Somewhere in the Forest of Dean

[ParkeNd]

I do think that it is a local thing though I wouldn't write off the whole of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire - it's mainly the Forest and it used to be more ingrained than now. Going twee like Surrey would be going too far, but as even more of us outsiders move in the just chuck it aside when finished approach should dilute further.

 

In the short term some DFR general management housekeeping tours might kick off some changes for the better.

[clarkea1]

I do think that it is a local thing though I wouldn't write off the whole of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire - it's mainly the Forest and it used to be more ingrained than now. Going twee like Surrey would be going too far, but as even more of us outsiders move in the just chuck it aside when finished approach should dilute further.

 

In the short term some DFR general management housekeeping tours might kick off some changes for the better.

 

I volunteer at the DFR so I hope you won't mind me adding a couple of comments.  Yes, certain areas are a tip.  The end of the platform at Norchard is a work in progress where the new access ramp for plant and machinery has been put in and, on the left of the line, the P-way team have built a shed for their Geismar trolley etc.   I agree many areas need tidying, but in general over the past few years we have been making a concerted effort to tidy the lineside and get on top of the management of the lineside trees and bushes.  Of course, clearing the lineside of scrub and overgrown bushes has exposed a lot of the junk, p-way materials etc that have been left behind many years back.  We are working hard on this, but we are a very small band of volunteers - departments such as p-way can count active volunteers on their hands, and everything has to be prioritised.  We are, however, slowly chipping away at it, and if any RMweb members would like to help please get in touch :-) We appreciate all the help we can get!

 

I hope you don't mind me sharing a photo I took earlier in the year, taken near Oakenwood No 3 foot crossing (between Whitecroft and Parkend) showing one of the tidiest sections of the line!

 

 

Please keep your pics of the line coming - it is lovely to see photos on hear of a line very close to my heart, and one which my wife thinks I spend far too much time at!

 

Best Wishes

 

Alastair

[ParkeNd]

Hi Alistair. Thanks for the very open, honest, and informative reply. Whilst I still think that some of the actions (leaving new clutter in customers view where they take photos they show their friends) are careless and shortsighted, at least some of the DFR team seem to be in agreement - and this is good. The muck just left for other people to clear up later after jobs (see all the green bags and wood offcuts behind the new gate) could be educated out and thus not need volunteers time to clear up. Whilst I am getting myself hung - the trolley shed is just plain ugly - is that the only place it could go amongst the foxgloves on a nice green bank - or is it the shortest distance from the crew wagon?

 

The line side vegetation clearance is superb though as shown in your photo, and Parkend remains the jewell in the crown. Please carry on posting on this thread - your photo is great. Got any more?

Edited July 16, 2015 by ParkeNd

[clarkea1]

Hi Alistair. Thanks for the very open, honest, and informative reply. Whilst I still think that some of the actions (leaving new clutter in customers view where they take photos they show their friends) are careless and shortsighted, at least some of the DFR team seem to be in agreement - and this is good. The muck just left for other people to clear up later after jobs (see all the green bags and wood offcuts behind the new gate) could be educated out and thus not need volunteers time to clear up. Whilst I am getting myself hung - the trolley shed is just plain ugly - is that the only place it could go amongst the foxgloves on a nice green bank - or is it the shortest distance from the crew wagon?

 

The line side vegetation clearance is superb though as shown in your photo, and Parkend remains the jewell in the crown. Please carry on posting on this thread - your photo is great. Got any more?

 

The trolley shed is there out of necessity more than anything - it needs to be adjacent to the high level line for operational reasons, and Norchard is our most suitable secure site.  

 

There are a few more photos on my Flickr page, but to be honest I rarely get the chance to take any as I am usually working when up at the railway.  I did take the pic below on my last turn on Sunday - a sight many visitors won't often see

 

 

If anyone is interested, as well as usual steam services tomorrow (Weds) and on Saturday and Sunday, on Friday we are running the Heritage DMU between Norchard and Parekend only (for half price)! Another chance to sample the atmosphere of the "Forest" end of the line.

 

Cheers

 

Alastair

Edited July 21, 2015 by clarkea1

[ParkeNd]

The trolley shed is there out of necessity more than anything - it needs to be adjacent to the high level line for operational reasons, and Norchard is our most suitable secure site.  

 

There are a few more photos on my Flickr page, but to be honest I rarely get the chance to take any as I am usually working when up at the railway.  I did take the pic below on my last turn on Sunday - a sight many visitors won't often see

 

LYJ.jpg

 

If anyone is interested, as well as usual steam services tomorrow (Weds) and on Saturday and Sunday, on Friday we are running the Heritage DMU between Norchard and Parekend only (for half price)! Another chance to sample the atmosphere of the "Forest" end of the line.

 

Cheers

 

Alastair

This is a real class photo of the inside of Lydney Junction signal box. Thanks so much for adding them to the thread . I shall go over on Wednesday - and thanks for the tip about Friday.

