Equipment purchases

Equipment purchases

Things are rumbling into gear along the proposed Snapper track lay. Equipment is being organised, stuff purchased - can't talk about all of it yet, but maybe next time. 

Taking that heavy ballast fill down to the site of the culvert several hundred yards away has got some of the working members to think, and for a decent price they got hold of this 3 tonne swivel dumper.

As you can see, it's already there, and going well. The 3 tonne size is the largest that can sensibly be used on the 2ft gauge trackbed, so it's just what the doctor ordered. When the track goes down there will be a lot of ballast ferrying. It's road registered too, so can travel between sites.

 

 

 

And another acquisition !

It's not the biggest thing since sliced bread, but interesting nonetheless - the B&YVRT have obtained a standard gauge Honda powered track trolley, a four seater. It's a EGO4, as per fourth picture below.

The trolley was gifted to us by a member, and has spent a long time in the undergrowth. 

Trolley as recovered.

 

Beneath the vegetation and surface corrosion, however, the basic machine appears remarkably complete and structurally fairly sound. We even recovered the original detachable load platform, although that had become almost a flower/weed bed in its own right.

The EGO4 is designed and currently built for standard gauge, so one of the major parts of the restoration will be converting it to 2 ft gauge for use at Snapper. The intention is to shorten the existing axles and upgrade and reposition the axle bearings appropriately, while retaining as much of the original Geismar running gear and character as possible. Back conversion to standard gauge will be a simple matter.

 

 

 

Power comes from a small Honda GX120 petrol engine, driving through a variable-ratio belt transmission and then by chain drive to the axle. At present the engine doesn’t run, and the whole drive system is seized and clearly been standing for many years, so both are being carefully stripped, inspected and recommissioned rather than simply attempting to fire it up and hope for the best. The chain transmission itself is pleasingly simple and substantial, which should lend itself well to restoration.

There is quite a contrast between the photograph of an EGO4 in service and the machine we dragged out of the weeds, but that’s really the attraction of the project. The aim isn’t to create something new that merely resembles an EGO4, but to bring this particular machine back to life, adapted sympathetically for the L&B gauge.

It should make a very useful - and rather unusual - addition to the railway once completed. There is certainly plenty of work between the “recovered from the jungle” photograph and its first run at Snapper, but that’s half the fun!  

 

 

 

What they are meant to look like when they're in fine fettle.

 

It’ll be several months before the project is complete and its first run, due to there being more pressing issues to overcome, including the culvert at Snapper and the Goods Shed.

Appeal:

As the trolley has spent several years outdoors in a member's back garden, the engine, once tested, proved to be a write off, sadly.

Hence an appeal:  

Does anyone have a Honda GX120 4 hp engine, preferably with 3/4 inch keyed shaft, to donate - that would be appreciated. Our trolly engine is in worse condition than anticipated. Even a non-running engine would be nice as an organ donor.

Thanks for your help! 

News from the culvert.

 

 

 

 

 

A Telehandler was rustled up to take the new concrete culvert sections up from their delivery site to the cut through the track.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Initially the idea was just to carry the 4 sections down to the culvert site.

As you can see, the sections are substantial. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After some reflection, the idea of actully dropping them in popped up. So here goes, after changing from forks to lifting eyes. And that worked.

Let's try some more... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another section was brought up. Their locations on the prepared bed had been marked out beforehand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second section also dropped in perfectly, and, more importantly, was able to be locked in with the first. Initially it was thought that a second, different machine would be needed to lock the sections together, but with the skill of the Telehandler driver they managed it in one. 

 

 

 

 

 

Then the third section was dropped in, and with a bit of steering swivvel and manhandling it was pushed into place to lock with the second one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Here are the three sections in place, perfectly behind the marked out line. Note the sealant gun on top, we don't want wash outs due to leakages.
 

A look down all four sections of the culvert, now in place and fitting perfectly.

 

A final look at the completed set of installed culvert sections. The next jobs will be to construct the headwalls, and to back fill, then it's ready for some railway track.

 

And then the team congratulated themselves.

Note that there are only three of them, plus the photographer. If you want to join them on the ground, they would love to hear from you. Get in touch with Andy Hearne, or send a blogger contact form.

We're now spending money, not just on trackbed purchases, as you can see. If you'd like to help, this is the B&YVRT funding support page:

 https://yvt.org.uk/donations/

We'd love some help !

 

 

Bratton Fleming.

