Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway...

Hi everyone. Having left work on a half-day this morning, I picked up Eddie before departing towards Bala. On the way we decided to call in for a round trip on the 2ft 6" gauge Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway. We arrived at Llanfair around 30 minutes before our departure so took the opportunity to grab a cuppa'. Jeff Cogan and Ken Bull were already there. They both work at the Echills Wood Railway and are also the official photographers for Statfold Barn...its funny how you seem to know everyone! In the yard at Llanfair was 0-6-2 Kerr Stuart "Joan", in light steam. Last time I came here she was nearly finished in the workshops, following overhaul. Today she was out in the sunshine, shining away. With a loud whistle we were graced with the arrival of 'Resita'. This 0-8-0 tank engine was also in bits last time I was here. Today she was on one of her first test runs following a heavy overhaul and arrived in 'failed' condition having ran a few hot bearings. She was duly retired from service with the reserve loco ("Joan") being brought round quickly and placed on the front of the train.

'Resita' - The 0-8-0T

I wasn't conplaining when 'Resita' failed as I had only really come to see "Joan". I saw "Countess" and "Earl" when I last came, as "Joan" wasn't ready, but today she certainly was. What an attractive engine.

 

The fireman who was making up "Joan"s fire kindly invited us up onto the footplate for a look around. It was a remarkably large cab with everything you would expect inside. I was surprised to see vacuum brakes fitted...I thought they would be air. The fireman talked of how "Joan" was a reliable and powerful locomotive, if you 'had her right'.

 

We left Llanfair, behind "Joan", on time and passed the Beyer "Countess" (the other loco in service) half way down the line. We travelled on an open balcony; one of the joys of the W & LLR coaches. From there you could see everything clearly on this beautiful sunny day.

GWR "Countess" - Sister Beyer to "The Earl"

Last time I visited the W & LLR it was raining and so this time it was very pleasant to see it in its true glory. The countryside around the winding route is fantastic.

After descending Golfa Bank and pulling into the terminus at Welshpool station, "Joan" was uncoupled and took water at the tower. It turns out myself and the driver had met before, on a works trip out...small world!

Having ran round "Joan" recoupled before hauling us easily back up Golfa and on towards Llanfair across the countryside.

Through The Square Window

After what seemed an easy run, "Joan" pulled back into Llanfair in the late afternoon sun. What a lovely journey.

We alighted from the coaches before enjoying another cuppa'. From here it was another hours journey across the mountains to Bala and the Bala Lake Railway. Below is the film I took at the W & LLR...
 
It had been a very pleasant visit but, now, its across the mountains we go. Up hill and down dale we drove passing...yes you've guessed it...thousands of sheep! We arrived at the Bala Lake Railway headquarters and found our accomodation: one of the caravans on the station yard - very nice. However when I turned around to Eddie to talk to him and he wasn't there, I had to go in search of him. I discovered him in a grassy patch behind the van, attempting to chop a tree branch off with what can only be described as the poorest of butter knives! He then commented, "its not cutting very well"...oh dear, must have been sun exposure, Ed...

With that, its off to the pub! Cheers guys. Sam...

The Shakespeare Express...

Hello everyone. Today we travelled on the 'Shakespeare Express': the summer Sunday afternoon main line steam service between Birmingham Snow Hill and Stratford-Upon-Avon. The express makes two round trips per day. We travelled on train B (leaving Stratford) and making a round trip to Birmingham and back. Tyseley locomotive works (in conjunction with Vintage Trains Ltd) has been running the Shakespeare for over 10 years now and it tends to prove very successful. We arrived at Statford station after a drive along the A46 at around 11:30am. 4965 "Rood Ashton Hall"; complete with headboard; soon pulled in with a lengthy rake of chocolate & cream coaches. The immaculate Hall Class 4-6-0; built by the GWR at Swindon in 1929; was soon run round and placed back on the front of the train, having arrived tender first. Shining at the head of the coaches she looked beautiful; a real testament to GWR engineering.

For an engine so regularly used on mainline runs, the footplate of "Rood Ashton" was also immaculate. I couldn't believe it. There was even a Tea set on the warming plate.

Myself and Maisie boarded the 'Shakespeare' towards the back of the set, away from the rabble that was boarding nearer the front. The train departed at 12:30ish and took us to Birmingham along the Bearley branch before curving left at Hatton Junction on the (as I call it) 'proper' main line. Here 4965 was given her head and accelerated quickly up to 60mph odd. She seemed to do it almost effortlessly, for mile after mile before slowing up to slip through the Birmingham suburbs.

