Last Saturday was the Urie Group’s Open Day at Ropley on the Watercress Line and as I was involved with running workshop tours all weekend, we gave the tours a Urie flavour to fit in with the day. To do this I took myself on a crash course on the society’s two locomotives, both of which…
Good progress with the overhaul of BR Standard class 4MT 2-6-0 76017 is being made in Ropley at the Watercress Line. As can be evidenced in the photographs in this blog post, painting is well under way, whilst the list of parts to re-fit is reducing each working day.
Good evening, Tonight we are looking at the latest update from the Urie Loco Society, the group who own and are currently restoring two Urie S15’s 30499 & 30506 which are based on the Mid Hants Railway. I have been a member of the society for about 5 years now and almost joined them as…
The latest update from the Heritage Lottery Funded overhaul of Merchant Navy class 35005 Canadian Pacific has been published! Please click on the following link to read the article: preservation.watercressline.co.uk/blog/entry/canpac-early-summer-2016-overhaul-update With HLF funding, this project to complete the overhaul of 35005 Canadian Pacific and two Bulleid carriages is in full swing. However, we still require nearly £200,000…
The Watercress Line’s carriage shop has just posted an update from May 2016, that includes an update of the two Bulleid carriages being restored – 1456 and 4367. The restoration of these two carriages is being undertaken as part of the Heritage Lottery Funded Canadian Pacific Project. Please click on the following link to read the article: preservation.watercressline.co.uk/blog/entry/so-near-yet-so-far…
Earlier today, the Kent and East Sussex Railway Saturday Gang posted a new update. The group work in the railway’s locomotive workshops in Rolvenden, overhauling and repairing the light railway’s fleet of locomotives. Details of work on the railway’s steam locomotives and Ransomes and Rapier 30-ton Steam Crane DS81 are provided in the latest update that can be viewed in their…
Having only just come to terms with it being 2016, it seems strange to think that we have now reached the summer half term, but nevertheless here we are! If you’re looking at finding some fun activities for the children, why not pop along to the Watercress Line on 1st and 2nd June for a ride behind…
This coming weekend May 28th-30th is the GWSR’s annual Cotswold Festival of Steam, This year with the theme “Swindon built” to celebrate 175 years since the GWR’s Swindon workshops opened. 8 locos will be in steam for the event operating an intensive service, including steam runs to Laverton over Stanway Viaduct (not usually possible any…
As of yesterday, Saturday 21st May, the GWSR’s share offer “Broadway: The Last Mile” has reached the incredible sum of £500,000 in just 6 weeks! This should be plenty of money to keep our volunteers occupied for the rest of the year in progressing towards Broadway. However there’s still a long way to go to…
Yesterday, on Monday 16th May 2016 35006 P&O made her triumphant return to steam after over 30 years of painstaking restoration by volunteers at Toddington on the GWSR. Thanks to the generosity (and slight disorganisation 😉 ) of my co-bloggers (thanks again chaps!), I went along to the shareholders’ and supporters’ launch ceremony. When I…
Loco Yard 