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"Abandoned Railways"

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euryalus

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I have been following some of the so-called "urban exploration" video episodes on YouTube, and came across an "abandoned train" blog (or should that be vlog?) However, the abandoned train appears to me to be parked somewhere on a preserved railway - in other words it is not abandoned at all. I wonder if anyone else has seen or commented on this subject?
 
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Clip

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Could you share the video with us so we can see it?
 

euryalus

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I have been following some of the so-called "urban exploration" video episodes on YouTube, and came across an "abandoned train" blog (or should that be vlog?) However, the abandoned train appears to me to be parked somewhere on a preserved railway - in other words it is not abandoned at all. I wonder if anyone else has seen or commented on this subject?
I have had a quick search through the internet and think the "abandoned" rolling stock is on the Swanage line.
 

euryalus

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I think Norden, on the Swanage line, is indeed the location. It is slightly worrying that a preserved railway could be mistaken for a "railway train graveyard".
 

Midnight Sun

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More so when you concide that it was clear from the surface of the rails that the line was in use. And that he just wander onto the tracks and walk up the line and set up in the middle of the tracks to take pictures,

In a reply to one of the comments he stated "I’m pretty sure it’s not ‘open’ to the public, but it’s as easy as walking through a gate to access these old carriages. There was talk of them reopening the line to Swanage so I’d do your research and make sure it’s still a dead line before heading there!".

The line from Norden to Swanage had been open and in use for over 20 years and connected to the main line for 14 years. He clearly never did any research himself.
 
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JKF

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Some of these urbexers like to indulge in a bit of hyperbole, making out stuff is super secret when you can just walk in there, or ‘abandoned’ when it’s not.

I know of one very minor preserved and fairly neglected site in the north that someone did a convincing set of photos on a Facebook group that made it look like an abandoned industrial railway hidden away in the trees. It’s fully accessible from the museum. (Guy who did it is always a bit tongue-in-cheek and likes to tease, but a few were taken in).
 

Titfield

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This stock is not abandoned. Woodpecker and Eldon's Sidings at Norden are where a number of "preservationists" (not Swanage Railway) stored stock many years ago with the intention of restoring the stock "one day". Swanage Railway is writing to those owners asking them to remove the stock as quite clearly those owners are now highly unlikely to do so. If by chance any owners of stock are reading this please can they contact Dan Bennett at Swanage Railway to discuss the stock's removal.

The line between Norden and Worgret Junction is operational. It was used by the summer Saturday London Waterloo to Corfe Castle SWR service this summer.
Furthermore occasional engineers trains operate taking spoil further up the one.
 

randyrippley

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The simple fact is that most of the stock in those photos were just rotting junk fit only for the bonfire and cutting torch.
Pretending otherwise is just self delusion.
While they were stupid for trespassing on a working site, in essence they were right: it was a railway graveyard, in effect an unlicenced scrapyard
 

euryalus

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The "urban explorer" who filmed the derelict rolling stock calls himself "Seany". He is quite prolific. Most of the stock appeared to be in very poor condition - although there was also a breakdown crane which looked fairly complete (I am not sure when the filming took place).
 

Edders23

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I think Norden, on the Swanage line, is indeed the location. It is slightly worrying that a preserved railway could be mistaken for a "railway train graveyard".


These urban explorers know full well that it isn't but their goal is get you to watch the videos hence generating income so they call it that as that gets better results
 

Titfield

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Yes agreed. A lot of the stock appears to have been taken to the railway many many years ago when there was a reasonable prospect of it being restored. But as has been commented upon much of it is now only fit for dismantling with the wood burnt and the metal sold to a scrapman. However I am sure that many of the owners would prefer to sell it or donate it to someone on the proviso that it would be restored and therein lies the dilemma.
 

mpthomson

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I take it that some posters have ignored the text in red that makes its very clear that a) it’s a working railway and b) that most of the stick has gone.
 

dmkc

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I remembering seeing a video of an urbanex explore of the former Fife circle loco stock from the EWS / DBS days ... Think it was up Thornton way...

If anyone recalls this I wonder

1) is the stock still there
2) how come it was abandoned there in the first place... The vegetation had seriously claimed them.
 

euryalus

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Have had another look at some of the so-called "abandoned railways" explorations, and have noted that several sites have been targeted, including the Kent & East Sussex, Gloucester & Warwickshire and Swanage lines.
 

alex17595

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These urban explorers know full well that it isn't but their goal is get you to watch the videos hence generating income so they call it that as that gets better results


I took a couple of youtubers down a mine last week and the whole thing seems to be about generating views with clickbait or going over the top with the 'dangers.'
 

The_Train

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I took a couple of youtubers down a mine last week and the whole thing seems to be about generating views with clickbait or going over the top with the 'dangers.'

That's exactly what it's all about. The title of the 'film' and good use of a thumbnail is probably more important than the actual content. More clicks and views they get, the more potential earnings there is for them.

Preserved lines with rotting stock are easy targets because they can easily create a feeling that they've just stumbled across an 'abandoned' line with 'abandoned' stock. Most people, who have little interest in railways, will never know the difference
 

Alanko

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Some of these urbexers like to indulge in a bit of hyperbole, making out stuff is super secret when you can just walk in there, or ‘abandoned’ when it’s not.

I think the appeal for some urbexers is the thrill of the chase, so you dress up a mundane site visit as a "train graveyard" or whatever.

My issues with Urbexers is their slightly sanctimonious tone in general. They suggest that they don't break into stuff, but they then mention how hard it was to gain access to a building. Hmmm! There is always a bit of 'nudge nudge wink wink' about how they get into sites. Beyond this, once a site is known it tends to get repeatedly visited, items go missing and graffiti appears. There is always the notion that it is other bad guys who carry out these acts, but you advertise to the world at large that these places exist in the first place.

Yes agreed. A lot of the stock appears to have been taken to the railway many many years ago when there was a reasonable prospect of it being restored. But as has been commented upon much of it is now only fit for dismantling with the wood burnt and the metal sold to a scrapman. However I am sure that many of the owners would prefer to sell it or donate it to someone on the proviso that it would be restored and therein lies the dilemma.

This issue came up a few times in threads I started or added to. There clearly isn't enough impetus to restore everything out there. At a guess it is tricky to restore the obscure stuff, while the appetite to restore common stuff (like knackered mk1 coaches) probably isn't there either. There are other examples of the same types out there that would be easier to save.

I remembering seeing a video of an urbanex explore of the former Fife circle loco stock from the EWS / DBS days ... Think it was up Thornton way...

If anyone recalls this I wonder

1) is the stock still there
2) how come it was abandoned there in the first place... The vegetation had seriously claimed them.

That stock has long since departed I think. From memory it was a rake of maroon mk2s in horrid condition. No idea where it went, though I saw similar looking coaches somewhere down the ECML earlier this year.
 

alex17595

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I think the appeal for some urbexers is the thrill of the chase, so you dress up a mundane site visit as a "train graveyard" or whatever.

The guys I took underground kept mentioning in the video after that there was a risk of flooding even though I kept telling them there is zero chance of that happening. It's all about making it exciting for the viewer but it ruins it when you know where they are and all the rubbish they come out with.
 
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