Washout at Dawlish

[Keith George]

As it's running from one preservation site to another and is shown as a light engine it might not be.  However if the quarry is going to reopen and someone plans to move stuff out by rail it could possibly be power for such trains. 

What ever it is I will try to see it coming through Bristol late this afternoon.

 

Keith.

[24grange]

Moving stone out of Meldon by rail is going to be interesting with no headshunt available

 

Meldon Quarry is shut , I think - permanently I believe as a lot of equipment has been removed, so unlike the previous time when it was "mothballed" for a while. I think this time it is closed. Lots of stone still there, but not economic to bring out - cheaper to bring it by ship from Scotland I hear.

 

The train could be DCR, maybe moving locos to or from store at the Quarry? -

[Captain Kernow]

The movement is 0Z47 1050 Barrow Hill to Okehampton. This will be 'heritage' diesel power for use on the Dartmoor Railway, absolutely nothing to do with Meldon Quarry etc. There is sadly little prospect now of Meldon ever producing railway ballast again, as I understand it. I believe that some of the equipment has indeed been removed from site.

[RedgateModels]

Cloburn stone is far better in our experience anyway

[Ron Ron Ron]

It's not yet built, but we're discussing the decor already.....

 

Stone selection chart.

 

 

 

.

Edited February 24, 2014 by Ron Ron Ron

[Ramblin Rich]

It's not yet built, but we're discussing the decor already.....

 

Stone selection chart.

 

 

 

.

2nd one is Wills sheet I think...!

 

I've heard that Meldon is out of use but not formally retired; it still has the right to quarry stone, whereas if it was formally closed, the National Park would be very unlikely to allow a future reopening.

[roundhouse]

I found a few spare sheets of Slater embossed stone last night when looking for something else, if they run short

Edited February 24, 2014 by roundhouse

[Reorte]

Seamless polished concrete might be a better idea. Putting joints in the facing will just create the purchase for the sea to tear it off.

 

This is supposed to be a 21st Century working railway - not a museum piece.

 

John

Apologies for my first post being somewhat controversial, but I don't find comments about "museums" very helpful. The railway is as much part of the scene as anything else and just doing whatever is needed practically and leaving it at that, no matter how it looks, is something that's produced too many depressing parts of the country. If a bit of effort can be made to make it fit in to its surroundings and / or look more attractive then that should be done. Sometimes that is achieved well with something modern, sometimes an older look is more appropriate, but it's about aesthetics and not "museums". A 21st century working railway shouldn't be one that simply does whatever it needs to work and doesn't care about anything else. It may be that sometimes the practical considerations have to win out because there's no feasible alternative or way they can be improved - first and foremost the thing needs to work, but please don't just stop at that point and dismiss anything else.

[Pete 75C]

Apologies for my first post being somewhat controversial, but I don't find comments about "museums" very helpful. The railway is as much part of the scene as anything else and just doing whatever is needed practically and leaving it at that, no matter how it looks, is something that's produced too many depressing parts of the country. If a bit of effort can be made to make it fit in to its surroundings and / or look more attractive then that should be done. Sometimes that is achieved well with something modern, sometimes an older look is more appropriate, but it's about aesthetics and not "museums". A 21st century working railway shouldn't be one that simply does whatever it needs to work and doesn't care about anything else. It may be that sometimes the practical considerations have to win out because there's no feasible alternative or way they can be improved - first and foremost the thing needs to work, but please don't just stop at that point and dismiss anything else.

 

Fair point and I have to agree to a certain extent. We all live amongst uninspiring concrete to some extent. I would have thought that the top priority to get the trains running again won't consider aesthetics too much. In the longer term, however, "cladding" any exposed concrete with something akin to the original material should satisfy most quarters, including whoever may be in charge of the wall's "protected" status.

Edited February 24, 2014 by Pete_S

[Kris]

I was speaking to some people at work (down near Hayle) who have no interest in the railways other than it brings them custom at times. They held little confidence that the dates given would be kept, feeling that the dates were given because it coincided with Easter. (I did say how well things seem to be coming on).

It would seem that now the media spotlight has gone peoples views are becoming more negative.

 

Shame this given how much hard work is going on, on the ground.

[Reorte]

Concrete structures can be made to work really well (the Kylesku Bridge is my go-to example - modern concrete design yet somehow fits in very well in a remote, wild landscape - a brilliant piece of work). I'm fine with cladding - rebuilding exactly as was would be a case where "museum thinking" had ridiculously prioritised over practicality, and of course in the short term the priority has to be to get the line operational again. Perhaps I should make it clear that I'm not in any way, shape or form trying to criticise a thing that Network Rail are doing here - to a complete outsider like me it looks like they're doing a good and difficult job in difficult circumstances, and I've often been impressed with what they can achieve in emergencies.

[The Stationmaster]

Could we perhaps move the aesthetics debate to its own thread please?  I appreciate that it is relevant but in some respects I - and maybe others? - see it as something of a distraction from the job in hand (not necessarily a bad thing in itself but likely one that could grow into a large debate and overwhelm the main subject).

[Oldddudders]

I was speaking to some people at work (down near Hayle) who have no interest in the railways other than it brings them custom at times. They held little confidence that the dates given would be kept, feeling that the dates were given because it coincided with Easter. (I did say how well things seem to be coming on).

It would seem that now the media spotlight has gone peoples views are becoming more negative.

 

Shame this given how much hard work is going on, on the ground.

RMweb's man at NR has it right, as we might expect. Manage expectations, get on with the job and re-open whenever. The best is being done, by the right people.