 

After brief stops at Tyseley and Moor Street, 4965 pulled us loudly up through the lengthy Snow Hill Tunnel before pulling into the platform. I alighted to take a few quick snaps before rejoining the train following run round.

 

The locomotive was run round sharply, before being recoupled to the front of the train.

"Rood Ashton Hall" - Built 1929 (Snow Hill)

The return run was limited to 45mph due to the loco operating tender first but 4965 still gave a few good chuffs. She sounded in fine form, almost as good as she looked. An hours journey each way resulted in arrival back at Stratford. As the rain fell, most people took photographs of the loco from under the station canopy, as I did.

Having watched 4965 tear through during her run round, myself and Maisie walked back to the car before heading home back along the A46. It had been a pleasant Sunday afternoon out. We had travelled for a bargain price of £7 each due to a Groupon offer so I was pretty pleased with the service we got. I do however think (rather snobbishly) that we will travel Pullman Class again next time we travel with VTL...its just a totally different experience! ;) . Cheers guys. Sam...

Another Day At The Office...

Hi guys. A short one from today as my iPhone went flat so I couldn't take any pictures. Today myself and Eddie were rostered on 3803, being joined on our final two trips (of 5) by trainee fireman Dave. Everything went to plan: the engine steamed well, we had little clinker and the trains ran pretty much to time. A brilliant day, once again, on 3803. In the evening we took "Blue Circle" and a Brakevan all the way to Shenton and back on a social outing. It took nearly 3 hours!

This is a plug for the 2012 STEAM GALA at Shackerstone. It will take place on September 15th/16th and will feature (click links for more info on each loco):
* LMS Stanier Black 5 4-6-0 No45379 (Mid Hants Railway)
* GWR Small Prairie 2-6-2 No5521 (Bill Parker - Flour Mill)
* GWR Heavy Freight 2-8-0 No3803 (South Devon Railway)
* Peckett OX1 0-6-0ST No1859 "Sir Gomer" (Resident)
* Aveiling & Porter 2-2-0 No9449 "Blue Circle" (Mr Smith)

The gala will feature an intensive service with both passenger and freight trains. We hope you can join us for what promises to be an exciting weekend on the railway! If you can't join us, the gala will be reported in full on this blog. Cheers. Sam.

A Call In At Buckfastleigh...

Hi guys. On the way home from Torquay we decided to call in briefly at the South Devon Railway: home of 3803 which we currently have at Shackerstone. Based at Buckfastleigh, the SDR runs for around 7 miles alongside the River Dart. We parked up before walking over the footbridge. A train had just arrived, hauled by the pretty Collett 0-6-0 No3205. Having pulled off her train the 0-6-0 ran round before coupling back up to the coaches again.

I had a quick look over the Collett before it left at 11:30am. It looked very nice to work on. The inside Stephensons link motion was easily accessible under the boiler barrel from the running plate.

3205 Runs Round at Buckfastleigh

3205 - Built in 1946

Having watched 3205 chug away towards Totnes we had a look in the sizeable museum. There was alot on offer from railwayana to historic vehicles, locomotives and photographs.

A Quick Shot of the Museum

Peckett 0-4-0ST "Ashley" is cosmetically restored and with her accessible cab gives a good insight into the controls and workings of a basic steam locomotive. I did have a bit of a 'pretend drive' - I will admit - lovely little loco.

"Ashley" - Built November 1942

The Station Shop was also well worth a look, even including a sizeable 00 gauge model railway. We've travelled on the SDR in the past so didn't do so today but we did enjoy our short visit - a very nice litte railway indeed. Cheers guys. Sam.

Babbacombe Cliff Railway Revisted...

Another ride on the Babbacombe Cliff Railway today, taking us down the hillside to Oddicombe Beach, and the sea. More information on our previous rides on this historic little cable-worked line can found in previous posts: click here. No matter how many times we have a ride on this railway my arms still tense to the handrail on the way down! Sam...

A Hall On The Paignton & Dartmouth...

Hello everyone. Today we visited the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway for a run along the Torbay coast to Kingswear for Dartmouth. There was a 2-train service in operation today as the railway was running to its Peak Timetable. We arrived at Paignton Station at 10:30am and immediately spotted 4936 "Kinlet Hall" simmering away in the platform. The first train had long since left, behind Heavy Tank "Hercules" (No4277). 4936 is not a PDSR engine but is on loan from its base at Tyseley. The railway normally uses its own fleet of loco's but late July and August was proving to be a bit of a Steam Shortage. 5239 "Goliath" the 2-8-0T is currently out of service with boiler problems and this week 7827 "Lydham Manor" was out for washout. 4936 & 4277 were therefore the only two loco's available and so were the obvious choice, with the Class 25 'Rat' as reserve. We boarded the 7-coach train just as the Hall ran round and we left on time at 10:45.

