Okehampton

[whole diary]

[Jamsdad]

That is very good news

[TonyK]

Here are a couple of photos of the first sleepers  being unloaded at Okehampton station.





These are reproduced with the kind permission of the owner and copyright holder, Mark Fabiano, who is a Colas Rail driver. The pictures were first shared on the North Devon Railways Facebook page, and all credit to the organisers of that too. It is well worth a look through.

[TonyK]

Looks like two trips between Exeter and Okehampton, then away to Derby.

[smokey]

Whilst New Rails are a very good thing, why would NR^» (Network Rail - home page) want to renew the Mile off NEW track that was placed down by the New High output train within the last 10 years?

[grahame]

I'm seeing a suggestion (would be in"rumour mill" if we didn't have an Okehampton thread!) that the track in platform 2 is to be taken up, as the separation between national network trains running into platform 1 from the heritage trains / stock stored in platform 2 does not meet modern H&S^▸ (Health and Safety) Standards.    Can anyone confirm?  How seriously will this effect any heritage operations?

[bradshaw]

If NR^» (Network Rail - home page) have taken back ownership of the track then any use by a Heritage railway will need the locomotives and stock to be mainline certificated.
If the Dartmoor stock is not so certificated then they either have to obtain certification at a significant cost or remain physically separated.
Can anyone confirm what their status is?

[RichardB]

If NR^» (Network Rail - home page) have taken back ownership of the track then any use by a Heritage railway will need the locomotives and stock to be mainline certificated.
If the Dartmoor stock is not so certificated then they either have to obtain certification at a significant cost or remain physically separated.
Can anyone confirm what their status is?

I think you're right but generally it's still way too early for any of this, I'm afraid.  As I understand it, Network Rail are still in negotiation with Aggregate Industries about buying the line. 

[bradshaw]

My comment was promoted by the Trackwatch (p106) in the January Modern Railways says that the Okehapton line from th former boundary at 183m 79ch has been  brought back into Network Rail control.

[RichardB]

My comment was promoted by the Trackwatch (p106) in the January Modern Railways says that the Okehapton line from th former boundary at 183m 79ch has been  brought back into Network Rail control.

Yes, I know.  Still not owned by Network Rail though, that's the key. 

[trainbuff]

I heard on a Facebook group that platform 1 stub is to be reconnected (by the old goods shed) to allow Heritage services towards Meldon and platform 2 track to be taken up. Platform 3 is the side with the main buildings, not Platform 1. See:-

((link))

As an aside, the track in Platform 2 was extended a few years ago and maybe it is just this extension that does not meet standards. Just a thought


Edit - I have replaced a very long URL which was causing display issues for this post with the word "link" which will click you through to the same place anyway - GrahamE .  It points to a picture in a Railfuture article ((here)) - and I have mirrored the picture ((here))

[REVUpminster]

Network rail are spending an awful lot of money on renewing track if they don't own it.

Will Meldon Quarry reopen? I thought that was only a rumour. Has the heritage line gone bust? I know heritage companies rise like Phoenix from the ashes. As an aside I did not see the Dartmouth Steam Railway on the list of heritage lines to get a grant or loan. South Devon Railway did; probably to put a floor in the toilet.

[RichardB]

Network rail are spending an awful lot of money on renewing track if they don't own it.

Will Meldon Quarry reopen? I thought that was only a rumour. Has the heritage line gone bust? I know heritage companies rise like Phoenix from the ashes. As an aside I did not see the Dartmouth Steam Railway on the list of heritage lines to get a grant or loan. South Devon Railway did; probably to put a floor in the toilet.

Network Rail haven't actually done that much work on the line yet - an awful lot of study work to establish what needs to be done to bring it up to scratch and some track work to allow test trains to run.  The test trains have been followed by delivery trains and, as we are seeing, a lot of materials have been and are being delivered.  Clearly Network Rail are confident of doing the deal with Aggregate Industries and that the Government will fund most if not all of the infrastructure work identified.  Absolute worse case, all the materials could be taken away again.

No-one knows yet re Meldon Quarry and yes, the heritage line did go bust (or rather its American parent did and took the Dartmoor Railway with it).

[REVUpminster]

With the track laid at St Ives and tamping taking place, maybe some of the workforce will move to Okehampton? Three months to do the work before the timetable change.

[RichardB]

With the track laid at St Ives and tamping taking place, maybe some of the workforce will move to Okehampton? Three months to do the work before the timetable change.

Have to say, I'm not expecting a Summer Sunday service this year or an early introduction of the full daily service.  It's ten years since the last stone trains and the line needs a good bit of work before any year round regular daily service can be introduced.

It'll be worth the wait.

[TonyK]

A mile and a half of track at St Ives is taking 5 weeks. Okehampton will take longer - is it 14,000 sleepers at Okehampton against 3,600 at St Ives?

But there is a will to do it at last.