Here work continues wiithin the half completed goods shed. 

Two members on the ground - and a third holding the camera. The job here is the excavation of a trench for the waste pipe from the toilet.

It's not as easy as it sounds, as the ground is compacted and hard.

 

Due to a well deserved holiday for your scribe, and a week's special work on another railway, we expect the next blog post after the regular open meeting of the B&YVRT in Barnstaple on Saturday 26th September. Those meetings always provide interesting news, so a good reason for another blog update.

 

Hope to see you there, now in bigger premises in the Roundswell Community Centre on the other side of the river. 

July update.

July update.

It's been about a month since the last update on the new blog, so here is a round up of activities on the different sites of the lower Lynton & Barnstaple railway line. 

 

 

One big activity of the small team doing work on the ground (as opposed to behind the scenes, such as running the 200 club, land purchase, legal stuff etc) is managing the land that we own. 

Here we have the stretch by Raleigh Weir - section 2, 418 metres long). The river Yeo is on the left, behind the trees.

 

 

 

Also at Raleigh Weir, this view is looking north, the opposite way.

The picture was taken after the section was strimmed, which took 2 days.

Note the typical angled cattle creep posts on the right, and in the first picture, the concrete fence posts. We have a proposal to cast our own, if enough moulds can be made. 

 

 

 

 

The team then moved on to Snapper halt, a bit further up the line (sections 7 and 8).

 

 

 

The station bench was repainted. This area is getting attention now, as it is the first place where we intend to lay track, 700 metres, when planning permission is obtained. It'll go right round the bend, and out of sight.

 

 

 

 

 

Repair of one of the two benches at Snapper halt.

 

 

 

 

 

Here you can see the results of strimming around the running in board, revealing a big bunch of Hydrangeas.

A short stretch of demonstration track already exists here. 

 

 

 

 

Further along from the halt a new drain was laid in. The trackbed runs in between the road and the river, so during heavy rains a lot of water tries to run across it.

 

 

Here, at the end of section 8, just before the river bridge to the scout camp, the culvert, reported dug out in the last blogpost, is having levels set out for base fill. Then the concrete segements for the culvert can be laid in.

 

A simple sighting rail and traveller process was used to get the level. 

 

 The bottom of the culvert after ballasting and compaction.

 

 

Ballast was delivered by lorry, then transported to the site, numerous times, by this small tracked machine. A solution for transporting ballast in greater volumes has now been found - more news of that in the next blogpost, if things go well.

3 tonnes of 20mm sub base were used, and tracked to site in 500kg loads. How the heavy concrete segments will be lifted in remains to be seen - another thing for a future blogpost.

 

Boots on site remain very modest, so any new volunteers would be very welcome. Andy Hearn is the man to contact. The blog can provide a contact number, if you send a message via the blogger contact form.

 

 

 

Strimming also took place on section 11. This is a lovely area, under the road, but overlooking the Yeo below.

 

The curve leads up to the skew bridge under the road. It was partially excavated a few weeks ago. 

 

 

 

 

This is bridge 24, the main road bridge for the road from Chelfham to Bratton Fleming. Executed in Marland bricks and natural stone, and on the skew too. The strimmers have just arrived here.

This area, also strimmed in the last 30 days, is on the S curve out of Loxhore bank and leading up to Chumhill (behind the camera).

It is the site of the only fatality on the railway, when a single wagon with workmen riding on it failed to slow and came off on the curve by the tree. 

It's section 21 here. 

Moving on to Bratton Fleming station, a sylvain piece of track with a lovely view across a valley.

We intend to rent out the station building, but that's pending the completion of the work to build the goods shed. 

On the subject of the new goods shed, the gang helped with moving the white Marland bricks under cover for drying out and easier use.

These bricks were recovered by volunteer Anne in the cutting south of Chelfham viaduct, where they had been dumped years ago when the old parapets were taken down. Now they will find a new use as the lower quarter of the future side walls. 

Pictures by Quentin McGuinness and Andy Hearn, with thanks.

The last shot is of the bricks, neatly stacked inside. The first two bays are for rolling stock storage, the second two for office, messing and toilets. The project is currently looking for a volunteer bricklayer. Is that something you could do? Contact through a blog message.

A BRATTON FLEMING sign has been made. 

A wish expressed in the last blogpost for a small diesel loco to support track laying trains has come through. The B&YVRT has purchased a Ruston & Hornsby loco, and we await further news of which engine it actually is.

