The whole project is going to be slightly different to other railways.
We are doing this to help the area and hopefully create jobs in the long term.
I am not questioning knowledge, but we are keeping some info secret while bussiness talks are underway, so this way we cannot create false hopes and stop people from stealing credit.

I have mentioned that I am constructing a website and I am due to write to the magazines.
I have not done this already as we did not have enough information to give.
At this stage we were still inspecting the track bed.
Remember this is a trackbed that has had quite a bit of soft landscaping done, so that will take time.
We also need to inspect bollington viaduct, which with its enourmous size, will be a monumental task.

We do not own the trackbed at this stage, so there are some things we cannot do yet.
We may have to stick to council ownership.

It was not my decision to keep some info though, but bussiness advisiors have saaid it is a good idea.
Hope this helps and I will try to answer more questions.

My view is that railway interest should not lie with people who have had past experience and dedicated enthusiasts and I want to give some oprtunities to the wider public that perhaps other railways don't.
I do have some experience and I would not be doing this If I did not have a dedicated interest in railways.

Some news.
I am beginning to design a crest as art is a hobby of mine.
I might be able to add it to the gallery in a few weeks or maybe in a shorter time.

I would be very suprised if you did own the track bed or have an agreement with the council or Network Rail or whoever owns the land. It took us 9 years to achieve that although we were doing it around the time of Rail Privatisation and then the Railtrack fiasco. We eventually bought the line from Network Rail! We were allowed on the line to start clearing trees etc before we took over the line.

This is all very well but when it comes to the actual work you may well find that the core of your labour force will be railway enthusiasts and if you are lucky retired railway staff. If you put forward a good case to the local community showing how they could benifit you might get their money when you launch a share issue. 50% of the share holders in our Railway live in the Valley.

Best wishes,

John H-T.

I did not say that we would do this without proffessionals entirely.
Network rail does not own the trackbed.
It is Cheshire east council.
We hope talks will start soon.

For when the website is competed, we are having a video made that will feature me, Lord Millett and other supporters.
It will include a bit of filming of the line and we will explain a bit more about how things are working.
There will be sections of how to join and how to get in touch.
There will also artists impressions of the railway and an area to ask questions.
This will perhaps created a better understanding of what we are doing here.

Something also worth mentioning is the plans for the future.
We will look for partnerships with other railways which we can put into force if and when we need to.
It is hoped that we will we able to hire a few full time staff and perhaps get a few people from the local heritage and railway modelling groups.
I have now finnished the crest and I am now adding colour to it, so I might have it in the gallery before I said I could.

Some things have been delayed, like meeting dates and that, but this is not without reason.
We felt that it was necessary to get a few more things done to strengthen outr case and make more sense.

Back in your post No.78, you ask if I have ever been involved in this sort of thing? The answer to that question, Sir, is a most emphatic YES! I joined the Severn Valley Railway in 1970, worked for a short while with the P.Way gang at Bridgnorth. I was then approached by a local chap who asked me to join the society restoring Standard Pacific No.70000 BRITANNIA. This I did, and spent 1972 - 1985 helping with the actual restoration, also fund raising:manning a sales stand in all sorts of places in all weathers, also helping out on the societies local branch committee, organising slide and film shows, coach trips, and anything else we could think of to help raise funds and keep the locos profile in the public eye. In total more than thirteen years of fairly intensive involvement.

Oh.
Erm,
well that's me told!:D

I think we would all like to see this when it is finished.

Yes it will be about 5- 10 mins long.

Put it on YouTube !!

Good idea!
First however it will be on the website only as I do not have a youtube account and I do not want anyone stealing the vid.

You may now be thinking that it still doesn't make much sense.
Well sorry about this.

Heres the new revised plan of what to do with the ponds and wild life sections.
We wish to create a diversionry route for nature lovers and we will most likely call it the line side nature trail.
At the stations there will be toilets. At first they might be portaloos but we hope to install proper buildings with time.

I have been looking up coach types for the railway.
We rather like the coaches that are used on the bala lake railway.
As I said Alan keef limeted can supply all of our needs if you care to view their website you will see their range of services.
We hope to use buildings bespoke for their buildings supplies.
If you have a look on their website you can see that they have a wide range of railway products, including coach bodies and stations.

