1252

[BLN 1252]
Thomas Francis Meagher Bridge on the new roadway spanning the river here. Services have always
stopped at the Toll Plaza as it makes more sense (other than to BLS members) than continuing on in to
trees where there is nothing to see! In 2017, the railway plan to offer trips to groups outside the
regular schedule between Kilmeadan and Bilberry. These may be one way or return journeys
depending on the request and each group's schedule. A platform in Bilberry will be built this summer.

1252 CONNECTIONS

A service to members; Please mention the Branch Line Society when booking/enquiring. . ..Details must be checked with the organisers.

518] Somerset & Dorset (S&D) Railway, 50th Anniversary of Closure 5 & 6 March: Midsomer Norton
station (MR p6) standard gauge S&D trackbed, steam trips 10.30-16.30, http://goo.gl/lRqSiy 01761
411221. Vintage bus service from Somervale School and the town car park (no parking at station). The
Gartell Light Railway (partly on S&D trackbed), 6 March special trains 11.30 & 14.15; advance booking
needed, buffet lunch see http://goo.gl/GJzO13 01963 370752. Evercreech - model railway exhibition
(5&6 March). No car park but free shuttle from the Royal Bath & West ground at Shepton Mallet
where the 800 yd miniature railway (MR p22) is running (entrance free, normally show admission has
to be paid). West Somerset Railway S&D Spring Steam Gala - 5, 6 & 10-13 March with appropriate
classes of steam engines at work including the planned return to action of 7F 2-8-0 88/53808 after
overhaul. Stations will be renamed after lost S&D locations and there will be plenty of other points of
interest on the line including the Washford Museum of the Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust who
have been based on the WSR for forty years; see http://goo.gl/dAu1Y3 01643-704996.

519] Monmouth & Brecon Canal (Part 1), Cwmcarn to Newport Towpath Walk, 8½ miles, Sat 12 Mar
and Tue 5 Apr: Railway Ramblers, BLS members welcome. A formerly railway owned towpath with
much of interest. Meet Newport station (main entrance) 11.00. See detailed notes and pictures sent as
an e-BLN 1252 download (thanks to Railway Ramblers, main author Stephen Rowson & Chris Parker).
Stage coach 151 bus from Newport bus station (stand 22) to Cwmcarn, 10 minute frequency, depart
xx.x8, journey 34 minutes; £3.70 (Oct 2015). Walking from Cwmcarn (ST202931) back to Newport
station. The first stage of a towpath walk along the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal which from 1880
was owned by the GWR. This begins with a surviving section of the Crumlin Arm through the lower
reaches of the Ebbw Vale from Cwmcarn to Malpas Junction followed by the main line to Barrack Hill
Tunnel. Numerous transport archaeological features and a visit to the Fourteen Locks Canal Centre
near Rogerstone is included. Queries/notifications to Chris [email protected] 01691
656145 or 07962 519189. Please enquire about the (different) arrangements for Tuesday 5 April.

X33] Hare off to March for a March station Open Day, Sat 12 March: 10.00 to 14.00 includes an
exhibition of photography in the community room on P2 and a book sale.

520] Severn Valley Railway Narrow Gauge, 18-20 Mar! (BLN 1250.307) http://goo.gl/5xzBMD
Spring Steam Gala. On 16 & 17 March 1,417 inches of 2'3" gauge track is being laid outside Highley
Engine House for visiting steam engine No4 'Edward Thomas' from the Talyllyn Railway. Footplate rides
are anticipated subject to certain conditions. The line is due to be lifted again on 21 & 22 March.

521] Southern Electric Group, Wed 13 Apr 16.45: Thanks to member Stuart Hicks (who may be away
from email at times), meet New Cross Gate station for a 17.00, until potentially, 20.00 visit. Includes
the London Overground depot, new sidings, control room, signalling centre etc. Orange hi-vis /sensible
footwear required; charity collection. Notify [email protected] with BLS membership No.

