Just published to Geoff’s Rail Diaries, the photos from this afternoons outing. Visit “Steaming to Santa on the SVR” – now!
Tag: Steam
Steaming towards Christmas
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…
The Christmas Cheshireman
…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…
Another Autumn Gala: Toddington
The season continues: this weekend the Toddington Narrow Gauge Railway held its Autumn Steam Gala. Two residents – Jung “Justine” and Henschel Brigadelok “Sena” were in action, together with visiting Kerr Stuart “Stanhope” from Apedale. There’s action on the standard gauge too – two 2-8-0s, one of which has an interesting history. Visit “Little and Large at Toddington” for more…
Foxfield in September
Just published to “Geoff’s Rail Diaries” – photos, video and (brief) account of yesterdays outing. Visit “Foxfield in September” – now!
Foxfield’s Autumn Gala
September has been busy! It’s the turn of the Foxfield Railway this weekend – its Autumn Steam Gala. And what a great day – good weather and lots of noisy steam action on the fearsome gradient from the colliery, for stills and video. A “Rail Diaries” page will appear in a day or so – in the meantime, as ever, here’s a quick preview. (it’s a shame there isn’t something like this going on every weekend, though if there was, I’d be exhausted by Christmas)
A busy weekend
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
An M7 beside the Severn
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).
Narrow gauge fun in the forest
The Forest of Dean is a great place for narrow gauge railways – especially when Keefs hold their annual open day. Star attraction is the completed “Barber”, the locomotive built in 1908 by T Green of Leeds for the Harrogate gas works railway – it’s ready for the journey back to South Tynedale and its return to steam. Nearby is the Lea Bailey Light Railway, where there’s a real narrow gauge industrial feel to operations. We’ll look in at Clearwell Caves too, to have a look at the locomotives there 
(including Lea Bailey’s Hunslet), before visiting Perrygrove, where the annual gala is in full swing, with visitor St Egwyn from the Evesham Vale line. There will be a full set of photos in a day or two, when I’ve had time to put a “Rail Diaries” entry together – but not tomorrow, we’re visiting the Severn Valley for their gala…
Statfold in September
Help! The traction engines have escaped from their field, and have wandered off into the field beside the railway. It was a bit like a herd of cows, one after another, rather hesitantly making their way from the lane, across the railway and into the stubble. They lost interest after a while and began to wander back. Yes, another great day at Statfold. Lots of photos to sort through: a selection will appear on “Geoff’s Rail Diaries”, once I’ve dealt with the pictures from yesterday’s visit to “Tracks to the Trenches”
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