 

cheers  

[brianusa]

Nice to see Mum waving to the driver; hope she got a response for the kids sake!

 

Brian.

[Ramblin Rich]

21 minutes ago, brianusa said:

Nice to see Mum waving to the driver; hope she got a response for the kids sake!

 

Brian.

Those folks had got a bit of a soaking by the wave in the previous picture! My wife & son had hoofed across the bridge by then and were waving from there. The driver did give a a few toots so definitely responding to beong waved at.

[Gwiwer]

4 hours ago, Ramblin Rich said:

The train is 633K from Liskeard to Westbury

That will be the obfuscated identity used on the real time systems.  

 

The real identity will have been in the more usual 6Y34 format.  Most freight customers (including engineering trains - they're commercial freight these days too) opt to have the train details altered to avoid breaches of commercial confidentiality, to prevent Joe Public knowing exactly what is going where and when and - probably - to also reduce the "foamer effect" of having the Wrong Sort of Enthusiast chasing the trains.  

[jcredfer]

2 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

That will be the obfuscated identity used on the real time systems.  

 

The real identity will have been in the more usual 6Y34 format.  Most freight customers (including engineering trains - they're commercial freight these days too) opt to have the train details altered to avoid breaches of commercial confidentiality, to prevent Joe Public knowing exactly what is going where and when and - probably - to also reduce the "foamer effect" of having the Wrong Sort of Enthusiast chasing the trains.  

 

Ssshhh!!!  No more clues for the Putin blundering assassin agents and their intentions towards our military supply rail traffic.   

 

[mdvle]

April update on the construction now available