Steamy 4936

4936 feathered lightly for most of the way. I was quite surprised how well she accelerated away from Goodrington up the bank. With 6ft diameter driving wheels one would have expected the 1929-built 4-6-0 to slip in the wet but she didn't - not at this point anyway. She got into a good stride with a loud bark as she pulled up and around Waterside past the whistle board. Climbing up into the passing station at Churston the Hall was beginning to struggle. The train began to slow up greatly. At one point we were barely even moving. Through the window came four crisp beats and then a slip. This continued for a good few seconds before the Hall dug in for a slow ascent into the platform, passing the frames of 5239 on the left. Having stopped safely, a green light (the PDSR is fully electric light signalled - non prototypically) was given to 4277 which was waiting to come in from the Kingswear direction. Even in the wet, the 42xx picked up her train easily and chugged in with barely a murmur from the chimney. Leaving Churston 4936 got the train moving easily before coasting down to Kingswear, after a brief stop at Greenway Halt.

Kingswear Boatyard with Dartmouth Over The River

At Kingswear we alighted in pouring rain before catching the foot-ferry across to Dartmouth. An hour or so looking around the delightful town (which seems to sell mostly Fudge) was followed by the ferry back. The next train wasn't due for another 10 minutes so we wandered around on the platform for a bit. The new signalbox at Kingswear was particularly impressive and looked the part too.

Kingswear Signalbox

In the distance there was a familiar whistle, of Western origin. Far away, along the edge of the River Dart, came 4936 and her train, throwing white steam over her shoulder.

Maisie Waiting For 4936

The Hall duly chugged in with the safety valves lightly feathering. The rain was still falling, but a little lighter now. The Hall looked very attractive; so clean and well proportioned. The Tyseley engines are kept very well though - all of them.

4936 gave us a good run back to Paignton. The climb up through Greenway was particularly good, with four crisp beats making their way out of the chimney. She sounded in very good voice, constantly. Back at Paignton I poked my head around the cab door. It was the typical GWR layout except with a few additions for working on the main line (4936 is registered).

It was now lunchbreak. The PDSR is a fully fledged business, not a preserved line as such, and therefore conforms to employee legislation. The crews therefore leave the engine for 45 minutes for lunch before returning to the footplate. The Hall was raked through, brought down to about 160psi with a full boiler and then left in the car park headshunt for display. It always amazes me how many people want their photograph taken with a loco...even these days...

Engine Lunchbreak

Below, 4936 is captured in a short movie, climbing towards Greenway. I recorded this to portray her crisp beats. Have a listen...

All in all, another very nice visit to the PDSR. Though not a preserved railway in its own right, it is a beautiful route and no engine that isn't in tip-top condition graces its metals. Cheers guys. Sam.

Achilles Report No15 - Evening Steam Up...

"Achilles" With Lamp & Headboard

Hello people. I sat at work today wishing the minutes away so that I could get out into the hot sunshine and pick up "Achilles". Destination?: Ryton Pools and the 5" gauge track owned by CMES. Myself & Ben arrived first at about 5pm. We opened up and then took the Saxo up to track level to unload the engine. Under the hot sun, "Achilles" hissed as I shoved her backwards onto the traverser beam. She was then moved onto one of the 5" gauge only bays for prep.

Having took the Saxo back down to the road, Dave & his son arrived with their 3.5" Princess Marina (Stanier Mogul). The two engines were prepared side by side. First I oiled "Achilles" up before filling the boiler with water via the hand-pump in the l/hand tank. With 1/2 glass of water in the boiler I lit the fire using ready soaked parrafin wood. The electric blower was then used to draw the wood fire before changing onto coal.

Fire In The Hole

Other engines duly arrived and it ended up being one of the busiest club running events that I have seen for quite a few years. There were just so many engines, mostly steam but also with some electric/petrol examples mixed in. "Achilles" was the first steamer on the track, coming on at just after 5:30pm. I took her for a lap before Shackerstone collegue Dave took over for the following 3 laps. For the rest of the evening the loco gave various rides to not only my family and friends but also to club members and guests. Ken (the gentleman who gave me the loco) also attended and seemed very impressed with the condition and peformance of the engine. She was steaming and pulling well, though the valve gear is beginning to clank rather audibly. The l/hand crosshead in particular is very worn, as are both big ends. Luckily, "Achilles" only has another 3 or 4 runs to do before the end of the season when she will be rebushed in the winter. This should give her a new lease of life and allow her to run much more economically and quietly.