522] Richmond Light Railway (1), Thursday 23 June: (MR p19) (BLN 1241.MR155) Richmond Farm,
Hawkenbury, Kent TN12 0ED. (TQ 809462). Note: For anyone who did not go in 2015, there is a
significant new branch line including a bridge over a pond to 'New Barn Halt'. Thanks to our member
Adrian Palmer, a private visit to this interesting 2ft gauge railway. Meet Staplehurst station (connects
with the 10.52 arrival from Dover and 11.07 from Charing Cross, if you miss these take a taxi) for a
three mile transfer in a preserved LT single deck RF bus shuttle, NO CAR PARKING AT THE RAILWAY.

[BLN 1252]
Three locos in steam and available until 16.00 (according to the weather) then bus transfer back to
Staplehurst. £10 includes the bus, railway and light refreshments, cheques payee 'Continental Railway
Circle' to AK Palmer, 46 Heathside, Weybridge, KT13 9YL. [email protected] 07774 859871.

523] Richmond Light Railway (2), Charity Steam Fair, Sat 13 August: 11.00-16.00 Three locos in steam
including the newly restored 1885 Decauville 0-4-0 (subject to availability). Four or five full size
traction engines/rollers, portable steam engine, vintage cars and old fair style children's games. Profits
(£2,100 last year) to Kent Air Ambulance and the Dandelion Trust. £10 adult, £5 (up to 16 years of age)
with unlimited rides; refreshments on sale. Please send SAE and state numbers and names of adults &
children with a cheque payee 'J MARTIN' to Richmond Farm (RLR), New Barn Rd, Hawkenbury, Kent,
TN12 0EE. Queries to [email protected] No pay on the day, no access other than on this day.

524] Locomotive & Carriage Institute: www.lococarriage.org.uk 6 July St. Albans South Signal Box and
optional extra visit to the nearby De Havilland Air Museum. 26 July Plasser UK Works visit West Ealing.
30 Aug Rocks by Rail, steam hauled brake van rides. Contact Stuart Smith [email protected]
07887998557 or see website. Membership is required £13 (£9 retired > 55yrs), electronic version.

525] Property Section, Bryngwyn: Gwynedd, LL54 7AW (SH 4978 5606) £325k a large five bed former
slate mill smallholding. An equestrian property set in seven acres including the remains of the former
Bryngwyn station. This was the remote terminus of the 1' 11½" gauge Welsh Highland Light Railway's
2¼ miles branch (OP 1877 to 1913; CA 31 May 1937) from Tryfan Junction, with gradients as steep as
1:39 and a horseshoe curve with further branches to slate quarries and now http://goo.gl/E8qDE8 a
public footpath. The book 'The Bryngwyn Branch' by Dave Southern & John Keylock, describes its
history, operations, closure and development as a slate trail. £15 post paid cheque payee 'Welsh
Highland Heritage' to: c/o Adrian Gray, 25 The Pound, Syresham, Brackley, Northants, NN13 5HG.

526] For Sale: Bound 'Railway Magazine' Vol.1 No1 1897 to Vol.96 1950 except 1907 and 1910. Buyer
collects or pays postage. Contact Peter Robinson [email protected] 01543 253343.

527] Driving Charity: Donate via 'Just Giving' on specified dates to be entered into a draw to win a
ScotRail driver simulator session at Glasgow Central. Email [email protected] for dates.

528] Lincolnshire Day Rover: Nottingham - Lincoln - Cleethorpes; Doncaster - Lincoln - Peterborough;
Nottingham - Skegness and Grantham to Peterborough. One day of unlimited travel (it can all be done
in one day) all day Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays otherwise after 09.00 but not Saturdays in
July and August. Valid on EMT, Northern, TPE and *XC. Adult £27.50, Two Together (after 09.30 SSuX,
all day on Bank Holidays) Senior, Disabled & 16-25 Railcards £17.70. *Which train/s would that be?

