The Last Narrow-Gauge Railway Adventure

"Today's L&B at Woody Bay is perhaps the finest showcase for what preservation can achieve"

Steam Railway No. 500 (December 2019 - January 2020)

The railway is now open and operating to the 2020 timetable

Grant for geo-environmental survey work

Our design engineer, John Barton, is about to order all the geo-environmental survey work  required before reconstruction of the railway can begin from Killington Lane to Wistlandpound. This work involves test bores along the whole route to check for contamination (possible hazardous waste dumped in cuttings), the suitability of any infill for future use in embankment reconstruction and the nature of the ground where new bridge construction is required.

The Veronica Awdry Charitable Trust have given a grant of £1500 to help fund the ground investigations at Killington Lane which will test the nature of the infill in the cuttings either side of the former Bridge 65 (Killington Lane overbridge) as well as determining the nature of the soil upon which the new Bridge 65 foundations will sit.

Thanks are due to the Veronica Awdry Charitable Trust (Veronica Awdry is the daughter of the Reverend Awdry of Thomas the Tank fame) for their donation to fund to this vital piece of work.

Paul Curson - Trustee

Keep the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway On Track to assist with operating and rebuilding the railway

It now takes less time to donate than it does to read this page!

Help to cover the costs - although we can now operate trains, the costs have not gone away

Just text Ontrack10 to 70460 to donate £10.00.

You can opt to give any whole amount up to £20 by just adding the amount between 1 and 20 at the end of the word Ontrack. e.g. "Ontrack15" for £15 or "Ontrack20" for £20 These donations can also benefit from Gift Aid - just follow the link in your confirmation text to allow the L&B to benefit from another 25% direct from the tax man!

Alternatively

On Track - Funding update 17th July

The support for our ‘On Track’ appeal has been truly excellent to date. Currently the total - including Gift Aid – stands at almost £50,000. A superb result so far!

The costs that we have and will continue to incur due to COVID-19 are still with us and we are unlikely to be able to build up the usual funds through the remainder of this season  It isn’t over yet!

Very many thanks to all of you who have contributed to this vital appeal.

Re-opening the railway has involved all sorts of additional requirements including information signs, personal protective equipment (PPE), screens, a disinfectant fogging machine, the issues of social distancing, wider separation on the train and well as in the refreshment areas. Also of course we will not be able to carry as many passengers as would normally be the case.

All of this – and more – is adding to the costs that have to be covered and the income generated will be less than peak season would be expected to provide.  This means that the L&BR will be short of vital funds to carry on through next winter.

Depleted reserves are bad news! ‘On Track’ is intended to cover as much of these costs as possible.

If you have already contributed to ‘On Track’, many thanks. If not please do so if you can. Donations can be made via the website HERE or direct to account no.44288568 sort code 30-90-49 and quote reference OT. Cheques are also welcome; please send to Jon Pain, 26 Oaklands, Bideford, Devon, EX39 3HW make your cheques payable to ‘The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Trust’

You can also contribute by texting ONTRACK10 to 70460 to donate £10.00

Thanks for your wonderful support - we all look forward to being on the L&BR again as soon as possible!

Peter Miles L&BR Trust Chairman

The only steam railway in the UK where on every journey, passengers travel in Victorian railway carriages designed in the 1890's

These unique historic carriages cannot be seen anywhere other than here in North Devon

At 964 feet above sea level, Woody Bay is the highest railway station in Southern England
and home of the World's only new-build American steam engine, LYN

LEADER 5 Grant towards the reconstruction of Bridge No's. 54 and 55

This project enabled the Lynton & Barnstaple Trust to construct two essential bridges between Wistlandpound Reservoir and Blackmoor Gate as part of the extension of the railway in North Devon

Click HERE to read more

We are hard at work on the project to extend the railway to Blackmoor, Wistlandpound and eventually back to Lynton

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

It's been a long and difficult job – to find out why CLICK HERE 

Did you know that having a heritage railway nearby significantly boosts the local economy?