What is a GWR yard lamp then? It's a taller lamp post, with a larger, six sided top. They would stand in areas where a wider circle of light was needed, such as loco preparation areas, or in goods yards, or perhaps adjacent to a turntable, as can be seen today at Minehead.
On the left is a drawing of a perfect one, while above is a photograph of one at a preserved station. The latter has a smaller square top, which is not original.
Because the lamp post was much taller (13ft above ground instead of 6ft for a platform post) a ladder and platform were provided so that the oil lamp on top could be lit.
Original ladders and platforms are very scarce.
The GWR achieved the goal of a taller post for a yard lamp by combining a no.2 post (taller than the platform post, at 8ft above ground) and mounting this on an additional fluted column underneath it. The guard rail round the top was bolted to the ladder bars.
This is the post we have secured at auction. It stands in the corner of a car park in a village near Evesham. A site inspection today revealed that recovery poses no particular problems; in fact we have done this once or twice before.
Note that this post, as many others, no longer has its ladder and platform, and has been fitted with a period bracket for an electric light.
This angled bracket on top, we have been told by someone who knows his GWR heritage, is a GWR design, so our thinking is that it might be of interest to another railway or collector?
It's certainly not very common, and an original piece.
Our intention is to rebuild the post back to its original design with the steps, so the later GWR light bracket will be spare.
We could put it back into auction, or is there a reader that would be interested in buying it from us? That would help to part off-set the purchase cost of the post at the auction.
If interested, drop us an email at:
breva2011 (at) hotmail.co.uk.
We don't have a drawing of the ladder and platform, but as it happens, we do have another yard lamp pending erection in the loco yard. It was secured in a swap for something else a couple of years ago.
All the parts for it have been cleaned and painted, and are currently awaiting a new, hexagonal top. This top, which will be to the design in the drawing above, is currently being drawn to scale before an order goes to a specialist manufacturer. With the second post purchased at auction it looks as if we may well need two tops. We think the first is funded; however we would appreciate help with the second. Until we have an approved design and an offer from the manufacturer however, we don't know the cost at the time of writing.
With the parts for the ladder and platform in our loco shed and available to us for inspection, we think it wouldn't be too difficult to copy them. It's mostly angle iron and bar.
Detail of the ladder bars; in this case fitted with nuts on the end to secure the guard rail round the platform. Note the flower design around the post, the same as those found on the platforms.
We'll post some pictures of the extraction and collection once we know when we can work on site.
Usk building
Just a little update here to say that we are in discussion with the planners at Tewkesbury, so that is why we haven't made a start yet. It could be a little while yet.
I was always of the understanding that buildings on railway land weren't subject to planning conditions. Is that not the case for Heritage Lines such as the GWSR?
ReplyDeleteWell yes, but tell that to the planners. They have little or no experience with railways. The stock answer is 'you need permission'.
DeleteWe're on the case.
From my understanding of things, railways were usually defined as "network provider's" and were given some permitted development rights on railway land under part 8 of the General Permitted Development Order. Given the status of GWSR, it is debateable if they have the same rights so I suspect an application will be required. You all do a great job so I don't expect it wil be refused though. Good luck. Adrian
ReplyDeleteIf the GWSR has a light railway order (which I assume if does) then it should be able to take advantage of railway PD rights under the legislation for Statutory Undertakers. This is generally that development is permitted within a railway station (this is a wide definition including not just the platform itself but the general footprint of the station area). Asset your rights and good luck!
ReplyDeleteAs I recall there was a bit of argy-bargy with the planning authorities in the 1980s, when the Flag & Whistle building (originally an army hut) was first put up.
ReplyDeleteThe GWSR's position was that railway buildings are exempt from planning permission, so there was no need to make a planning application for the Flag & Whistle.
The planners' position was that while buildings directly related to the operation of the railway - such as a signal box - were exempt, a building intended for a peripheral use - such as a cafe - needed permission.
The location of the building, some distance away from the actual railway, rather than on the platform, might have been an issue, too.
At any rate I do remember the GWSR trying to convince the local council that a cafe was an essential part of a heritage railway's operations, and thus the building should be exempt. I don't know if that argument - essentially, "We're not just a railway, we're a heritage railway!" carried any weight.
I can see why the local council's planning department wouldn't like that line of thinking. They wouldn't want to establish a precedent, or maybe didn't even have the authority to decide, that for planning purposes heritage railways are subject to different rules than other railways.
I can't recall what the final verdict was, but as the Flag & Whistle is standing to this day the matter was obviously resolved one way or another. But ever since then the GWSR has tended to ask for planning permission for everything, rather than risk fighting the same battle again.