The newly-fitted reverser spring (to stop her choosing her own running position) seemed to be working very well and I could leave her in 2nd or 3rd notch and she would stay there no matter what. Beforehand the loco would have pulled herself into either full forward or even mid-gear which was beginning to be a bit of a pain, particularly when climbing the lengthy 1 in 70 bank. The recently changed return crank settings seem to have altered the engines valve events for the better and it now seems to run much smoother at speed. I was impressed anyway!

 

Dave, as usual, was joined by his camera and kindly sent in the following 5 images for your interest. Cheers Dave!

No Overalls Today - Shorts Weather! (D.Hanks)

"Achilles" On The Bank With Two Guests Behind (D.Hanks)

Eddie Relishing The Chance To Drive Something Of Quality! (D.Hanks)

Eddie Driving "Achilles" With Ken Riding (D.Hanks)

Me Back On The Regulator With Mum & Ben Riding (D.Hanks)

Thanks for reading folks. It had been a very enjoyable evening. "Achilles" had performed very well and even other drivers such as Eddie, Dave and Emma had managed to take her round and return with good steam & water levels. To me, that shows that the engine is doing OK. I hope however that it will be much, much better once she's been rebushed and had a few minor mods/repairs carried out. "Achilles" will next run in a few weeks, with any luck! ;) Cheers. Sam...

A Beautiful Day For Sitting In The Garden...

Wilesco & 5775

Hi everyone. Well, what a beautiful afternoon. We sat in the garden with a cuppa' in hand watching Class 57XX No5775 pulling her passenger train around the 00 gauge garden railway track. Meanwhile the Wilesco was simmering away, feathering at its tiny safety valves and ticking over lightly. In the workshop, "Achilles" stood shining and clean wearing her headlamp and headboard: ready for Wednesday. I love days like this.

Cheers guys. Sam...

A Day In Shackerstone Shed...

Aveiling & Porter "Blue Circle" - Shackerstone

Hi there guys. Today I was back at Shackerstone, arriving at just after 9am. The rostered loco (3803) was just about to leave shed on Footplate Experience duty. Once the loco had left shed I cleaned out the pit of ash & clinker, with the help of Jason. Myself, Jason and Will then helped Mic clean his engine: "Blue Circle". The Aveiling 2-2-0 was slowly raising steam before attempting to leave the shed through the South End into the so-called 'yard'. Before that occured though myself and Carl had to use the Class 02 diesel shunter to shift two coaches, a railcar and a few wagons. This took us about 30 minutes to do before "Blue Circle" triumphantly chugged out into the sunshine and then out onto the old pit road. Once the 38 had ran round for the next trip, "BC" slipped down into Platform 1 to tick-over for a while. It was the first time in about 18 months that the loco had moved anywhere. It was nice to see her out again.

Dunlop No7...

Peckett 0-4-0ST "Dunlop No7" (Works number 2130 of 1949) is owned by some of the railways members. It has been based at Shackerstone since the 1970s and took its turn on Battlefield Line passenger trains before its firebox began to quilt. The loco was subsequently taken out of service and has stood forlorn at the very back of the North End sidings for around 30 years. However, around 4 months ago the loco resurfaced and appeared at the side of the shed. Back then she had her boiler, smokebox and wheels, though everything seemed a bit poorly. Last week however the boiler, tank and smokebox were removed and now lie in the North End. Today the frames were being lifted for the two axles and their four wheels to be removed.

The first set of wheels was removed with the eccentric sheaths still fitted

30 years of being out in the open air has no doubt taken its toll but I'm sure the guys restoring her will get her running again

There we go, all four wheels out!...

 

Progress on this small but chunky 0-4-0ST has been rapid so far. In the past 2 weeks she has been almost completely stripped, which I think is very impressive. The boiler, tank and chimney are now up in the North End awaiting attention.

The boiler currently has no inner firebox which I believe is one of the main jobs to be done on it

After some good running-in throughout the day, 2-2-0WT "Blue Circle" was back in the shed. Her first proper movements with her new gears seemed successful and I believe owner Mic was very happy with her.

I washed up at around 4pm ready to go home, after witnessing 3803 slope in from Shenton on the 3:35

I left Shackerstone at around 4:15pm and headed home. It had been a nice, humorous and interesting day in the loco shed. The progress on Dunlop No7 was particularly impressive and I'm sure that we can all look forward to seeing the little Peckett in action again sometime soon.

Once back home I decided to start cleaning up "Achilles": my 5" gauge loco, ready for her run on Wednesday. Cheers everyone. Sam...