Yeovil Pen Mill

[whole diary]

[grahame]

And this obscure reference is a regular occurance in this Staffordshire backwater?

Can't say I've ever heard it before. Perhaps more appropriate for our area would be doing a "Clifton Down".

It's infection from another thread where this had come up with the same group of us posting:
Original story at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-48887425
First ref http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=20898.msg268664#msg268664
More at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=20898.msg268679#msg268679

Yes, "doing a Clifton Down" might fit.   Or even "doing a Reading" when trains are so late they don't made Paddington!

[infoman]

Not to mention it being called a Great Malvern

[rogerpatenall]

or, in the future, a Yeovil?

[grahame]

Sadly the branches to Yeovil Town went a long time ago, if they had been there it probably would have been a good candidate for the PPM^▸ (Parry People Mover, or Pence Per Mile, or Public Performance Measure - depending on context).

Pictures Somerset Live this morning.

...

In October 1966 the last passenger trains departed, and five months later - having been used for freight and parcel traffic - the station closed completely.

The loss of the station - which followed the culling of Hendford Halt in 1964 - and the closure of the Yeovil to Taunton line, left the town in the ludicrous position of having no direct rail link between the two largest towns in the region.

It is a farcical situation that persists to this very day.

[bradshaw]

Yeovil’s first station was at Hendford and opened by the Bristol and Exeter in 1853. It was at the bottom of Hendford Hill, where Bradfords is now. In by 1856 the line had been extended to Yeovil Pen Mill to meet the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway allowing construction materials to be brought to the site.
Pen Mill station opened in September 1856 by the WS&WR and extended to Weymouth the following January.
B&E^▸ (Bristol & Exeter railway, or 'breaking & entering' (burglary) depending on context) services were extended from Hendford to Pen Mill in February 1857.

Brian Jackson’s book Yeovil - 159 years of Railways” is a good reference; p26/7 for photos of Hendford station.

Hendford halt was opened in 1932 to service the developing Westland’s site.

[SandTEngineer]

Yeovil’s first station was at Hendford and opened by the Bristol and Exeter in 1853. It was at the bottom of Hendford Hill, where Bradfords is now. In by 1856 the line had been extended to Yeovil Pen Mill to meet the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway allowing construction materials to be brought to the site.
Pen Mill station opened in September 1856 by the WS&WR and extended to Weymouth the following January.
B&E^▸ (Bristol & Exeter railway, or 'breaking & entering' (burglary) depending on context) services were extended from Hendford to Pen Mill in February 1857.

Brian Jackson’s book Yeovil - 159 years of Railways” is a good reference; p26/7 for photos of Hendford station.

Hendford halt was opened in 1932 to service the developing Westland’s site.

Puts the complexities of building HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) in the shade.....

[paul7575]

My question about Parry People Movers, is will there ever be another order?  They’ve obviously found a bit of niche in Stourbridge, but is it really the only opportunity?

Paul

[TonyK]

My question about Parry People Movers, is will there ever be another order?  They’ve obviously found a bit of niche in Stourbridge, but is it really the only opportunity?

Paul

It's a good question. There are probably may routes on which they could be used for the last few miles from an extant line along a mothballed line. Some of those may merit a "proper" rail service, though, and we all know what happens when temporary measures are put in place on a railway.

[didcotdean]

I'd be interested in the reaction if this was suggested between Cholsey and Wallingford 

[grahame]

My question about Parry People Movers, is will there ever be another order?  They’ve obviously found a bit of niche in Stourbridge, but is it really the only opportunity?

Paul

It's a good question. There are probably may routes on which they could be used for the last few miles from an extant line along a mothballed line. Some of those may merit a "proper" rail service, though, and we all know what happens when temporary measures are put in place on a railway.

One can imagine on current mothballed and freight lines and short light relays (most of these intentionally provocative! and members will rule them out straight away!)
Lostwithiel to almost-Fowey
Bere Alston to Tavistock
Newton Abbott to Heathfield
Taunton to Bishop's Lydeard
Bedminster to Ashton Gate
Avonmouth to Chitterning
Yate to Iron Acton
Kemble to Cirencester
Swindon to Taw Valley
Oxford to Cowley
Honeybourne to Long Marston
Ashchurch to Tewkesbury
Cholsey to Wallingford 
Southall to Brentford
Andover to Ludgershall
Totton to Fawley
Burbage to Marlborough
Alton to Four Oaks
Aberdare to Hirwaun
Ystrad Mynach to Bedlinog
Neath to Aberdulais
Maesteg to Nantyfflion
Pontardulais to GCG
Letterston to Trecwm
Newport to Docks
Problem with any of these ... big setup costs these days.  If they succeed they need something with more capacity, and if they fail it's been money poorly spent.   As independent tramways, perhaps?

[eightf48544]

I think the main problem with the PPM^▸ (Parry People Mover, or Pence Per Mile, or Public Performance Measure - depending on context) currently is capacity. Having travelled on it on a Saturday morning to and from Stourbridge Town. With a 10 minute service most trains from Stourbridge T were full and standing and the the trains from the junction weren't empty either.

It would have been interesting to be there to see the return journies in the afternoon.

Also not sure of its climbing ability, Ystrad Mynach to Bedlinog might be beyond its capabilities, although capacity would probably not be a problem

[Reginald25]

More seriously and current, it would be helpful if a safer walking route were to be established between the two Yeovil stations. I walked from PenMill to Junction along a fast but no pathway road, until a footpath sign pointed to the Junction stn. Returning, I eventually got a taxi, but only by taking one that had dropped someone off, no taxi company could send out a car for a couple of hours then (it was a Sunday).

[johnneyw]

Just had a look at the current (Dec 2020) PPM^▸ (Parry People Mover, or Pence Per Mile, or Public Performance Measure - depending on context) newsletter. Looks like there's some interesting R&D going on in conjunction with a local college into a new self powered bogie. I've long felt there have been overlooked opportunities for their technologies, especially when coupled with the accompanying new ligher, cheaper and faster track tech.

[JontyMort]

One can imagine on current mothballed and freight lines and short light relays (most of these intentionally provocative! and members will rule them out straight away!)

<snip>

Alton to Four Oaks

<snip>

That might need quite a large flywheel, Graham!

The big problem seems to be the need to operate the beast on a “one engine in steam” basis - fine for Stourbridge, of course.

[grahame]

One can imagine on current mothballed and freight lines and short light relays (most of these intentionally provocative! and members will rule them out straight away!)

<snip>
Alton to Four Oaks
<snip>

That might need quite a large flywheel, Graham!

The big problem seems to be the need to operate the beast on a “one engine in steam” basis - fine for Stourbridge, of course.

Darn it - make it (Medstead and) Four Marks then.  I remember numbers not names.