Meanderings in Dorset and Devon

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ge_rik
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Meanderings in Dorset and Devon

Post by ge_rik » Sat Oct 13, 2018 8:39 am

The results of recent ambling around Dorset and Devon. To clarify, when I retired I set myself the challenge of visiting every narrow gauge and miniature railway in the UK and Ireland. When I discovered there were over 500, I restricted myself to those of 12" gauge or over. - which still gave me a goal of 200+. I've now visited around 80 but, of course, they are now getting further afield. It's a bit frustrating when I travel a long way to see one and find it isn't open as advertised, as happened with the Hayling Island Railway on this trip.

This trip's bag ......

The Bicton Woodland Railway - 18" gauge - originally used ex Woolwich Arsenal equipment - https://ngruk.blogspot.com/2018/10/bict ... ilway.html
Burlesdon Brickworks Railway (Hampshire Narrow Gauge Railway Trust) - 2' gauge - collection of ex industrial stock on steam powered brickworks site - {I'm wondering now if there's room for a brickworks on the PLR!} - https://ngruk.blogspot.com/2018/10/burs ... arrow.html
Exbury Gardens Steam Railway - 12ΒΌ" gauge - interesting trackplan, partly built on a reclaimed landfill site - https://ngruk.blogspot.com/2018/10/exbu ... ilway.html
The Gartell Light Railway - 2' gauge - fascinating railway partly built on the trackbed of the S&DJR. On Open Days three locos 'in steam' leaving every 20 mins. Fully signalled. https://ngruk.blogspot.com/2018/10/the- ... ilway.html
Hythe Pier Railway - 2' gauge - the world's oldest continuously running pier railway - still using the original 1920s DC third rail power cars - http://ngruk.blogspot.com/2018/10/hythe ... ilway.html
Seaton Tramway - 2' 9" gauge - impressive reduced scale replicas of tramcars running on trackbed of Seaton Branch Railway - frequent service even during off peak season - https://ngruk.blogspot.com/2018/10/seaton-tramway.html

Still got to edit the videos, but blogged my impressions of each line for anyone interested.

Rik
Last edited by ge_rik on Sat Oct 13, 2018 10:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Meanderings in Dorset and Devon

Post by gregh » Sat Oct 13, 2018 9:22 am

I've read a couple of the blogs so far. Your descriptions and pictures are really well done - it's just like I was there with you (wish, wish). I'll tackle the rest over the weekend.
As usual I am jealous of all the restored railways (and other industrial stuff) you have in UK. They seem to be around every corner and volunteers everywhere.
Greg from downunder.
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Re: Meanderings in Dorset and Devon

Post by Snailrail » Sat Oct 13, 2018 10:21 am

Thanks Rik, a very entertaining read and excellent pictures. As Greg says we really are very lucky with the number of these little lines around the country. A couple of those I'd not heard of before reading your blog. I must make the effort to visit one or two.
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Re: Meanderings in Dorset and Devon

Post by FWLR » Sun Oct 14, 2018 11:33 am

Another brilliant read on some brilliant lines. You are fantastic at visiting and describing these lines Rik. We have put some of them on our list to visit .

I guess also you may have some ideas from your visit to the Burlesdon Brickworks Railway. I am sure a man of your talents can build something that would be of interest to all of us.

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Re: Meanderings in Dorset and Devon

Post by ge_rik » Sun Oct 14, 2018 3:40 pm

FWLR wrote: ↑Sun Oct 14, 2018 11:33 am I guess also you may have some ideas from your visit to the Burlesdon Brickworks Railway.
Hi Rod
I was fascinated by the brickworks. Firstly by how uncomplicated the process is and secondly by how they mechanised the process using steam power. I'll do some research. I'm not sure how close the nearest brickworks was to me. Certainly there is clay in this area, as my back and knees will testify after digging the garden, bu whether it's the right sort of clay? Always on the lookout for another lineside industry...... ;)