Things do take time however.
At first facilities could be quite basic with a few portacabins around the place as shops and toilets, but we hope to get station canopies and brick buildings.
I have been looking further intothe state of Bollington viaduct and I discovered that it is good and pretty much up to standard.
We will have to inspect the drainage fully however.

Hope this helps!

As you raise the subject, assuming you can persuade the council to either sell or lease you the trackbed, and then grant you planning permission to build your railway after you have successfully defended your Planning Application against the objections from nearby residents, walkers, cyclists and horse riders, how are you going to obtain the finance to...

(a) Obtain a TWO (Transport & Works Order) to establish and operate a railway;
(b) Create a diversionary route for nature lovers;
(c) Purchase the track materials and fencing:
(d) Build the platforms, station buildings, toilets, visitor car parking, etc;
(e) Obtain the locomotive(s) and coaching stock; and
(f) Pay for professional services (surveyor, solicitor, etc)?


Chris

After we have been given permission we will apply for a heritage lottery grant.
Remember that we will be (like any other railway) raising a campaign for funds.

On the point of locoal residents, we know they are for it after their gallant effort to save the line which failed and their equal effort to save Bollington viaduct which succeeded.
We will not be taking up much room as a narrow gauge railway on an old standard gauge double track alignment so walkers and cyclists have not got much to worry about.
Take a look at the gallery of the avon valley railway and on this forums gallery for evidence that it can work.

As I have said there will be a meeting for people with concerns and queries in the not too distant future to explain what is going on and what can be done to sove any problems.
We have no intention of moving the path along the line so we are trying to please both sides.
Again with the nature walk we will try to do as much work as possible with volunteer labour from the local community and perhaps try to get schools involved.

We are trying to created a few jobs as well and we hope to unite the community.
Hope this helped a bit.
If I have missed anything out then please ask for info.

As has been said by other members, locos will be brought in from private owners and if neccessary we will fabricate our own stock with the joiners we have readily available.


In the future we hope to get our own loco, but untill then we will invite anyone who has a loco to make a home at our line.
Lawyers are something that is being discussed at the moment so info on this is limeted.

Thanks for the q's
It helps us keep on our toes!

Right something else.

Is there anything you would lile to see on the line apart from what is mentioned?

Is there anything you have been longing for on a little railway like activities for example?

One thing that has been thought of is quite radical.
We have thought of a dining train for a 2ft gauge railway.
Any thoughts?
We would bring in catering companies and pay them with some of the proceeds.

It won't be anything elaborate but something like soup and a sandwich and cheese and biscuits.
We amy go as far to suggest cakes and simple hot meals for occasional evening trains.
Your opinions please.
(just for your info this will be quite a way in the future if approved)

I personally think that space will be too limited for this. If it was to go ahead your plan of outside caterers may be wise, it's the method we use on the East Lancs, don't know what other lines do though.

Yes I have been looking at the ELR website.
To be honest it was your line that gave me the idea.

I thought it might work because the ffestiniog railway and now the welsh highland railways are doing similar things.
We will still have cafes at both ends though.

Ah right. Well, if you can fit in to a carriage then go for it, it can be a nice revenue stream.

It might work.
If we can get the right coaching stock and perhaps add a touch of pullman livery...
Yes this could get somewhere.

Our 100th post.
Ok a lot of them are mine... well half of them, but I have some news.
We originally wanted a heritage trip to woodword aerodrome nearby but could not beacuse it was a BAE systems factory.

Well yesterday the factory closed so mabe now we have a chance with this.
Another thing is we have thought of a brilliant plan of how to provide a backup when times are hard.
I will talk about this when some more things are finished.
Following our maybe, maybe not we are not sure reply from the council we have been given more time to get ready.
When I say maybe maybe not, I mean the havn't said no, but not yes either.
WE need to porve ourselves.

I have been looking at the exmoor steam railway website and I have discovered that they have a large number of operable NGG16's for sale.
Their locomotive services has interested us, so we are going to look into this further.

Also e have been looking at a very very very long term option for extending to macclesfield, and we have discovered quite a reasonable route.
May I advise that if you want to learn a bit more yourself, you could get an OS map of the local area and of the line.
Swisstrains has already done a bit of research of his own, and well done him.

