The Lavender Line

I am a member of this railway and although very small is a great place to visit for a quiet day out. I went today and managed to get some pics and video of the steam service which is intermittent! A great place for enthusiasts as not a hug visitor population which is good and bad. Good because its not that commercialised and bad as it means less income for the railway. Please see the website of the society in my signature link, for the history of the line and the preservation era. If you're in Sussex, try and visit the county's best kept secret!

Some of my pics are here and I will upload some to the gallery later:

MY PICS

And some video here:

MY VIDEO

Enjoy!

NB: Posted in Steam and the Diesel forums as it features both............

[Arthur Maunsell]

if the proposed reopening of that line by the National Opertaor whoever that is (Network rail is it?) goes ahead, how will your line fare? good news or bad?

TBH I cannot see the proposals happening. Much of the land going to Lewes has been sold off and developed. The line towards Uckfield requires bridges and the landowners don't seem that keen for any railway to be re-instated.

If it was to go ahead and obtain the £millions it would require I suppose it would be a case of compulsory purchase from the society (and the private tenant still living at the station!) and re-location of the stock. Or more wildly, perhaps they could fund the trackwork and infrastructure and ask the society to run the services, similarly as the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch railway runs schools trains.

I can' see it ever getting off the ground however, its just platitudes to the green lobby.....

[bramleyman]

I feel the Lavender Line should be Congratulated on their achievements and wish them Good Luck with their project.

In Norfolk, there have been a few attempts to restore the Kings Lynn to Hunstanton rail link, but sadly much of the land has since been built on. Okay so some people have suggested a diversionary route with some slight variation to the original track-bed, but there have also been a few self-opinionated 'Experts' putting their 10p's worth in and putting other obstructions in the way, so it has never been done.

The Wisbech & March Bramley Line have been working to restore their link for the last 5 years and now all of a sudden, some joker has come up with an impossible proposal to restore it to Main-Line running, then starting an Express-Speed Service, with trains getting from Wisbech to Cambridge, making 5 stops en-route and in literally 35 minutes each-way.

NR have assured the Group that NO TOC is even interested in the line, let alone trying the impossible of getting from Wisbech to Cambridge with 5 stops and in 35 minutes. Some people get some weird ideas.

The Group have two websites on www.bramleyline.org.uk and www.freewebs.com/bramleylinesupporters

I like the Lavender Line as it is to be perfectly honest. It really is a small affair with very little there and it is just great. Crowds, mainline engines and speed are taken care of a few miles up the road at the Bluebell, but the essence of amateurs enjoying themselves amongst old railway relics whilst running a short and sweet public service from an old station to frankly nowhere has been lost but found at the Lavender Line. I like the fact that there is not a lot there and the line is short and ends in nothing. A short extension into Uckfield would be good maybe in the future, but that should be it in my view or the character would change and it would end up just another preserved line. That simple, almost innocent, approach is something missing from a lot of lines who sadly too often see themselves as a tourist business and not a group of like minded folk getting together on a weekend to play trains.....

[richard thompson]

I am a Chasewater member which sounds like a similar set-up to the Lavender line. If there were no places like these the smaller engines would be lost in sidings which would be sad as they have their place in railway and industrial history and quite clearly the use larger railways would give them is so little only the most enthusiastic owner would overhaul them.
Richard.

[Arthur Maunsell]

Originally Posted by SouthernSteam

TBH I cannot see the proposals happening. Much of the land going to Lewes has been sold off and developed. The line towards Uckfield requires bridges and the landowners don't seem that keen for any railway to be re-instated.

If it was to go ahead and obtain the £millions it would require I suppose it would be a case of compulsory purchase from the society (and the private tenant still living at the station!) and re-location of the stock. Or more wildly, perhaps they could fund the trackwork and infrastructure and ask the society to run the services, similarly as the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch railway runs schools trains.

I can' see it ever getting off the ground however, its just platitudes to the green lobby.....

that sounds like I imagined it to be...its dead easy to look at a map and say lets put that back isnt it...reality is different to the map...have a look here to see a map-cap project that is actually going ahead and costing MILLIONS of euro...

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=141318

Off topic....

Originally Posted by Arthur Maunsell

Last edited by Arthur Maunsell : Yesterday at 20:00. Reason: senility

[Arthur Maunsell]

well, it ASKED for a reason and thats it.....

[bramleyman]

I have been speaking with some Bramley Line members and we have every intention of visiting and so supporting the Lavender Line sometime. It is not a question of what there is to offer, but the fact there are people out there who are prepared to do the work and at least try to offer the general public another place of interest to visit when in that area and for whatever reason. Every other 'Preserved Line' had to start small, so why not both the Lavender & Bramley Lines?

Come on folks, give us the support you offer to the bigger lines that had to start small? It's not that much to ask is it?