 

The section 27 purchase at Mill Lane

Announced in the last blog, we've come across a black & white picture of a train actually crossing it:

 

Section 27 that we just bought is the one with the train on it, this side of the bridge. We're looking down towards Barnstaple here.

 

The bridge is No.32, seen here in a recent picture from the upper part of the road. The train was located on the right hand side of the picture, travelling downhill towards the left.

 

There's no news of further track purchases yet, but several in the pipeline. The biggest holdup seems to be not land owners, but solicitors and government agencies. Patience is required.

Hopefully we will hear more at the next B&YVRT meeting in September (see last item below). Will you be there? Everyone, shareholder, member, or not, is welcome. It's open. We've booked a bigger room in Barnstaple itself, as the Growforward room, lovely as it was, could no longer cope with the growing number of attendees. Sort of good news, eh? But we will miss the rural settings of Goodleigh, Chelfham and oh so remote Loxhore.

 

 

 

A bit of history.

While researching the GWR bus service from the temporary terminus at Bishops Cleeve (today's GWSR), which started in June 1906, we read that GWR buses were a new thing, and started between Helston in Cornwall and The Lizzard in 1903. The earliest buses were Milnes Daimlers, and were numbered from 1 upwards.

1904 Milnes Daimer Reg No AF74.

 

In the picture above you can see one of those very early ones, waiting at Winchcombe in 1905, when Winchcombe was the temporary terminus. It's No.11, painted on a little plaque by the driver.

The GWR branch line from Gwinear Road terminated at Helston, but was designed to go further, to The Lizzard. That proved to be rather expensive, so the GWR put a toe in the water and bought 2 early second hand buses, to avoid the capital cost of building a railway line. The L&B connection in this case is that they were sold by Sir George Newnes!

 

AF 37, GWR fleet No.1. The very first one.

 

AF 36, GWR fleet No.2, outside Helston station.                     LTHL Collection

We have found two early photographs of these buses, which started a Helston - The Lizzard service in August 1903. They were of the charabanc type, a version of the french name char-a-banc, or lorry with benches. You can see how No.11, outside Winchcombe station, is already a lot more sophisticated.

The first two were 22 seater ’wagonettes’ (like a char-a-banc) by Milnes-Daimler. They were purchased second hand from Sir George Newnes, well known to readers for having the Lynton & Barnstaple Rly built. Sir George sold them in disgust when he was fined in Lynmouth for exceeding 12mph in one of them. Also, any vehicle exceeding three tonnes in weight had to be preceded by a man with a red flag, so the GWR removed some equipment and carefully labelled the chassis with ‘2tons 19cwt’. No harm in that, all perfectly legal. More buses were soon bought, and GWR services extended to other communities in Cornwall. Sir George started it all!

 

Housekeeping.

Two things which might interest readers.

Firstly, with the help of Martyn, we have added a' Follow.it' button to the top corner of the blog. This will enable you to get email advice when a new blogpost has been posted on line.

Secondly, we were curious as to why the first two blog posts hadn't attracted any readers' comments. A month later we found out why - they were being stored in a separate section of the blog, without advising us as administrator to clear them for publication. So there were 11 comments in suspense, all published now. So please accept our apologies for the delay.

 

 

 

An invitation to all to the next meeting

You are cordially invited to join us for the final Exmoor Associates Trackbed Walk and General Meeting, to take place on Saturday 26^th September, 2026 celebrating the achievements of the past 23 years, and looking forward to future progress.

The Trackbed Walk will commence at 10:30am, from the car park at Barnstaple Croquet Club, Raleigh Meadow (see Map 1)

The meeting itself will take place at:

Roundswell Community Centre

Gratton Way

Roundswell

Barnstaple

EN31 3NL ( see Map 2)

Doors open at 1pm, when coffee, tea along with a buffet lunch will be served. The cost is £10 pounds per person, if you are having lunch please let Mike Buse know you are coming by email at: mike.buse(at)byvrt.org.uk

Everyone is welcome to come along - bring a guest or two!

Order of the day:

• Trackbed walk in the morning 10.30am at Raleigh Weir (see Map 1).
• Roundswell Community Centre 1pm (see Map 2).
• Buffet.
• Meeting starts at 2pm.
• Short farewell from Exmoor Associates thanks for all the support over 23 years.
• Welcome to the B&YVRT that will take us to the next level.
• Hall booked until 5pm.

 

Map 1: Start of the trackbed walk - Croquet club car park.

