Work this month was focussed on our Collard Bridge section continuing the vegetation clearance that commenced several weeks before. Following the tree felling by a contractor, bad weather then impeded the collection and disposal of the cut material, but recent weather improvement has allowed the site clearance and tidying up work to be continued.
1. Collard Bridge (Bridge 18) as seen looking towards Chelfham/Lynton from the former railway embankment. Note the brick wall beneath the bridge. It is known that the wall existed back in 1979 the year the L&BRA was created when it served as the rear wall for a hay store beneath the bridge. As EA now own the trackbed on both sides of this bridge, it is planned to demolish the wall after the EA General Meeting on Saturday 14th May (See >> Shareholders’ Meeting in May 2016) following which members will be able to pass under the bridge for the first time for many years.
2. Moving further back along the former railway trackbed we can see the now cleared section. Note the bonfire on the right which is burning some of the smaller waste vegetation.
3. Moving even further back along the trackbed we encounter the cut timber currently awaiting removal from the site. The tree stumps that remain in the ground will be cut at ground level and the roots left to decay.
4. EA’s Collard Bridge section of trackbed is only 187 yards (8½ chains) in length. This picture was taken at the end of the section where the track continued across the now missing River Yeo Bridge (Bridge 17). Note the approaching River Yeo in the left hand lower corner of the image.
5. Spinning around to look in the other direction across the River Yeo back towards Snapper Halt/Barnstaple, you can see the remaining mound of the abutment on the opposite side where the former railway diagonally crossed the river. Note that the property on the opposite river bank is privately owned. The roadway we can see is a private road used to access the property.
6. EA’s regular volunteers are willing to undertake many tasks. One of the off-site projects currently being undertaken is the manufacture of replica ‘Southern Railway’ signs needed at Snapper Halt. The plate on the left is an original vintage pre-1948 sign, and on the right is a latex mould which will be used to produce a quantity of fibreglass resin signs. Using fibreglass resin signage alleviates the hefty financial cost of losing original signage due to theft.
Purchasing the many pieces of the former Lynton & Barnstaple Railway back together is very hard work, and we only have limited funds with which to do it. If you would like to help us with
future acquisitions, please spare a few moments to view the “Support Us” page on this website.
Photo credits: Rob Sadd 1 to 6.
4 thoughts on “Work Progress: February 2016”
Absolutely full of admiration for what Exmoor Associates is doing. As with the modern L&B’s reconstruction of original locos and rolling stock, you are setting the example and standard which others will follow in future. E.g. the Southwold Railway Trust, of which I am a member, who appear (also admirably) to be following in your footsteps. Thanks for all your visionary and groundbreaking efforts!
Great work a pat on the back to all who helped,. With the old sign why not make extra ones to sell I for one would love one .
Excellent work and thank you so much to the volunteers for all they do towards the re-instatement of the L & B.
I do enjoy reading these updates and to see how, little by little, the pieces of the jigsaw are being put together. A bid thank you to all the volunteers who have done so well in this.
And yep, I too would like one of Dave Gillman’s signs if a batch gets produced.