I was rather pleased to be on duty today, as it meant that I was around for the first public testing of 35006 P&O. Yesterday it was being tested as far as Gotherington, but today with service trains running it chuffed up and down the Laverton-Toddington section to keep out of the way of service…
Last Saturday I was lucky enough to visit the West Somerset Railway for their Spring steam gala commemorating the 50th anniversary of the closure of the much lamented S&D line. The stations were all renamed after suitable S&D stations for the week, and an impressive loco lineup was formed, with GWR locos banished into the…
The Severn Valley’s Third guest for their Autumn steam gala was previous long time resident on the railway Ivatt class 2 46521, and was used in filming of “Oh Doctor Beaching!” gaining the unofficial name ‘Blossom’. It moved to the GCR in 2000 but returned for the SVR’s fiftieth anniversary, paired with resident GWR prairie…
Despite being there for most of the event, I didn’t see an awful lot of Britannia during the Severn Valley’s gala. Having seen it twice this year already at the Mid-Hants and West Somerset it wasn’t too high on my hit list though. After several attempts to get Britannia back to the Valley it is…
No visit to the Bluebell Railway is complete without a peak inside the engine shed, which is home to the largest collection of locomotives of (UK) Southern origin. The Bluebell Line has another remarkable claim to fame to add to this – it has the largest collection of BR Standard Classes. Indeed, this collection is…
Good evening Despite Newport being the headliner at the spring gala the locomotive I was most impressed with was number 24 Calbourne. Calbourne leaving Ashey
The next locomotive in the series from Simon’s 35005 ‘Canadian Pacific’ is 35006 ‘Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co.’ (usually called P&O!) and is a rebuilt Merchant Navy Class. During its working life it had a very similar life to Canadian Pacific being rebuilt some time in the 50’s. 35005 was of course bought by Steamtown…
A relatively new home fleet locomotive for the GWSR, Dinmore Manor made its gala debut at the railway in style, carrying a number of different headboards over the weekend and double heading with the group’s other locomotive on loan, 3580. Appearing in unlined black livery, it really looked the part on the freight train,…
This little character is Hawksworth’s 15xx pannier tank courtesy of the Severn Valley railway. It might look small but it can pack a fair punch, on a visit to the Severn valley some time ago it hauled a very full eight coach passenger train! On the GWSR however it coped adequately well with our…
The Watercress Festival in Alresford is one of those events that my wife and I try to put into the heritage railway diary. This is despite the fact that it’s not really a railway event as such, but an important one that the railway supports in a big way. The event is all about food…
Loco Yard 