Discussion
What’s your view?
I’m abit of an anorak when it comes to the old railways. Whilst going for my daily exercise during these strange times Iv been following the route of the old gas works railway that ran near my house.
Iv unearned an old pulley wheel buried in undergrowth and still attached to part of the old pulley system used for shunting wagons off the mainline that were used for dropping stuff onto the narrow gauge gas works line below.
The railway has been closed since 1940 and the mainline a few years later, it’s all on public land.
Would it be ok taking this old wheel? I would like to make it as some type of feature in my garden. Only problem being I’ll need to saw through part of the pulley system to lift it out so it’ll be a noisy job and the mainline is now a busy public footpath a few metres away. Or is it stealing?
I’m abit of an anorak when it comes to the old railways. Whilst going for my daily exercise during these strange times Iv been following the route of the old gas works railway that ran near my house.
Iv unearned an old pulley wheel buried in undergrowth and still attached to part of the old pulley system used for shunting wagons off the mainline that were used for dropping stuff onto the narrow gauge gas works line below.
The railway has been closed since 1940 and the mainline a few years later, it’s all on public land.
Would it be ok taking this old wheel? I would like to make it as some type of feature in my garden. Only problem being I’ll need to saw through part of the pulley system to lift it out so it’ll be a noisy job and the mainline is now a busy public footpath a few metres away. Or is it stealing?
A lot of aircraft wrecks on the high peaks in the UK have dwindled over the years, until there is virtually nothing left. Every so often an aviation aficionado slips a chunk of wreck into their anorak pocket; a sort of tragedy-of-the-commons scenario. They will have a woolly justification for doing so, but these bits and bobs end up in private collections that don't serve any real purpose.
However, I'm all for saving niche bits of Railwayana, so I'm struggling to see any 'wrong' here. I have one lump of ballast from the Waverley Route, picked up at Riccarton Junction. If everybody lifted a bit of ballast then there would be none left, but I guess only an anorak such as myself would see any intrinsic value in a lump of ballast in the first place.
This wheel in the undergrowth probably means very little to anybody, so by saving it you are preserving a tiny corner of railway history that could potentially be shared with others. For example I wanted to somehow save one of the overhead cable supports from the old Glasgow tramway network which had been mounted to the exterior of the 'What Every Woman Wants' building on Argyle Street. When the building was demolished the ornate supports would have been bundled in with all the rubble; their story effectively lost to developers.
Somebody might come along and take that wheel, purely for the weigh-in value or the basic banter of smashing things up.
However, I'm all for saving niche bits of Railwayana, so I'm struggling to see any 'wrong' here. I have one lump of ballast from the Waverley Route, picked up at Riccarton Junction. If everybody lifted a bit of ballast then there would be none left, but I guess only an anorak such as myself would see any intrinsic value in a lump of ballast in the first place.
This wheel in the undergrowth probably means very little to anybody, so by saving it you are preserving a tiny corner of railway history that could potentially be shared with others. For example I wanted to somehow save one of the overhead cable supports from the old Glasgow tramway network which had been mounted to the exterior of the 'What Every Woman Wants' building on Argyle Street. When the building was demolished the ornate supports would have been bundled in with all the rubble; their story effectively lost to developers.
Somebody might come along and take that wheel, purely for the weigh-in value or the basic banter of smashing things up.
TorqueDirty said:
I'm always picking up abandoned bits of rusty rubbish out in the countryside.
If it is buried in the ground and covered in weeds no on wants it - but you do so you might as well take it.
I made this lamp from stuff left to rust in the field next to my house
You bIf it is buried in the ground and covered in weeds no on wants it - but you do so you might as well take it.
I made this lamp from stuff left to rust in the field next to my house
d I was looking for that!! 
I was getting a crazy paving patio built by a very slow working neighbour a few years back with bits and bobs of old stone.
Meanwhile some tree work in a wood about 1.5 miles away had necessitated a road made from big chunks of mixed stone was laid.
Quite frequently I went for a walk in said woods and came back carrying a fairly substantial piece of stone for my patio. Always seemed like a good idea when I picked up the stone, less so by the time I got back!
Meanwhile some tree work in a wood about 1.5 miles away had necessitated a road made from big chunks of mixed stone was laid.
Quite frequently I went for a walk in said woods and came back carrying a fairly substantial piece of stone for my patio. Always seemed like a good idea when I picked up the stone, less so by the time I got back!
NapierDeltic said:
A lot of aircraft wrecks on the high peaks in the UK have dwindled over the years, until there is virtually nothing left. Every so often an aviation aficionado slips a chunk of wreck into their anorak pocket; a sort of tragedy-of-the-commons scenario. They will have a woolly justification for doing so, but these bits and bobs end up in private collections that don't serve any real purpose.
However, I'm all for saving niche bits of Railwayana, so I'm struggling to see any 'wrong' here. I have one lump of ballast from the Waverley Route, picked up at Riccarton Junction. If everybody lifted a bit of ballast then there would be none left, but I guess only an anorak such as myself would see any intrinsic value in a lump of ballast in the first place.
This wheel in the undergrowth probably means very little to anybody, so by saving it you are preserving a tiny corner of railway history that could potentially be shared with others. For example I wanted to somehow save one of the overhead cable supports from the old Glasgow tramway network which had been mounted to the exterior of the 'What Every Woman Wants' building on Argyle Street. When the building was demolished the ornate supports would have been bundled in with all the rubble; their story effectively lost to developers.
Somebody might come along and take that wheel, purely for the weigh-in value or the basic banter of smashing things up.
Loads of aircraft wreckage on the moors around Glossop. This is a USAF WW2 bomber.However, I'm all for saving niche bits of Railwayana, so I'm struggling to see any 'wrong' here. I have one lump of ballast from the Waverley Route, picked up at Riccarton Junction. If everybody lifted a bit of ballast then there would be none left, but I guess only an anorak such as myself would see any intrinsic value in a lump of ballast in the first place.
This wheel in the undergrowth probably means very little to anybody, so by saving it you are preserving a tiny corner of railway history that could potentially be shared with others. For example I wanted to somehow save one of the overhead cable supports from the old Glasgow tramway network which had been mounted to the exterior of the 'What Every Woman Wants' building on Argyle Street. When the building was demolished the ornate supports would have been bundled in with all the rubble; their story effectively lost to developers.
Somebody might come along and take that wheel, purely for the weigh-in value or the basic banter of smashing things up.
Branch666 said:
What’s your view? / Snip...
/Only problem being I’ll need to saw through part of the pulley system to lift it out so it’ll be a noisy job and the mainline is now a busy public footpath a few metres away.
Borrow a cordless angle grinder with a cutting disc./Only problem being I’ll need to saw through part of the pulley system to lift it out so it’ll be a noisy job and the mainline is now a busy public footpath a few metres away.
Wear Safety goggles, gloves and a hi-viz. A safety helmet and workboots will give an even greater appearance of authenticity. Especially if you have a mate in similar attire leaning on a spade or similar watching your efforts.
Save that pulley for posterity before it's lost to nature.
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