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Re: Meanderings in Dorset and Devon

Post by ge_rik » Sun Oct 14, 2018 3:45 pm

Not found any evidence of a brickworks, but this sounds like a fascinating alternative lineside industry. Maybe I'll not try and replicate the smell, though.

http://www.tattenhallhistory.co.uk/tatt ... boneworks/

Rik
PS - Just noticed the photo of the Boneworks was taken from the chimney of the Brickworks. Looks like I'll need to do more research
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Re: Meanderings in Dorset and Devon

Post by ge_rik » Sun Oct 14, 2018 3:59 pm

A bit more digging in the village archives came up with this gem

The stench from the Boneworks – don’t mention it – I can smell it now. It always smelled, our bungalow was right opposite – it was worse in the summer months. There was a big manure heap with elephant manure from the zoo. It used to come in off the railway and was brought by a horse and cart and was dumped right in front of our bungalow. The bones came in the same way and they were all piled up

I'm just trying to imagine the manifest for the pick-up goods ....... bones and elephant dung on the Down Train, fertliser and pots of glue on the Up. :shock:

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Re: Meanderings in Dorset and Devon

Post by philipy » Sun Oct 14, 2018 5:18 pm

Many years ago I came across a genuine photo of a wagon liveried for The Scottish Fish Oil & Guano Company. I couldn't resist it and we used to run it next a GW Manure wagon ( which had a built in smoke unit so that it steamed). :lol:
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Re: Meanderings in Dorset and Devon

Post by IanC » Sun Oct 14, 2018 7:13 pm

I visited the Seaton Tramway around twenty or more years ago. At the midway station, Colyford there used to be an interesting shop that sold all kinds of things including used good quality tools and some railway books. The trip on the tramway was interesting too. I recall there were one or two relics of the SR including a signal post. Colyford used to have a filling station (closed in 2013) used by T E Lawrence - Lawrence of Arabia fame. It's a lovely part of the world.
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Re: Meanderings in Dorset and Devon

Post by FWLR » Mon Oct 15, 2018 8:32 am

I think you would build a fantastic Brickworks Rik.

There used to be one in the village I live in, that had a branch line from the Southport to Preston Line. Unfortunately both no longer exist.

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/l/lo ... ndex.shtml

This link is about Longton Bridge Station, which was on the The West Lancashire Railway.
I used to go to Preston with Mum & Dad from Southport every week, ( Mum liked to shop there ). It was I guess were in the back of my mind how I found myself having a garden railway.


longton(stationsuk_c1950)bridge_old12.jpg
longton(stationsuk_c1950)bridge_old12.jpg (48.17 KiB) Viewed 5591 times
This was the station were you can see the Brickworks Chimney. It was very close, unfortunately no matter how hard I look online, I can’t find anything more on the Brickworks.

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Re: Meanderings in Dorset and Devon (+ Boneworks and Brickworks)

Post by ge_rik » Mon Oct 15, 2018 8:54 am

FWLR wrote: ↑Mon Oct 15, 2018 8:32 am ......., unfortunately no matter how hard I look online, I can’t find anything more on the Brickworks.
I'm having the same problem. I've found quite a few reminiscences about the brickworks in Tattenhall, but no real factual information and so far no pictures. I have discovered the owner was Richard Snag, but that's about it. Looks like I might have to visit my local Records Office.

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Re: Meanderings in Dorset and Devon

Post by FWLR » Mon Oct 15, 2018 9:08 am

I think it would be well worth it Rik, and it would be another brilliant build from you.

I think it would look great near your Sawmill, well not to near…… :lol: :lol:

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Re: Meanderings in Dorset and Devon

Post by IanC » Mon Oct 15, 2018 10:29 am

It must be a thing about brickworks. I have a friend trying to research the brickworks located at Elson in Shropshire. Perusal of the usual sources, including google earth have yielded no results. There was a brickworks as trains serving it appear in working timetables. Nothing else has come to light yet.
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Re: Meanderings in Dorset and Devon

Post by FWLR » Mon Oct 15, 2018 11:57 am

Looking online it seems most Brickworks had 3 or 4 sheds and some drying sheds. All had one to 3 Chimneys, with all having a really tall one.

