We’ve been to the Amerton Railway today, for their steam gala. We should have gone yesterday – we picked the wettest day for weeks. Despite the rain, which wasn’t always heavy, we had a most enjoyable afternoon. For more pictures etc. visit “A rainy day at Amerton” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries.
Just published to Geoff’s Rail Diaries – “Holly Bank and Colin” – photos and more on the pre-AGM fun at Chasewater yesterday.
Centenarian Barclay saddle tank Colin McAndrew, a resident favourite at the Chasewater Railway, is very small, without a doubt – one of the smallest standard gauge steam locomotives in existence. But Teddy*, a 75-year-old upstart Peckett, is without a doubt smaller – 2’0″ diameter driving wheels… Smallest? Quite possibly – and almost certainly the smallest in full working order. Today we spent several pleasant hours beside the line, on the occasion of its spring gala. (It didn’t feel much like spring, though the sun did shine early on). A “Rail Diaries” page will be along in a while – in the meantime, here’s Teddy…
*Originally owned by Teddy Boston, of Cadeby Light Railway fame
Just published to Geoff’s Rail Diaries – photos and video of yesterday’s great day beside the fearsome incline out of Foxfield colliery. Visit “Foxfield 2015 – the Autumn Gala“
A district of Telford is named after the c1792 sandstone bridge built to carry the western branch of the Shropshire Canal over the turnpike road. Both are long redundant, but their courses remain. Though we’d driven through the area very many times, we’d never sought out the structure – perhaps we ought to go and have a look? Sadly, it’s in need of renovation, and much of it is hidden behind corrugated steel sheets. We walked there from the “coke hearth” at the top of Coalbrookdale, along the trackbed of a pre-railway age tramway, with beside us the railway which still carries fuel to the power station. We left this route where it was once crossed by the Coalport branch line, following the latter a short way to the aqueduct. Now our route would follow, on and off, the canal – to a point where it was crossed by a wagonway – another ancient bridge with a plaque to confirm the fact, though its construction date seems to be unknown. Whatever its age, it made an excellent spot to shelter from a sudden sharp flurry of snow… We returned to the car along rough lanes before descending once again to the wagonway beside the railway. Most of our walk had been on, or beside, ancient transport routes, mostly unseen and unknown by today’s road users.
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=367995&Y=305276&A=Y&Z=120
Just published to Geoff’s Rail Diaries, the photos from this afternoons outing. Visit “Steaming to Santa on the SVR” – now!
It’s December, and it’s a pre-Christmas weekend – which means the Santa trains are operating on the Severn Valley Railway. The forecast say the sun will shine all afternoon – I’d better get down there…
There will be more photos on a “Rail Diaries” page, when I’ve had a chance to process them. In the meantime, here’s a taster – visiting 9F no. 92214. Yes, it’s green. Not complaining…
…was the name of the train, a trip from Bristol to Chester for the Christmas market. It was going to be hauled by Tangmere, an un-rebuilt Bulleid pacific, but earlier in the week, Tangmere was advised as “unavailable”, and instead the reliable duo of 44871 and 45407 would haul the trip. At about the same time, the weather forecast was rather unfriendly – happily, the forecast improved, and in the event, the morning’s fog cleared to bright sunshine. Here they are, Black 5s 44871 and 45407 hurrying along, on time, near Stokesay with the Christmas Cheshireman.
There are two steam-hauled specials next week, bringing passengers to the Ludlow Christmas markets – fingers crossed for the weather…
Slim gauges in the Forest of Dean, and the Severn Valley gala
With lots of photos, and video too, it’s taken a little while to put it all together – but some results from the two days are now on “Geoff’s Rail Diaries“. Visit “In the Forest” for an illustrated account of the day in Dean, and “Severnside M7” for photos and video of Sunday’s fun on the Severn Valley Railway
That’s M7 as in London and South Western Railway 0-4-4T, dating from the days of Dugald Drummond. 30053 normally lives on the Swanage Railway, but is visiting the Severn Valley Railway for their September gala – along with S&D 2-8-0 no. 88 from the West Somerset, the Worth Valley’s Midland 4F no. 43924 and the Caprotti 5 no. 73129 from Butterley. It was, of course, a good day, even if everything seemed to be the wrong way round. The photos and video will disprove that theory, won’t they? They’ll appear on Geoff’s Rail Diaries in due course (but not before I’ve dealt with yesterday’s outing).
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