[ParkeNd]

My Dean Forest Railway Society membership card arrived today so I am on more of a reasonable footing. I visited DFR today and spent ages talking to the excellent Peter at Whitecroft station who is painting the station building, opening and closing the gates, and doing all the platform duties all on his own. Peter showed me the exact positions where the signal box (currently delivered but needing restoration) needs moving to and how two sets of tracks need to be shifted by crane to align the planned passing loop.

 

I am becoming quite fond of Whitecroft and will document in photographs the installation of the second platform and all it's associated work - to be posted on this thread as it happens.

 

The following few photos are some of those I took today at Whitecroft and show what I am withering about.

 

 

 

 

 

In the meantime the huge wall of coaches has been removed at Norchard where it was blocking the view of all the interesting stuff - great. It was a very busy day with car parks full and 5 coach trains packed. Great stuff.

 

[Jim49]

Ha!, no, we don't often walk in Lydney. This is our rescue dog, Poppy, she's a whippet lurcher.

 

image.jpg

 

This is our usual walk, just 100 yards from the house, Clanna Ponds, we're often the only ones there. About 4 miles from the centre of Lydney.

 

image.jpg

 

 

 

 

And finally. I've posted this before but it fits in here with the photos of Lydney Town station.

 

image.jpg

 

It's circa 1960 and, looking roughly north, it shows the line at the bottom, just off shot to the right, the line crosses the main road through Lydney and just beyond that is the site of the present station. The road at the top is that running, left, to Norchard and on to Parkend.

 

The sidings serve what was then, Lydney Builders merchants. Obviously it lost its rail link a good while ago and more recently it was Travis Perkins, though they moved out earlier this year to a site across the by-pass from St Mary's Church.

 

 

Thanks for the photo of Lydney Town Station Arthur. We visited the DFR for the 1st time last Saturday and I noticed the out of use Travis Perkins warehouse on the site of the sidings. With their large roller shutter doors. could they be used as carriage sheds or are they too short or at the wrong angle to be much use?

 

Jim

[clarkea1]

 

Ha!, no, we don't often walk in Lydney. This is our rescue dog, Poppy, she's a whippet lurcher.image.jpg

This is our usual walk, just 100 yards from the house, Clanna Ponds, we're often the only ones there. About 4 miles from the centre of Lydney.image.jpg

And finally. I've posted this before but it fits in here with the photos of Lydney Town station.image.jpg

It's circa 1960 and, looking roughly north, it shows the line at the bottom, just off shot to the right, the line crosses the main road through Lydney and just beyond that is the site of the present station. The road at the top is that running, left, to Norchard and on to Parkend.

The sidings serve what was then, Lydney Builders merchants. Obviously it lost its rail link a good while ago and more recently it was Travis Perkins, though they moved out earlier this year to a site across the by-pass from St Mary's Church.

 

 

Thanks for the photo of Lydney Town Station Arthur. We visited the DFR for the 1st time last Saturday and I noticed the out of use Travis Perkins warehouse on the site of the sidings. With their large roller shutter doors. could they be used as carriage sheds or are they too short or at the wrong angle to be much use?

 

Jim

 

I think the site is earmarked for housing, putting it some way out of the railway's price range.

 

Alastair

[ParkeNd]

Went to the DFR this morning for a couple of hours. Very quiet with a three coach Class 108 DMU running instead of the normal Saturday Steam. Plenty of room in the car park.

 

The Whitecroft signal box now has some temporary bracing in it for strength and overall I am told the work is expected to take 3 years. Anyway some photos below of the 11.27 am train from Norchard arriving and leaving for Parkend.

 

 

 

 

[Captain Kernow]

Is that Midland box one of the two that were left down at Tufts Junction for a few years?

[ParkeNd]

Is that Midland box one of the two that were left down at Tufts Junction for a few years?

If I listened properly to Peter a couple of weeks back I believe it was originally from Pirton Lane Sidings near Ashchurch and was indeed located for a while at Tufts Junction.

[Erudhalion]

I can confirm it was at Tufts, I helped to move it!

 

I was told that when the DFR acquired it a few years back they didn't have immediate use for it, so they left it on the site of the Tufts Junction box as there were foundations there. Lately some kids tried to set fire to it, but luckily didn't have much success, you can just about see a little bit of charring in the lower left corner of the side of the box in the first photo of ParkeNd's last post.

 

The bracing was put in the night before we moved it, and the planks below the horizontal beams knocked out so the slings could be threaded through. We were a bit concerned we'd end up with a very large pile of firewood by lunchtime, but it proved quite sturdy, all we lost were a couple of tiles. There a quite a lot of bits left at Tufts, including a couple of castings from the lever frame.

 

Once work gets under way, I think the plan is to move it to the location of the original Whitecroft box, which was a few meters closer to the road (there are photos in Whitecroft station).

[ParkeNd]

Thanks for the confirmation about the signal box. The enhancement of Whitecroft station to something like its original format will make a great photographic project for me. I have heard that it's going to take about three years which will make me approaching 72 years old so I hope to stay the course (69 is the current record for males in our family). Speech House Road in 2025 even if on time would need me to reach 78 so I made sure I visited the site by car this year.

