What about creating a 1980s style preserved railway?

[XAM2175]

what about doing an 80s style preserved railway.....minus the graffiti and grubby stations unless you where going for authenticity

Now that's more like it!

(split from this thread: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/incomplete-preserved-emus.227873/)

 

[Mat17]

I'd love an 80s era preserved railway (or even 70s if it came to that).

 

[4SubAsociation]

what about doing an 80s style preserved railway.....minus the graffiti and grubby stations unless you where going for authenticity

I think a coupe railways probably suit this.

Spa Valley Railway - Was closed in the 1980s. Currently has a 3CIG and Class 207 in BR Blue Grey

East Kent Railway. Although closed earlier than the 80s. They run blue grey stock with a VEP coach (as well as the COR) and the Class 205 thumper. Also having two pacers, a VOP in the pipeline for running and staic exhibits of the Class 365 and 457 its shaping up fairly well.

Eden Valley Railway. Although closed earlier than the 80s. They have *2 CEPs and a thumper.

Mid Norfolk Railway. Although closed earlier than the 80s. They have plenty of suitable stock.

 

[Mat17]

I know the ELR has some Blue/Grey coaches and it's wonderful to travel on them. I personally love the whole Blue/Grey era.

 

[VEP3417]

i know were going off topic a bit with the 80s themed preserved railway but it would be nice to see a full on nse themed railway which would be a nice change from the steam era's that most of them are

...could even save a 456 and run that

 

[yorksrob]

I always think that Bury Bolton Street has a pleasing 80's feel to it.

 

[D6130]

I always think that Bury Bolton Street has a pleasing 80's feel to it.

Really Rob? To me it's much more remniscent of the 1960s (apart from the lack of green side-contact third rail EMUs).

 

[yorksrob]

Really Rob? To me it's much more remniscent of the 1960s (apart from the lack of green side-contact third rail EMUs).

I want around in the sixties, so the remnants of sixties era BR are probably what I think of as 80's.

 

[Mat17]

I want around in the sixties, so the remnants of sixties era BR are probably what I think of as 80's.

Exactly. I think of Blue/Grey as classically 80s. In reality it was 60s and 70s. The 80s was sectorisation and new liveries, but somehow that all feels more 90s to me than anything. I think it all depends where you were at the time, in an area at the front end of the modernisation wedge, or in the catch-up eventually zone. I guess I was in the latter.

 

[yorksrob]

Exactly. I think of Blue/Grey as classically 80s. In reality it was 60s and 70s. The 80s was sectorisation and new liveries, but somehow that all feels more 90s to me than anything. I think it all depends where you were at the time, in an area at the front end of the modernisation wedge, or in the catch-up eventually zone. I guess I was in the latter.

Well, sectorisation got more into swing in the second part of the 80's.

My memories of the early 80's entailed a fair amount of travel between Ashford and Tonbridge in blue/grey VEP's with Bournemouth Blue moquette and tungsten lighting. Bury Bolton Street reminds me of Ashford and Tonbridge stations of that time.

 

[WAO]

Bury Bolton Street is mostly of the first BR image from the 50's with the correct regional colours (in this case maroon and cream, with Totem signage.) This was quite attractive at the time when clean but was then entirely neglected with stations looking run down, dirty and faded until the corporate image kicked in after '64. Even then this was mainly for the big "Intercity" stations and gas lights etc survived in local stations into the '70's. At the same time, stations lost their canopies and platform buildings outside of the South East, leading to regional decrepitude, only now being admitted.

Chris Green realised the importance of immediate image with his tarting up of NSE's real estate. There wasn't so much left to improve north of Watford, with even big stations like Rochdale, Halifax, Wakefield K etc already trashed.

I agree with Yorksrob about the blue/grey and BB moquette, except give me the CIG's not the VEP's! (Has anyone got their eye on DTC 76762 at Barrow Hill?)

WAO

 

[yorksrob]

I suppose we can be grateful that Halifax has retained its platform canopy !

 

[JKF]

If you’re doing a 1980s station it could be modelled on a proper sh*thole one like St Andrew’s Rd or Severn Tunnel junction, dirty bus shelters, chain link fencing, vandalised or non-existent timetables, those round yellow litter bins with hooded lids. The bleaker the better. Served by mucky DMUs in that white with a blue stripe livery.

 

[yorksrob]

Why not Ashford Kent station. Nowt special, but ticket office and bookstall on the overbridge, buffets and waiting rooms on the platforms.

This is the feeling which Bury Bolton Street sums up for me (albeit with earlier paintwork).

Not a s*te hole, just good old blighty.

 

[yorksrob]

That was rebuilt in the very early 90s for the Eurostar services. https://www.kentrail.org.uk/Ashford.htm

I was thinking more of using the old station for inspiration.

The new one is quite grandiose but lacks soul somehow.

 

[4SubAsociation]

I was thinking more of using the old station for inspiration.

The new one is quite grandiose but lacks soul somehow.