[Reorte]

Could we perhaps move the aesthetics debate to its own thread please?  I appreciate that it is relevant but in some respects I - and maybe others? - see it as something of a distraction from the job in hand (not necessarily a bad thing in itself but likely one that could grow into a large debate and overwhelm the main subject).

Apologies for starting off my life on RMWeb with an attempt to wander off-topic.

[Andy Y]

Could we perhaps move the aesthetics debate to its own thread please?  I appreciate that it is relevant but in some respects I - and maybe others? - see it as something of a distraction from the job in hand (not necessarily a bad thing in itself but likely one that could grow into a large debate and overwhelm the main subject).

 

Yup; agreed. No more makeover debates in this topic. If anyone wants to discuss what stone takes their fancy can you please start a separate topic; meanwhile NR will get on with the most appropriate materials available at the appropriate juncture.

[Siberian Snooper]

Concrete structures can be made to work really well (the Kylesku Bridge is my go-to example - modern concrete design yet somehow fits in very well in a remote, wild landscape - a brilliant piece of work). I'm fine with cladding - rebuilding exactly as was would be a case where "museum thinking" had ridiculously prioritised over practicality, and of course in the short term the priority has to be to get the line operational again. Perhaps I should make it clear that I'm not in any way, shape or form trying to criticise a thing that Network Rail are doing here - to a complete outsider like me it looks like they're doing a good and difficult job in difficult circumstances, and I've often been impressed with what they can achieve in emergencies.

Concrete Bob's first concrete viaduct at Glenfinnan doesn't look to bad and is still functional. I agree that brand new concrete is a bit garish, but soon weathers in. As far as the sea wall is concerned from the sea side unless you go down on the beach the asthetic's are concerned the impact is minimal.

 

SS

 

edit sorry for the late posting of this as I was writing it whilst the other posts were being posted. Feel free to move or delete it.

Edited February 24, 2014 by Siberian Snooper

[Pete 75C]

Apologies for starting off my life on RMWeb with an attempt to wander off-topic.

 

Don't worry about it - this thread has wandered like a homeless man on more than one occasion, it will surely do so again!

[aforsyth]

Hi all - I'd be glad to know how things are going at St. Blazey during this cut-off period? Are the 66s hauling the clay CDAs between clay dries and docks as normal, or are there any changes to the schedule? I assume that trucks have taken over for the inland journeys - is this creating a lot of extra traffic? Apologies if this was answered earlier before I noticed this thread last week - I haven't had time to read pages #3 up to #40 or so!

 

Thanks,

Alan

 

PS - Sterling work CK and colleagues - thank you!

[jamie92208]

Hi all - I'd be glad to know how things are going at St. Blazey during this cut-off period? Are the 66s hauling the clay CDAs between clay dries and docks as normal, or are there any changes to the schedule? I assume that trucks have taken over for the inland journeys - is this creating a lot of extra traffic? Apologies if this was answered earlier before I noticed this thread last week - I haven't had time to read pages #3 up to #40 or so!

 

Thanks,

Alan

 

PS - Sterling work CK and colleagues - thank you!

There's a thread with a title along the lines of 'Cornish Clay today' that has such information and up to date info and photos.

 

Jamie

[Dunsignalling]

Apologies for my first post being somewhat controversial, but I don't find comments about "museums" very helpful. The railway is as much part of the scene as anything else and just doing whatever is needed practically and leaving it at that, no matter how it looks, is something that's produced too many depressing parts of the country. If a bit of effort can be made to make it fit in to its surroundings and / or look more attractive then that should be done. Sometimes that is achieved well with something modern, sometimes an older look is more appropriate, but it's about aesthetics and not "museums". A 21st century working railway shouldn't be one that simply does whatever it needs to work and doesn't care about anything else. It may be that sometimes the practical considerations have to win out because there's no feasible alternative or way they can be improved - first and foremost the thing needs to work, but please don't just stop at that point and dismiss anything else.

I'd not disagree with any of that. No reason why a modern design can't look good too.

 

My point (perhaps unclear due to the brevity of my post) was that an attempt to replicate the previous appearance (an old wall with a lot of patching up) is also likely to replicate the vulnerability.

 

John

Edited February 25, 2014 by Dunsignalling

[kevinlms]

It's not yet built, but we're discussing the decor already.....

 

Stone selection chart.

 

 

 

.

Dawlish would appear to not be the place for DRY stone walling!

[brushman47544]

CK made a very pertinent point earlier, that NR had to rebuild the sea wall as it was and could not, for example, continue the higher level walkway along the repaired section at this stage. That would have to be for a later day, even if it made sense from a structural integrity perspective, because of the protected status of the sea wall. I would expect the same applies to other factors of its external appearance, which also need to be replicated - hence the search for matching stone. What is important is that the way it has to be repaired whilst complying with its protected status doesn't delay reopening and so far there has been no suggestion that that is the case.

[Pete 75C]

Well, there was I eagerly anticipating the new Dawlish webcam going live yesterday... but the launch has been put back by another week.

By visiting the link you can get a nice "8 hours in 8 minutes" preview clearly showing the revised location of the new camera and NR crews and machinery busy in the distance.

http://www.dawlishbeach.com/live/

[Gwiwer]

Plenty of rail traffic still running then  Even if it is only using the up line under "One-digger-in-steam" regulations.

[Titan]

It would appear that the repair method is to back fill the whole lot with concrete and then ballast on top. If the previous loose fill now becomes a solid lump of concrete behind the wall, that will be a very substantial strengthening without changing the appearance.

Edited February 25, 2014 by Titan