 

Map 2: To the Roundwell Community Centre.

 

 

First update.

Outdoor work update

The outdoor gang has been busy in three different places. The gang could be bigger, so if you're at all interested, get in touch with Andy Hearn here:   meatmanuk(at)gmail.com

 

 

 

The filled in culvert near the north end of section 8 by bridge 16 has been completely dug out again. It was all done by hand - not bad for a small team!

Laying track along here from Snapper is currently at the pre-planning stage, so the gang is getting ready with the infrastructure beneath.

 

 

The culvert, see from above, with some of the original stonework. It will be replaced by concrete rings, to cope with the run-off from the road above.

The trolley in the distance is parked on the original trackbed, which curves round to the right and then passes Snapper halt. That is the section for the first laying of track (well, there's a bit at Snapper Halt already) but not for running. The principle is: Let's get some track laid where we can. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The new collector has had some more concrete blocks added to it.

 

 

 

 

This was the collector after last weekend.

At Snapper itself, new gates have been installed to the storage area. It also looks very smart now, with all the ground management that has been undertaken.

 

 

Further along is Collard bridge, bridge 18. This is on the first stretch immediately beyond the scout camp.

 

 

 

 

Here we've been strimming the undergrowth back. As the trackbed in ownership lengthens, we need more lineside clearance members to keep it all back, and neat and tidy. Can you work a strimmer? Get in touch!

 

In the picture is the curve been Collard bridge and the skew bridge under the road. 

 

 

 

 

 The area under and on either side of the bridge looks much better now.

 

 

 Looking south from Collard bridge itself the line curves right on a low embankment over a floodplain. It stops abruptly at the bridge over the Yeo, bridge 17. This is missing of course. Then it's the scout camp site, where we recently negotiated a way through.

 

On the right a cut has been made to a small car park. Too small to consider any sort of operation starting here.

 

 

Further up at Bratton Fleming the replica goods shed is making progress.

More white bricks have been cleaned, and stacked ready for laying the plinth. These are all from the viaduct, cast aside when the parapet was removed (and since rebuilt with other white bricks).

There will be a single track inside (half of) the building, and a siding alongside on the left, where the roadway is at the moment. 

 

 

 At the station end there is also a considerable stack of the freshly cleaned bricks.

 

 

 

Inside the shed the floor has been dug out, and several electrical service ducts laid.

Of the four bays, two will be for rail vehicle storage, and the nearer two bays for accommodation.

The contractor Hotworks should finish their footing concreting and steelwork erection this week, and clear the site. 

 

There is nothing further to report on land acquisitions, which grind on with the legal eagles. Sales have been agreed, but that unfortunately isn't the end of the road yet. So patience is required here.

Exceptional print for sale:

 

To raise money for the BYVRT, this lovely print below has been made in a very limited run of just 20 copies. 

 

Image copyright: Sean Boland.

Through the efforts of one of our volunteers, the Trust has managed to obtain permission to reproduce the image of Bratton Fleming station by Sean Bolan, which was used on the cover of the book:  "The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Measured & Drawn"  (without the overlaid text and garter).

We have a small number of prints for sale to raise funds for the Trust, which will help us complete the Goods Shed at Bratton, and other projects.

We would like to get £50 for each one if possible (postage & packing can be included if you are not visiting North Devon anytime in the near future).

It will all go to Trust funds, less a small amount for the artist.

Each image is unframed, ready for the frame of your choice.

The actual size of the full colour image is 420 x 287mm, with a 25mm white border.

The picture shows one of the Manning Wardles just setting of towards Lynton, with the spur to the goods shed (currently being reconstructed, subject to funds) on the right.

 

The sloping path to the station can be seen on the left. This is partly owned by Quarry House, as well as the stretch of trackbed behind the train. Quarry house is currently for sale, and the trackbed is included in the sale (unfortunately not separately)

 

If you'd like to help the BYVRT and the rebuilding of the goods shed by buying a copy of the print, get in touch with: 

 

phil.heathcote(at)byvrt.org.uk

 

Details for bank transfer are:

Name of account: Barnstaple & Yeo Valley Railway Trust

Sort code: 40-52-40

Account number: 00036083

Ref: BF

If you just want to help with a donation, the BYVRT bank details are as follows:

Donations can be gift aided, as the BYVRT is a charity. We have a gift aid form, available on demand.

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Thanks for your interest, and perhaps even financial help.