History

[gim]

The now Glenreagh Mountain Railway (GMR) was originally named The Friends of the Glenreagh Dorrigo Line. It was started as a loose collective of disgruntled members of Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum. Its original purpose was try to reform DSRM into a democratic organisation. When it became clear that that was not going to happen, GMR decided to try to establish their own competing operation at Glenreagh West. It was a communal effort, but one of the main drivers was Geoff Bryceson (dec). After a protracted court battle GMR entered into an agreement with DSRM whereby they got ownership of loco 1919 and some freight rolling stock.

Unlike DSRM, GMR was always a democratic organisation, governed by a Committee (later Board) of management.

As of now (April 2021) it could be argued that neither DSRM or GMR has been successful.

[admin]

As of now (April 2021) it could be argued that neither DSRM or GMR has been successful.

I'd probably say GMR has been (and continues to be) more succesful than DSRM; at least work continues on the bottom end of the line!

[gim]

Not much going on now. The line is (again) visibly overgrown near McCarthy's mill. The track clearing which was meant to happen from the third Mole Creek bridge (~423 miles) down to the 1260 level crossing (418:21) fizzled out before much was done. I have not heard why; maybe GMR didn't have the money to pay the contractor?

GMR was operating trikes at both Glenreagh and Lowanna; there is nothing operating now at either location. Again I have not heard why, but maybe they lost their accreditation?

[admin]

@gim - probably has a lot do do with reduced people during the last yaer due to COVID more than anything.

[gim]

I disagree.

[boris_G]

While COVID is a pretty stock standard response to most things (ask my electrical and electronics suppliers as to leadtimes for components - how long was that piece of string again?), I will state one thing without equivocation:
Unless I see it on paper, in the form of an official document, signed in blood proverbially speaking by someone important, then it is simply more idle gossip in the railways.There are only two exceptions to that rule, neither of those persons pertain to this topic.
Speculation is a wonderful thing. Scuttlebutt is entertaining.
The truth is always far stranger.

[gim]

I stated some factual observations above, and then made some conjectures, based on what I observed.

[boris_G]

Annotation?

[admin]

Truth of the matter is, there are very few heritage rail groups that have survived over time, many fold once people realise the huge amount of work and money required (I've also seen this in heritage maritime as well).


Heritage rail requires an enormous prop in government funding - and no government is willing to keep spending money on things that have no return.


As for the Dorrigo line, well, the top end won't progress until Keith Jones departs the mortal coil and even then I suspect nothing much will happen to be honest.


Bottom end ? Well at least some progress is being made, I doubt we'll ever see trains running on it again, suspect it'll be (at best) trikes and walking groups.

[boris_G]

And there you have one of the very good reasons why I refuse to run another railway, well, anything past my own private backyard 7.25" gauge railway.
I did request to become the Operations Manager of a company that was intending on restoring a branchline somewhere, given my background. Lets just say the group turned into another professional protest group, and even though I'd been invited to lecture, I was quickly told to step down from the podium when everyone realised, I wasn't there to talk crap about politics, I was there to talk about railways. I didn't answer any further invitations from that group.

Seems I'm still a bit too good at what I do.
But yes, unless one has deep pockets, one does not play trains.
Now, about Southern Shorthaul Railroad...

N.B. For the benefit of those who would not pick up the dripping of sarcasm because this is in textual form, all of what I've just written drips with sarcasm. Even though I've run a railway, I really do not want to do it again. And as our admin has noted, unless you have money or Government handouts, you will go nowhere, quite quickly. Thems the breaks.

[gim]

A lot of people say that preservation groups don't succeed because it just costs too much money. That is actually incorrect. Preservation groups don't succeed because of internal shit-fights. Both DSRM and GMR are testimony to that. When I was working at GMR in the '90s and '00s we had sufficient funds to do the work we needed to do. What sunk the project was internal fighting.

Lance, I know you like to praise up GMR because you dislike DSRM so much, but actually GMR is as bad as Dorrigo. And yes, the Dorrigo line is finished. There will be no trikes, not even a walking track.