The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Bit of idle speculation in the dying light of a damp Sunday afternoon - could the old Bisley Bullet branch line ever be reopened?

I had a squint at Google Maps trying to trace the old route of the railway from Bisley to the main line at Brookwood but lost it in the dense tree cover at the border of the camp - assuming it runs west from Lloyds RC down the sunken cutting.

Of course it could - if you have £20M or so to spare.

You start by refurbishing platform 0 at Brookwood (to the North of platform 1 and well to the west end of the station). Then you lay track all along the gentle slope down parallel to the existing tracks. Rebuild the deck of the bridge by the canal - the abutments form the entrance to the road tunnel under the existing rail tracks - and reposition the substation on the permanent way just west of the road, compensating Network Rail for the interruption to the power supply on the South West Trains part of the network. Continue relaying track and start the gentle curve north, until you reach the 5-span viaduct that crossed the Basingstoke Canal on a curving angle, where if you are lucky the bridge piers may still be in a condition to be re-used. Relay the bridge decks, add track on top. Cut through the forest, put in a level crossing on the Pirbright barracks road, demolish 4 Army FQs (probably the best thing for them anyway), tunnel under the road as it goes uphill to the Queen's Road turn and reopen the bridge structure, relay the permanent way and the track alongside Queen's Road, put in another level crossing right on the bend where the road turns from behind Century to go past the camp entrance, have a chat with the people in the two houses on the corner - I'm sure they will be fine about having the train along the back edge of their gardens, after all they only complain about us firing the cannon about twice a year - then relay some more permanent way, knock down the back of the estates shed and a bit of Erin's garden, put in another level crossing for the road behind Canada House, move David Kent's old Volvo and his garage, add a siding for the Lloyds sleeper car and find a new clubhouse for Lloyds so the station building can be returned to its original use, and you're there (unless of course you want to continue with stops at RO lines, HAC/Inns of Court/ARA and on into Pirbright, in which case you will need another two level crossings to get across Kings Way and Elcho Road). Don't forget a bit of signalling, a train or two, some train crews, a stationmaster and some maintenance people - I'm sure Steve E would go for it.

Given that the speed limit was 10 mph on the straight bits and 5 mph on the curves, it would probably be cheaper and quicker to set up an arrangement where anyone turning up at Brookwood can just call a taxi and charge it to you. But it is only engineering and a little bit of politics.

Iain

I'll drive it for nowt,but it would only be for two weekends a year and inbetween comps but the offers there. party2

Perchance this calls for a modern, low maintenance, energy efficient steam engine, fired by LPG in flash boilers. Steam raised in just a couple of minutes and no ashes to dispose of, very little maintenance and, by virtue of it being external rather than internal combustion, very low emissions...

Guns and ammunition on the train, oh no no no,

DM

Further to my last, Steve is here for dinner and is happy to apply for the post of (slim) Fat Controller. He will supply his own whistle and flags and he is qualified for track work. If you want him let me know so we can order a bigger Chinese and fatten him up.

Iain

I thought the Bisley Bullet was the train that ran on the temporary narrow gauge line that laid each year for the Imperial meeting. The line ran along the back of Century down to Short Siberia and on to Long Siberia as in its heyday pre almost universal motor vehicle ownership the only other alternative for competitors was a long walk.

I've read all the Thomas the Tank Engine books - can I run the railway please?

channel12 wrote:I thought the Bisley Bullet was the train that ran on the temporary narrow gauge line that laid each year for the Imperial meeting. The line ran along the back of Century down to Short Siberia and on to Long Siberia as in its heyday pre almost universal motor vehicle ownership the only other alternative for competitors was a long walk.

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~engsu ... bullet.htm

Long conversation going on here about the temporary narrow gauge so expect more soon but there was a tram called Wharncliffe which did the back of Century (or the Great Butt as it was then called)

Hmm, a Steampunk Special ?