X34] Top Links:

 https://goo.gl/iQoyFC A new pet-rol powered scale prototype for the Hamsterwich & City and
Jubileewheel Lines?

 http://goo.gl/6Q7FvL Moorgate tube crash, 28 February 1975 some dramatic pictures.

 http://goo.gl/6TxsmW A trip on a train on temporary CrossRail contractors' track - we trust he
'touched in' and 'touched out' before and after the trip!

 https://goo.gl/2aOzQM Mainisty Wharf to Ellesmere Port branch trip video (readers over a
certain age might prefer it with the sound off).

 https://youtu.be/55U5qY5Glu8 A time lapse video of the Christmas relaying work at Purley Jn.

[BLN 1252]

 http://goo.gl/JYnIiv and http://goo.gl/5uUZcH on 29 February Europe's biggest ever
combined rescue service disaster training programme began at the former Littlebrook D oil
fired Power Station (closed March 2015), Dartford. Firefighters, police officers and ambulance
personnel, including the Air Ambulance from across London took part in a four-day scenario
based upon a building collapsing onto a tube station in the capital. In order to create the most
realistic environment possible, an entire tube station was recreated and then 'crushed' in the
disused power station. With over 1,000 casualties, thousands of tonnes of rubble, seven tube
carriages and hundreds of emergency service responders, http://goo.gl/mMuWAK took over a
year to plan and was coordinated by https://goo.gl/bPyjBz the London Resilience Partnership.

 https://youtu.be/hzGd-5kwR9E?t=189 The Post Office Railway, London.

 https://goo.gl/DjQcmi Route of the proposed new Barking Riverside branch (BLN 1248.51).

 http://goo.gl/qqosTv British Trams Online (events page) website has news and information

 http://goo.gl/PY2xr2 A disused tunnels database - a remarkably resource, over 620 entries.

 http://goo.gl/UrGdu1 Branch Line society featured in Railway Magazine.

 https://goo.gl/5bVnBW A FREE BLS RAILTOUR FOR ALL OUR READERS! An 11 minute time
lapse cab view video and picture record of our North Midland Tracker of 27 Feb 2016 from
Crewe to Ruddington and Barrow Hill. A fascinating record for participants and of interest to
those who were not there. Note the superb alignment the Great Central Railway was built to.

529] Heritage Lines: Add-on (mostly), discounted tickets to and on certain Heritage lines with nearby
NR stations, generally not for galas and special events. Railcard discounts usually apply to the mainline
part of the journey only. There is something special about having a through ticket to say Bridgnorth!...

●Ravenglass & Eskdale: Ravenglass, £9.50 adult, £4.75 child - Northern Rail stations and trains.
●North Yorkshire Moors: Grosmont, £11.50 single, £16 return, child £6 & £8 - Northern Rail services.
●Ecclesbourne Valley: Singles/returns available to/from all stations and East Midlands Trains stations.
●Keighley & Worth Valley: Keighley, £11 adult, £5.50 child (day rover) - Northern & Virgin East Coast.
●Peak Rail: Matlock, £5 adult, £4 child - East Midland Trains and stations.
●Bure Valley: Wroxham, Abellio Greater Anglia stations and trains, (day rovers) adult £9 child £6.
●Severn Valley: Kidderminster, day rover £15 adult, £10 child, London Midland and Chiltern Railways.
●Dean Forest: Lydney, add on £8 adult £4 child - CrossCountry trains and served stations.
●Bluebell: East Grinstead, £16 adult, £8 child (day rover) - Southern trains and served stations.
●Museum of GWR: Swindon, adult £5, child £3, senior £3.20 - appropriately Great Western Railway!
●Spa Valley: Eridge (weekends/bank holidays only to October) returns: Groombridge £3, High Rocks
£7 Tunbridge Wells West £9, child half fare - Southern.
●Isle of Wight: Ex-Portsmouth £33.20, child £16.60; ferry &
unlimited travel on the Island Line and IOW Railway.
●South Devon: Totnes - Buckfastleigh return, £9.20 adult,
£5.20 child. Singles/ Staverton tickets also available - GWR.
●Bodmin & Wenford, inclusive: Plymouth & Cornwall: adult
£13, senior £11, child £6, family (1A&2C) £23, (2A& 4C) £35.
Rest of Devon stations: adult £20, senior £19, child £10, fam.
(1A&2C) £30, (2A&4C) £49, GWR and CrossCountry.