Things are going well, and the council, from what little has been implied, are pretty eager to get more visitors, like any council would.
After the dates for the meetings can be given, and more council contact has been gained, we can move on and really get into our stride.

Oh and I might put the vid on railway forum.TV at some point.
This will be a while after it has been put on the website.
I am going to have a look at the station at bollington soon, and will go into more detail with this.
There are a few things to be looked at here.
Because of the nature of the proposed site, the station will not be massive anyway.
As a terminus, it will most likley have 2 platforms, but at an angle and the station will have a modest wating room and cafe.
This is the area which was the run up to the original station.
There is some space as it is a raised section, so we will put in a retainig wall to gain extra space.

I come to the point of Higher poynton.
Here the original platforms exist in perfect condition, but as a narrow gauge line they are far too high.
Would anyone object in raising the trackbed to work around this and bringing platform height to suit this?
This would involve lining the surface of the platform sides with clay and basically burying it up to a better hieght for us.

Should we do this and alter an original artifact?
We would put in steel struts into the original trackbed to support the extra weight and also put these steel posts along the platform wall for it to cope with it.

Is changing the the only surviving station be acceptable?
Note that the platforms would not be destroyed, but it will not be possible to see all of them, so it will look like purpose built platforms although original.

Should we do this, or would it be condemmed among people on the forum.
I would be very greatful for your help on this one.

Raising the track bed could cause you all sorts of problems. Would it be possible to build the narrow gauge platform on the other side of the track and keep the standard gauge platform as a feature?

Best wishes,

John H-T.

Hmm.
Well I suppose that we could put flags down inbetween the platforms to create one plat form and let the standard gauge platforms stay as they are.
Anyway the full size ones would not change, but you would not be able to see all of them.
We do need a passing loop around here though.
Any suggestions.
This is one of the tough bits.

If you have an island platform it solves the problem of the passing loop!

Best wishes,

John H-T.

OK, well it might be difficult to fit all this between two standard gauge platforms.
It might work except the station might look a bit strange and how wll the passengers get down?

In order to keep things simple, raising the trackbed seems to be an appealing option.
The only thing is that people may not go for this.

With limited space we are pretty much stuck.
Remember there is the path to think about here as well.
We plan to route that around the back of the platforms.
Oh and now the crest is completed.
It is only a prototype and is coloured with water colours so is a bit untidy around the edges.
I am going to fix this as soon as I can.
The saying on it is "Live the dream of many a year"
What do you think?

When it comes to the eventual buying of our own steam loco, we were thinking of a quarry class 0-4-0.
Hunslet make them new again, but they are a tad expensive for a small loco.
The west lancs line may be able to help us on this one and help us with the first services while we save up for one.
£130,000?
For that little thing?
They are nice but they are not exactly blessed by the pope are they?
Considering how much a G5 is costing.
We wont argue too much.
We realise that they need to make a living.
I am purchasing a manual of one of these soon to familiarise ourselves with the controls.
Being narrow gauge they are quite often obscure.

Something we will come to soon is drivers, but that is still to be discussed.

As a matter of interest SFE how much track do you have laid? You may find you need Deisels in the early stages, at least for construction work!

Best wishes,

John H-T.

A few things for you.
As I have said the council are not saying no, but also not saying yes.
We have a bit of track in our possesion along with a bit of ballast to go with it.
Deisel would be nice I suppose, however if it is viable, we will try a bit of real steam shunting and track trains.
Track has not been laid to date but that could soon change.
Our phase one plan is complete.

Trains will start from a station on the old station approach.
Then trains will go about 300 yards to where the viaduct begins.
Trains will cross the viaduct and will go for a short distace of about 300- 400 yards along the line where there will be a temporary run round.
This track section is about a quarter of a mile.
Not bad we dont think.
There will also be a temp shed at this end.
Once completed the sheds will be at the Marple end.
We have some more track soon to be delivered.
After phase one we hope to fight our way along to poynton.
By fight I mean flattening the ground and laying track of course.
We will hold an event for the first loco on the rails and there will be a chance to join us at the first meetings.

Everything is taking shape now.
We are at the no going back stage, not that we would want to.
We are doing really well.