These links show some of them.

http://images-of-burscough.co.uk/index. ... ick-works/

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=ph ... &FORM=IGRE

This photo, shows one of them off very well I thought.

440px-Ziegelei_Schwarting.jpg
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It is a German or Swiss Works, but I believe they were pretty much the same.

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Re: Meanderings in Dorset and Devon

Post by philipy » Mon Oct 15, 2018 1:18 pm

Don't know if this is of any use, but near to Grafton, Wilts, on the MSWJR there was a brickworks at Dodsdown , wich was served by a single track std gauge 'tramway' off the mainline at Grafton station. The bricks it produced were used to build the various Victorian military facilities on Salisbury Plain.
There is a website called Swindons Other Railway, which has OS maps of the area and a picture of the brickworks and farm.

P/C: http://www.swindonsotherrailway.co.uk/dod11.html

Maps: http://www.swindonsotherrailway.co.uk/dod53.html
http://www.swindonsotherrailway.co.uk/dod39.html
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Re: Meanderings in Dorset and Devon

Post by Andrew » Mon Oct 15, 2018 1:48 pm

A brickworks could be fun...

I think there might be some pictures of brickworks lines in the Industrial Narrow Gauge book the Association gave away a while ago and/or a book I have at home about narrow gauge lines in Surrey. As I recall one line had tram-like electric locos with flat bits between two cabs where bricks could be stacked, and another had funny looking wagons with a sort of lattice structure on top for loading unfired bricks onto - the whole lot would then be pushed into the kiln. I think the (i/c) locos on that line had additional platework around the cab to shield the driver from the heat. PM me if photos would be helpful...

With all the industry springing up along your line it'll have a Compton Down feel soon! Lots of potential for interesting wagon-loads. Actually, I think the Hythe Pier locos (back on topic!) started life at the WW1 mustard gas factory at Avonmouth (later Imperial Smelting and home to Statfold's "Wren", Roger, and the Avon Valley's SG Avonside), but I don't think that's something you'd want to recreate!

Great work on the NG lines blog, by the way, I really enjoy reading them all...

All the best,

Andrew.

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Re: Meanderings in Dorset and Devon

Post by laalratty » Mon Oct 15, 2018 8:19 pm

There is a brickworks still in production not too far from me near Claughton in the Lune valley. It's big claim to fame is that it is served by Britian's last surviving aerial ropeway, bringing clay down from Caton moor to the brickworks at Claughton. There did used to be two ropeways, but the second one fell out of use at least 20 years ago, probably longer, and the remaining ropeway was closed for a while but was revived a few years ago. The works seems to be doing well, when I last passed along the road it crosses yesterday (a Sunday of course so I was expecting inactivity) the ropeway was actually operating.
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Re: Meanderings in Dorset and Devon

Post by FWLR » Tue Oct 16, 2018 10:11 am

Brilliant that Phil…

Here are some more images to peruse.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=ph ... &FORM=IGRE

Sorry Rik, don’t mean to hijack your thread.

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Re: Meanderings in Dorset and Devon

Post by ge_rik » Tue Oct 16, 2018 10:20 am

Thanks for the links. I might be able to piece together sufficient info to hazard an intelligent guess as to what was at Tattenhall. The bickmaking process was so simple (dig clay, transport to brickworks, churn clay a bit, force it into moulds, leave bricks to air dry for a couple of days, fire in kiln, stack and transport to outside world).

Just got to work out where it (and or the Boneworks) could be sited.

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Re: Meanderings in Dorset and Devon

Post by Peter Butler » Tue Oct 16, 2018 10:39 am

You're gonna need a bigger garden Rik!
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