[BLN 1252]

X35] ABOVE: Charity Painting Auction for RBF: This amazing original painting by young talented
railway artist and Chiltern Railways employee Josh Watkins is being auctioned off by the Society to
raise money for RBF as part of the Northern Tracker fund raising. Of course, it is signed and dated. The
painting is from a photo by BLS Official Photographer Geoff Plumb taken at Carnforth after our recent
EDF Tracker with WCRC. Josh has donated his time and materials for the project so all the money will
go to the charity. An opening bid of over £99 has already been received. The winner will be highest
bid received by 19.00 on Sunday 6 March. Payment can be made by the usual Debit or Credit cards.

Please Text your name and amount to 07581178759.

Distribution: Dave Monger, 6 Underhill Close, GODALMING, GU7 1NU. [email protected] 07592 585230.
Branch Line: Nick Garnham, [email protected] Subscribe: [email protected]
Fixtures Secretary: Kev Adlam, 53 Kemble Close, Wistaston, CREWE CW2 6XN. [email protected] Twitter: @BLSGeneralSec
> > > > > > > > FIXTURES SECRETARY TELEPHONE: MONDAYS TO FRIDAYS ONLY PLEASE: 20.30-21.30 01270 662 396 < < < < < < < <
General Secretary: Tim Wallis, 10 Sandringham Road, Stoke Gifford, BRISTOL, BS34 8NP. [email protected]
Chairman: John Williamson, 'La Marguerite', Croit-E-Quill Rd., LAXEY, Isle of Man, IM4 7JD. [email protected]
SALES: Mark Gomm, 84 Mornington Road, STOKE-ON-TRENT, ST1 6EL. [email protected] 01782 769960 (daytime).
NEWS TEAM: Wales: Paul Jeffries, 54 Heol Erwin, CARDIFF, CF14 6QR. [email protected]
South East England, East Anglia & Ireland: Julian James, 58 Nelson Road, WORTHING, BN12 6EN. [email protected]
London: Geoff Brockett, 155 Onslow Gardens, South Woodford, LONDON, E18 1NA. [email protected]
East & West Midlands: Brian Schindler, 15 Sudeley, Dosthill, TAMWORTH, B77 1JR. [email protected]
South West: Mike Newman, 19 Plover Close, Worle, Weston-Super-Mare, BS22 8XB [email protected]

North East England: Geoff Blyth, 26 Trafalgar Way, Queens Park, Billericay, CM12 0UT [email protected]
Scotland: Mike McCabe, Lawrenceholme Barn, Oulton, Wigton, CA7 0PH [email protected]
IMPORTANT: MIKE'S EMAIL ADDRESS HAS AN 'UNDERSCORE' IN IT i.e. _ THIS IS NOT A 'SPACE'

Northern (West) Yorkshire, Humberside, & IOM : Graeme Jolley, 3 Laurel Cottages, Rencell Hill, LAXEY, IOM, IM4 7BJ. [email protected]
Minor Railways (British Isles): Peter Scott, 93 Josephine Court, Southcote Rd, READING, RG30 2DQ. [email protected]
E-BLN (Distribution problems and for image submission etc): Dave Cromarty, [email protected]
Editor/Head Lines: Paul Stewart, 4 Clarence Close, MALVERN, WR14 3HX. [email protected] 01684 562862 07790652351.
Printed by Deva Enterprises, Waters Edge, The Drive, Ifold, LOXWOOD, West Sussex, RH14 0TD 01403 752837 [email protected] or
[email protected] Published by the Branch Line Society, 10 Sandringham Rd, Stoke Gifford, BRISTOL, BS34 8NP. ISSN 1354-0947.