Very mixed bag as the shettlers where orignal SECR which were covered in Asbestos. Trying to think now what stations are sort of 80s era. Folkestone central could a be a suggestion. Although one of the island platforms buildings have been removed. The rest is still relatively unchanged. https://kentrail.org.uk/folkestone_central.htm

 

[yorksrob]

Very mixed bag as the shettlers where orignal SECR which were covered in Asbestos. Trying to think now what stations are sort of 80s era. Folkestone central could a be a suggestion. Although one of the island platforms buildings have been removed. The rest is still relatively unchanged. https://kentrail.org.uk/folkestone_central.htm

Indeed. It's a shame they didn't leave the wooden vallance, but they were still quite impressive.

 

[JKF]

Selby station had a very 70s/80s feel in the early to mid 2000s when I occasionally changed there when travelling to/from Hull for work, it had a nice old school cafe where you could get a basic cheese toastie for a couple of quid and a decent cup of tea served by ladies in aprons. I hope it hasn’t changed but suspect it will have had an upgrade.

 

[yorksrob]

Selby station had a very 70s/80s feel in the early to mid 2000s when I occasionally changed there when travelling to/from Hull for work, it had a nice old school cafe where you could get a basic cheese toastie for a couple of quid and a decent cup of tea served by ladies in aprons. I hope it hasn’t changed but suspect it will have had an upgrade.

Selby is a gem of a station.

 

[VEP3417]

i was a london kid of the 90s so to me grotty stations and graffiti on walls and trains was about right

i visited harringay quite a bit in the mid to late 2000s and that was still like that and probably still unchanged from back then, everything painted a bleak grey, concrete walls... closed waiting room and all

 

[infobleep]

I'd love to see an electric preserved railway but it would require more health and safety work composted to a diesel or steam line.

 

[zwk500]

I'd love to see an electric preserved railway but it would require more health and safety work composted to a diesel or steam line.

And the cost. Oh good lord the cost of putting up OLE for less than 100 running days a year. What I can see some 3rd-rail based Preserved railways doing is installing dummy 3rd rail and fitting battery packs to their units. It would have the right 'look and feel' without breaking the bank, and although the trip hazard is still present there wouldn't be the issues of live rail. Preserved railways could easily manage a couple of round trips at 25mph then back in the shed to charge overnight. Not sure Dummy OLE would be quite as worthwhile.

 

[infobleep]

And the cost. Oh good lord the cost of putting up OLE for less than 100 running days a year. What I can see some 3rd-rail based Preserved railways doing is installing dummy 3rd rail and fitting battery packs to their units. It would have the right 'look and feel' without breaking the bank, and although the trip hazard is still present there wouldn't be the issues of live rail. Preserved railways could easily manage a couple of round trips at 25mph then back in the shed to charge overnight. Not sure Dummy OLE would be quite as worthwhile.

Imagine the issues if someone wanted to recreate the London and Brighton South Coast Railway OLE. I can't remember the voltage off hand but I am sure it isn't one used now.

 

[Ianigsy]

Once the Worth Valley’s 144 is running, they could put that out on one diagram and the grey 37 and Mark 1smon the other, which would be a fairly accurate recreation of quite a few lines in the North in the period 1985-2000.

 

[yorksrob]

And the cost. Oh good lord the cost of putting up OLE for less than 100 running days a year. What I can see some 3rd-rail based Preserved railways doing is installing dummy 3rd rail and fitting battery packs to their units. It would have the right 'look and feel' without breaking the bank, and although the trip hazard is still present there wouldn't be the issues of live rail. Preserved railways could easily manage a couple of round trips at 25mph then back in the shed to charge overnight. Not sure Dummy OLE would be quite as worthwhile.

MLV's !

 

[D6130]

Once the Worth Valley’s 144 is running, they could put that out on one diagram and the grey 37 and Mark 1smon the other, which would be a fairly accurate recreation of quite a few lines in the North in the period 1985-2000.

Yes, but they would have to repaint at least some of their Mark 1 carriages in blue and grey....which I don't think would go down at all well with most of their senior members!

 

[Dai Corner]

The Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway have a gala with their two Pacers out on 26 March

Home | llanellirailway

www.llanellirailway.co.uk

 

[xotGD]

Once the Worth Valley’s 144 is running, they could put that out on one diagram and the grey 37 and Mark 1smon the other, which would be a fairly accurate recreation of quite a few lines in the North in the period 1985-2000.

Having the Pacer broken on the depot with a 37 and Mark 1s having to substitute would be totally authentic.

 

[A0wen]

Really Rob? To me it's much more remniscent of the 1960s (apart from the lack of green side-contact third rail EMUs).

Agreed. The architecture of the buildings at Bury Bolton St is pure late 50s / early 60s.

If I were looking for a "typical" 70s style station, I'd probably look at Stevenage or posdibly Milton Keynes Central (yes I'm aware that was built and opened in the 80s, but the archtiectural style is late 70s).

 

[yorksrob]

I think the point is that the 80's railway wasn't built in the 80's.