We looked in on the Worth Valley’s gala today – a “Rail Diaries” page will appear in a day or two, meanwhile here’s a taster – 1896-built L&Y “A” class no 1300 double heading 78019 (58 years younger!) out of Keighley. No sunshine, but plenty of steam.

Just published to “Geoff’s Rail Diaries“: “NRM“, an illustrated (brief) account of Friday’s trip to the National Railway Museum in York.

Last time I paid a visit was more than 20 years ago – it’s changed a bit over the years. I’d rather hoped to see the streamlined “Duchess of Hamilton”. I saw it (her?) in the workshop, behind Flying Scotsman, apparently being prepared for a trip to Shildon. Not exactly ideal for a photograph.

I also wondered if I might see the two A4s, temporarily repatriated from across the Atlantic. No chance! One (60010 “Dominion of Canada”) is in Shildon (I was told); a tiny part of the other, outside, could just be seen through a window – “DWI….”. (enough to rule off no. 60008 in my “combined” – except that I gave up on the numbers in 1968 – but not enough for a photo)*.

I’ll put together a selection of photos on a “Rail Diaries” page; in the meantime, here are a few tasters…

*For the uninitiated: 60008 bears the name “DWIGHT D EISENHOWER” – which may explain why it survived into transatlantic preservation.
The Peckett “Teddy” (2012 of 1941), illustrated above, is one of the smallest standard gauge locomotives ever built. It used to live at Cadeby Rectory, home of the eponymous light railway and Rev W. Awdry’s friend the “fat clergyman”, Teddy Boston (hence the name)

Just uploaded to Geoff’s Rail Diaries – “Ten up the bank“, photos of the ten nine steam-hauled trains that climbed the notorious bank from Foxfield colliery at yesterday’s gala.

At the end of the day, Bagnall 2842 lifts its train away from Foxfield colliery and heads for home. It was half an hour late leaving; the sunshine was by now intermittent. Would we have had full sun if it had left on time?

It was an excellent day at the railway’s autumn gala yesterday – a “Rail Diaries” entry will follow shortly

Last train, a photo by geoffspages on Flickr.

Just published to Geoff’s Rail Diaries – an entry for our visit to the Toddington Narrow Gauge Railway a couple of days ago. Visit “50 years of preservation” for the words and pictures – the latter mostly of that rather nice Henschel…

Taking the M5 south, we turn off for Toddington at Ashchurch – passing the site of the works where the Dowty RPS was formed in October 1962. The site, on the curve connecting the main line to the branch to Upton-on-Severn and beyond, is no longer recognisable, though trains still stop at Ashchurch (for Tewkesbury) station, and the MOD depot to the west of the main line is still rail-served, by the stub of the former line to Evesham, Redditch and, ultimately, Barnt Green.

The preservation effort in the 1960s was standard gauge – I remember my first sight of 6201 “Princess Elizabeth” in store there in 1968 – today’s efforts are a few miles further east, to a much smaller gauge (2′ 0″), and operational under a different guise – “The Toddington Narrow Gauge Railway“. Nevertheless, a 50th anniversary would provide a reason (or excuse?) for a gathering and a steam up. We had to go…

Haven’t had time yet to put together the “Rail Diaries” page – soon, perhaps; in the meantime, a sample – it’s Henschel 0-8-0T no. 1091 of 1918, rather a fine old machine.

A trip out today, to see Black 5 no. 44932 hauling “The Welsh Borders Steam Special”, from Crewe to Shrewsbury via Chester, then, later in the day, back to Crewe by the direct route. The light was lovely – the sun shone when the train came. A bit of white steam against those autumn leaves would have been very pleasant, even if the location wasn’t perfect.

I don’t know what went wrong… I’d had high hopes of a location for the return trip – perhaps another time?

Just published to Geoff’s Rail Diaries – more pictures and an account of yesterday’s visit to the Severn Valley Railway.  Go to “Southern Steam on the SVR“

It’s the Autumn Steam Gala on the Severn Valley Railway this weekend, with today’s weather likely to be the best, by far, for the three-day event. It was pretty good too – plenty of sunshine and cool air, and not too many clouds making a nuisance of themselves. My objective – to get a decent photo of the three visitors and the newcomer (whether I succeeded is a matter of opinion).

*and the Coal Tank.

A “Rail Diaries” page will follow in due course; here’s a taster