Dr Beeching anniversary

[paule]

It's 50 years since Dr Beeching was appointed. I'm writing an article about it. Was anyone involved in trying to save lines in the south of England? Isle of Wight, Hampshire, South Coast? Love to talk to you if you were.
Regards
Paule

[bramleyman]

For anybody else on here who is interested, there is an Interesting article in the magazine Best of British, Past & Present @£3.75. and in the current issue.

[Belmont Road]

Hi Paule,

Yes I was part of the campaign to save the Isle of Wight railways. I was a member of the Isle of Wight Railway Retention Society. The campaign was partially successful as it helped to save the Ryde to Shanklin line. Ventnor was a bitter loss and was nearly re-opened the following year. I have a lot of details on this.

Ryde to Cowes really needed now as believe it or not we can have severe congestion on this road network. Journeys here can take up to three times longer than the steam trains!!

They called it progress in the 1960's replacing outdated technology was the road lobby campaign.....but don't get me on that one!!!

[Bubblewrap]

Beeching - - - what happens when you get an accountant to run your railways.

[pre65]

Originally Posted by Bubblewrap

Beeching - - - what happens when you get an accountant to run your railways.

Does anyone not wonder how things would have worked out if Beeching had not been given the job ?

[steam for ever]

I imagine that some lines would have still closed, but many other railways such as the North Cornwall line (which was visited by the inspectors on the wrong day of the week, the wrong time of day and the wrong time of year. No attention was apid to the lines summer traffic when the line was heaving. Many railways in Wales and Scotland would still be here. If BR had properly embraced the railbus then even more lines could have been retained. In the 1950s perhaps the Midland and Geat Northern Joint system could have been retained. That is if the railbuses were applied with minimal staffed lines and simply signalled.

[bramleyman]

I fully respect Beeching was the Axeman of our railways, but he wasn't responsible for All of them.

What is now known as the Wisbech & March Bramley Line, was one of the lines he said to Keep open, but it was closed to passengers anyway, remaining a freight only, until 2002, when Network Rail closed it off after the last freight, due to lack of work.

If you go to www.bramleyline.org.uk the Official website, you can get up to date details, as to how this project is going, despite recent thefts of rails, chairs, nuts & bolts, pegs, and fishplates, the thieving toe-rags.

[ianrail]

Some of the most negative aspects of the Beeching era were the closure mentality it encouraged amongst BR management, the mad panic and irreversibility of closure together with the dishonesty about passenger numbers and the so-called losses incurred by branch lines. Even a child would have been able to point out to Beeching how much main line revenue was generated from the branch lines so, when you close the branch lines - surprise, surprise - greater losses on the main lines.

I was too young to get involved in any opposition to the closure in 1966 of the "Steyning Line" between Shoreham and Horsham and I don't know how vigorous a campaign was launched to try and save it. Do any other Forum members know? All I know is that BR, in their usual dishonest way at the time, later tried to claim they "regretted" closing the line - whilst they continued the closure programme elsewhere.

[Belmont Road]

Just a postscript. Don't focus all of this on Beeching. As has been said many times before on this site look wider at the political climate.

Earnest Marples (with total government support) wanted a hatchet man to slash the railways , Beeching was a good employee and did his bidding well.

Don't also forget Serpell, the Thatcher government finally shelved his report but it was a close run thing.

[ACE]

Originally Posted by Belmont Road

Just a postscript. Don't focus all of this on Beeching. As has been said many times before on this site look wider at the political climate.

Earnest Marples (with total government support) wanted a hatchet man to slash the railways , Beeching was a good employee and did his bidding well.

Don't also forget Serpell, the Thatcher government finally shelved his report but it was a close run thing.

Exactly how I see it, great reply, with reason
These days,on a personal basis,we should concentrate on NOW and the future of RAIL, too many 'dwell on the past' , whether it's right or wrong, it's gone,leave it to the Historians, learn from it by all means...