Just published –  the illustrated account of Saturday’s fun at Apedale. Visit “Edward Sholto” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries

Translation – today, the Industrial Railway Society held its Annual General Meeting at Apedale, Staffs, home of the Moseley Railway Trust’s new narrow gauge railway. Such events provide an ideal excuse (should one be needed) to get out everything that works and give it a run. In the case of the MRT, the range encompassed by “everything” is truly eclectic – from recently-restored (last steamed in the 1950s) Hunslet “Edward Sholto”, to a Motor-Rail that looks, for all the world, like a garden shed on rails.

A “Rail Diaries” page will inevitably appear in due course, in the meantime, here’s a sample of sublime and ridiculous!

Just posted to Geoff’s Rail Diaries, an illustrated account of Thursday’s visit to the Lickey Bank and Cranberry, in Staffordshire, to see the “Great Britain III” railtour, hauled by 44871 and 70013 “Oliver Cromwell”. Visit “Old friends on the Lickey”

It was originally planned to run via the “North and West”, but the possibility of strike action meant the Bristol – Preston leg was re-routed – twice! It would now ascend the Lickey bank before traversing the West Midlands and gaining the west coast main line at Stafford. It would be hauled by 44871 and 70013 – the last time I had seen 70013 in action was 11 August 1968 (when we thought it would be, barring a few trips by 4472, the last main line steam-hauled train on the BR network)… Better go and see it! (and escape from the dreaded painting and decorating)

Here’s a preview – I’ll probably put up a page on the “Rail Diaries” in a day or two – paintbrush permitting… Note the Voyager just disappearing out of the picture, extreme left – no, I didn’t get all the pictures I’d hoped for.

Finished, for now – I’ve just uploaded page 11 of Kenneth Gray’s photos to the monorail pages. Visit BR standards et al. for a look at the BR-designed steam locomotives – and the unloved Austerities…

…and here are the LNER pre-grouping tank locos, another interesting selection. I think the number of different classes of steam locomotive on our railways in the 1950s must be greater than the number of locomotives on the modern mainline railways of the UK.

The LNER had its fair share – and then some – of pre-grouping motive power. Lots of photos in Kenneth Gray’s collection – here’s part 1 – the tender locos (part 2 – tank engines – will follow in due course). Visit “LNER part 2” on Kenneth’s monorail pages.

Much better weather today – for a ride on the country’s newest steam railway, behind one of its oldest working locomotives. The Nantmawr quarry branch, originally contructed by “the Potts”, is an amazing survivor. The track wasn’t lifted after the last quarry train, nearly 40 years ago. All the preservationists had to do was clear a linear forest… The locomotive is Beyer Peacock 1827 of 1879 from Foxfield.

Visit “Nantmawr” on “Geoff’s Rail Diaries” for photos and video.

Panniers in the dale
Originally uploaded by geoffspages

This one had been in the diary for a little while – so had the awful weather… (the immediately following shot has a raindrop clearly visible on the filter). But it was well worth turning out for the spectacle of steam in Coalbrookdale – only the second time since the end of steam