Edited August 21, 2015 by ParkeNd

[ParkeNd]

I visited the DFR this morning under the mistaken impression I could shoot some steam shots I had worked out in advance. Wrong.

 

Parkend was packed to the gunnels but approachable and had the two Class 108s hitched together to form a five car unit. Norchard was totally impossible to get anywhere near with the entire car park overflowing with cars - so I gave up and went down to Lydney Harbour thinking to try a 70-300 zoom that has not been used much since I bought it two years ago.

 

It looked like very good news for DFR and the two photos below explain why. The third photo is one of several I took of a very small boat that had been just launched off a trailer - when it got about 25 yards out into the river it really struggled with the current. Given the ferocity of this river the boat driver looks a bit too brave to me - that shirt doesn't look very buoyant to me. But the lens did OK.

 

 

 

[ParkeNd]

It's been a bit quiet on here for a week or so, thus I thought I had better post a photo or two.

 

Went to DFR on Wednesday morning and took quite a few photos. They were running two trains simultaneously with passing at Lydney Junction, Norchard Lower Platform, and Parkend.

 

Here is 5541 actually running around it's train at Parkend but appearing to come from Speech House Road because it is on the other side of the gates. Then waiting for the Class 108 DMU to arrive to clear the line, and then again at Oakenwood No 1 approaching Whitecroft.

 

 

 

[pacer lover]

hey just though i post there here as well comeing up on the weekend 4 to 6 th september is the dfr diesel gala

 

more info on the dfr website and facebook

regards

rob

 

[Arthur]

I was in Lydney yesterday and spotted the Class 14, in Desert Sand Livery, working one of the trains.

 

Anyway, your intrepid local reporter did some in depth research, well I bought a copy of the Lydney Forester. 60p of my hard earned just to keep you lot up to date.

 

Just some confirmation of the Railways intention to extend to Speech House Road, mention of the Griffithstown station building they've acquired, and also mention that they have the former Blakeney station building in storage.

 

 

 

There's a very positive and supportive editorial too.

 

Edit; oh yes, there's also an article about film crews in the forest, Puzzlewood has featured in a good number of productions over recent years, and mention is made of James May filming something on the DFR.

Edited September 5, 2015 by Arthur

[ParkeNd]

Good info there from Arthur.

 

Went to this morning's (Saturday) session of the Diesel Gala. After a slow start it got quite lively at Norchard with trains running from both platforms. Will publish some photos soon including The Triple Header with 3 x Class 14's.

 

Whilst buying a new book at the Norchard book shop they told me they won't be getting in any Railway Modellers featuring Parkend after all because they aren't interested. Surprised and a bit dissapointment since the 1400 word article pushes the DFR quite hard. Oh well.

Edited September 5, 2015 by ParkeNd

[ParkeNd]

Whilst it is still fresh - a few photos of today's Diesel Gala. There are more but this is just a first sample. It was overcast, raining in the wind a bit, and pretty quiet. But I enjoyed myself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Captain Kernow]

D9537 looks good in Desert Sand, I think.

[Captain Kernow]

Whilst buying a new book at the Norchard book shop they told me they won't be getting in any Railway Modellers featuring Parkend after all because they aren't interested. Surprised and a bit dissapointment since the 1400 word article pushes the DFR quite hard. Oh well.

Shame on them, in that case. You'd have thought that they could make an exception.

[ParkeNd]

Shame on them, in that case. You'd have thought that they could make an exception.

I think there is a resistance to N gauge within the shop itself. I have had it referred to as "nasty diddley fiddely stuff that you can neither see nor hold" and their has been no interest amongst the shop staff to look at the article in the DFR Summer 2015 magazine - and a few copies of RM in the shop for sale is where they can most benefit the advertising it could bring them. The Parkend railway history isn't pushed by DFR at Norchard despite the village of Parkend being infinitely more interesting than Norchard. I have mentioned it to both the Group who maintain Parkend station and to the Museum Curator so we will see if anything changes by Thirsday.

Edited September 6, 2015 by ParkeNd

[Gordon A]

The diesel gala was an enjoyable day out on Sunday.

 

It was shame that they did not have more punters around, but did make taking a few pictures easier.

 

Gordon A

Bristol

[ParkeNd]

 

The diesel gala was an enjoyable day out on Sunday.

 

It was shame that they did not have more punters around, but did make taking a few pictures easier.

 

Gordon A

Bristol

I think a part of the problem was the shortage of diesels. The posters made it clear that we would see an 08, three 14s, two small industrial diesels and the everyday DMU. OK so the triple header was novel and worth the journey. But go a few miles south to the West Somerset and you get Class 47,Hymek, Warship, Class 22, and probably a visiting Western - which is what folk expect of a Diesel Gala. Had the 73 and the 31 not been hived out for a year that might have helped.

[ParkeNd]

A last few samples of the photos taken at the DFR Diesel Gala on Saturday 5th September 2015.

 

The first is of the gentleman who owns D9555 on his own loco, then some shots of the double header including running around the train at Parkend, and finally the owners salon which was hauled by Gladys the Class 08, and finally Don Corbett - but don't know what he went on to do.