I am soon going to get in touch with the mational trust.
This is for the lyme park trips.
I have pretty much narrowed down the Higher Poynton station problem.
There are two options.
1. is to raise the trackbed with the method I have described.
2. is to use the old servicing steps part way down each platform and have a lower down set of platfroms inbetween the originals.
I realise that narrow gauge trains are narrower than standard gauge ones, so hopefull there will be enough room for this.
The proposed buildings here are going to be pretty much replicas of the originals as well as new canopies.

Right ok we are getting somewhere.
I have come across roanoke engineering.
Don't worry they didn't close afterall.
Some of their products are avery useful.
The prices are very good.
Does anyone have experience buying from them?
There are a few other people being thought of.
Now I have found some people to make signals and some buildings.
Yes things are going pretty smoothly at the moment.

Ok let me get this right???????? first off you say you want to run a line with preserved steam an diesel loco's, but don't want to tread on the toes of The East Lanc's Railway but have you asked anyone there what they say about you building a Preserved line i think not. Also you say your lines going to run steam an diesel but how do you intend to do this when British Standard Guage is 4'8" an you plan to lay track at 2' guage. If the old formation is twin track why not lay standard guage you plans are all "pie in the sky". An as a gesture to you an you how much are you setting aside for your GRAND viaduct why not just do what is cheeper an build a lovely smooth new grey Concrete bridge it'll look just right an save you shed loads of cash, an are you going to get people to build this railway that know what they are doing or are you going to have persons to help who no nothing about how to build an run a railway.

Good greif!
Sorry, but you quite ovbiously hav'nt read the thread all the way through.
The viaduct was cancelled because we decided to go from marple to bollington only!
Please be reminded that there is a path on the line at present, so we do not want to upset the council.

Remember that there is an economic disaster at the moment.
Standard gauge will be too expensive and take upt too much room.
I am not going to explain it all, as it is all in posts around the thread.
Please read all of it before accusing me of lack of knowledge.
Do not worry, we now have about half of the line planned out in full and more info will always come through as it develops.
Thanks.

I hear that I am offending people with this thread now.
I am going to shut it down if thats the case.
I don't wasnt to cause any problems I really dont.

No-dont shut the thread down, just be more thoughtful about what you write.

Most of the time it seems like you are making it up on the spur of the moment. You do yourself and your cause no favours by being like this.

Sorry.
The thing is it isn't written down, so I do in a way have to make it up, in the sense that I have to basically make a speech in a very short time.
I will try to be more careful.
I will perhaps post a little less often and in bulk.
Would once a week be alright?

Hold on I need to rephrase this.
I am not making it up, but i do not have piece of paper to read from.
Hope thats better.

If I might make a suggestion at this point please,
Perhaps a more dispassionate and objective statement of-
A) Exactly what it is you are trying to achieve
B) What actions have been taken and responses received
C) A factual update.
Your enthusiasm is both understandable and admirable, but thus far it reads as a confusing jumble of "what ifs" and "If onlys".
I am sure that interest in this project would increase if hard facts and a solid proposal was posted here in a clear and informative manner.
I am sorry if this comes across as carping, that I assure you is not my intention.

Are you going to put something on the Bollington page in Wiki about the plans for the line ?

Yes wikipedia is something in the pipeline.
As the website is coming along more slowly than thought, I think I will create one tomorrow.
Its a bit late to do that now, I have a very slow computer.
Rough tor, this is what we have so far.

We want a narrow gauge line of nine miles in length in the long term between bollington and rose hill marple.
This will be of course in the longterm.
In the short term however, I have been sourcing track, and I am having some sleepers made.
Some sleepers are already finnished.
When i have figured out how to get photos off my camera and into my computer, I will be able to show some pics.

The very first step is asking a loco owner to help (we have one in our sights)
and obtaining permission from the council to plinth the loco in bollington station approach and a stand to explain a bit more.
Around this time there will be a meeting in wilmslow for everyone interested.

Here is what we have.
Some track, sleepers and ballast.

We sourced the track from the old peat extraction line at lindow.
(where lindow man was found) The track is in excellent nick because of the peat and is up to standard, but the sleepers have rotted.

So permanent way is what is actively being worked on, so when the order is given, we can begin right away and lay track out of bollington over the viaduct to the temp terminus.
Hope this helps.