Blackthorn

Captain Kernow; Thanks for posting those pictures. I visited the crossing 26 years ago and it hasn't changed much! I had planned on going back for a look when I was back home in May but ran out of time, as is always the way......I was surprised to see the equipment cabinet was still on the back of the signal box, I had thought it would have been long gone. One thing that also comes to mind is that there was a pub nearby called 'The King and Castle' with the two locomotives on the pub sign, I wonder if it's still called that? Mark.

I hope they're as good as they sound. I'm particularly interested in volume four.....

Damn and Blast! I had completely missed this thread......it might have changed our plans for our trip home. We did get to Didcot at the end of may, amazing place and took soooooo many pictures. Also got to Steam in Swindon too, oh and the NRM........ Hope everyone has a good day tomorrow. Mark.

Well...I finally got to see the footbridge 'in the flesh' last Sunday but I was pretty ticked off that the battery in the camera had run out (thanks again KeithHC for that picture). We also drove around the site of Dursley station....rather depressing that Listers has been swept away. On the plus side I got my girlfriend up Cam Peak, the steep way, she wasn't too impressed when I said we would take the easy way down.... Also picked up the DVD recommended by Johng, 'End Of The Line', I'm not sure that I had seen any colour footage of the line before. I wish I had more time in the Heritage Centre, but I had to go in on Tuesday as we were trying to pack to come home!!! Thanks again for everyone's help and suggestions. Mark.

Does anyone know where the book is available? Or is it only from the publisher? I'll be back in England in a couple of weeks and we're staying in Gloucestershire for most of our stay. It sounds like a book I should buy...along with many others, I'll probably have an excess baggage charge coming back!

PM sent to you. Mark.

It worked for me. Quite an interesting photo. Hope you can get it to work for you.

Thank you both for your advice. I picked up the locomotive today and it runs sweetly for being 60 odd years old, they ran it on their display set for me. I did ask about suitable track for outdoors and the response was "Hmmm.....", so it might be a pipe dream. Also considering the weather we get in this part of the Province the track would have to be very hardy, its 32 degC today and gets as low as -35 degC in the winter with lots of snow. Still it would be nice to see the train running outside on a summers evening. So, for the time being I may just have to put the existing track on a sheet of ply in the spare bedroom I did find a second transformer in the box of track, but it looks as it is from the sixties, so I will have to break down and buy a new one. I've been electrocuted once before and don't fancy going through that again!! Thanks again. Mark.

Wow...just found this thread. Late last year my girlfriends (now late) father gave me his Marx 3 rail train set that included track and freight cars. The locomotive was a non-runner but I took it to a fairly local model train shop who were able to repair it. I hope to pick it up Saturday. Hopefully the transformer works, I think it dates from the late forties, and I will get it running. Has anyone any experience with running outdoors? The new 3 rail track available looks to be aluminium so shouldn't rust, or it just a daft idea??? Thanks for any suggestions Mark.

Yes....Yes I am.......not happy about that.........We're here visiting my girlfriends Mum and thoroughly enjoying ourselves, if there was much call for what I do for my job I would seriously consider moving here, and if I could afford the house prices. Cheers. Mark.

Great pictures....I'm currently sitting on a balcony in North Vancouver overlooking the bay getting a sunburn (I didn't think that was possible in Vancouver!). Maybe I should move my backside and go exploring before I go home. Although I did go to the railway museum in Squamish yesterday with my girlfriend, its a very a hands on museum, meaning you can go into/onto many exhibits and they didn't charge any admission fee as they aren't open yet for the summer season. That was great for me as I think we were the only ones there!! Edited for typo......

Wow! Many thanks Keith HC, that is just the picture I needed. It brings back a lot of memories. It gives me a good idea of the construction of it, now to see if I can re-create it in 4mm...... I'm glad its still there and looks to be in reasonable shape but I wonder how much longer it will be around. If it is ever under the threat of demolition, I wonder if it could be used by the vale of Berkeley Railway at Sharpness, rather that being sent for scrap. Just a thought...... Thanks again for the picture. Mark.

I will second that. I'm sure we all appreciate the time and effort you put into this thread. Mark.

Thanks Keith HC, No rush.....I hope you and everyone else here have a great holiday season!!

Hi Keith HC. That's quite the site in that link....a good way to while away an evening. Glad to hear the footbridge is still there, I'm trying to figure out what materials I need to make a model so any pictures would be greatly appreciated. The model won't be strictly accurate as there will have to be a lot of guesswork for dimensions, but so long as it captures the look of the real thing then I will be happy. It sounds like Dursley is changing a lot. I saw the new Rednock school online, nice and modern now. It was pretty tired when I left in 1981!! Mark.

Thank you Johng! I will get in touch with them, I think my DVD player will do PAL format. That would be a great bit of film to see. I've only ever seen a few short clips of Dursley on DVD, I think they might have been from the Railway Roundabout series, surprisingly bought for me by my girlfriends mother who lives in British Columbia!! Now I have to get hold of the Heritage Centre......... Thanks again. Mark.

The cars look like Austin Allegro's, so I imagine they're for export.

There is an RSH 0-6-0 at the La Grange railway museum in Kentucky USA. I have no idea of the details to its export but it can be seen in the museums photo gallery site here: http://www.lagrangerailroadmuseum.org/photo-gallery.html It looks as if they are restoring it (I hope) to working order.

Thanks flubrush and brianthesnail96 for the additional information. I certainly know where and where not to look again in the future when I'm back in the UK, although, there will likely be more development between now and then. It's kind of funny that I know more about the railway now than I ever did when I lived in Cam, in my defence I was only 13 when we came to Canada in 1981. Oh great, this has now got my mind going for a layout....especially with the Bachmann 1F and 2P locomotives available....now if I can find the time I will finish the model of Dursley station building I made quite a few years ago, but I think it will have to wait until colder weather.... edited for last (long) sentance.

Thank you for the responses, good to know it's still standing. Jelle Jan, thanks for the link to google street view...it is pretty overgrown, that's my excuse for missing it and that Bing map site is addictive!! brainthesnail96, I did some exploring of the Stroud and Nailsworth branchlines in 1991 and too was surprised about how much of the lines remained, the station building in Nailsworth, the station ad Dudbridge and the stretch of bridge leading to where the Stroud station site..although I think Dudbridge is now part of a new roadway?? F-UnitMad, I understand Listers has now gone and the site has been (or is being) redeveolped for housing......more of my childhood memories gone....it's a real shame as Listers was so much a part of Dursley. The willingness to share information on this site always amazes me.

Many thanks for those pictures 6959. It was the old branchline i was referring to, but I spent hours sitting on the road bridge in your photos trainspotting, how I didn't fall of I'll never know!!

Basically just as the title says, is it still standing? I have looked on google earth but can't seem to find it. I remember standing on it after cub nights at the scout hut a short distance away and when going bell ringing at St. George's church. This was in the seventies after the railway was lifted. I have thought about making a model of it for a layout in the future. I wouldn't be surprised if its been removed, I seem to think it was closed off as a bridge the last time I saw it which would be about 1997 or so..... Thanks. Mark.