Today’s post is a catch up on another visit to the Watercress Line, this time though it was not raining, thank goodness! I visited the railway last Sunday. Upon arrival at Alresford I managed to get a few shots of U class 31806 before it departed. This locomotive really is a credit to the railway’s…
This is almost a pointless blog post given that this was so very easy! DCC fitting the latest Hornby 7MT Britannia class is so simple that it can be summed up in one sentence: Unscrew the two screws
There is an exciting new arrival at the yard! A Hornby Britannia class (standard 7MT) 70004 William Shakespeare. This is a limited edition and from what I can see was almost completely pre-sold. It is a commemorative edition, marking 40 years since the last Golden Arrow express ran. It comes with detailing parts including the…
Following from my previous thread on my early steam locomotive experiences, here are a few more pictures of the Bluebell Railway from the 1990’s archive. Starting with the picture above of the Aveling Porter 2-2-0 geared well tank – a curiosity indeed! Now based at the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway, it was based for…
Continuing on my previous posts on the Kent & East Sussex Railway (K&ESR), this is part two of a series of reflections and experiences on my journey of becoming interested in real and model steam trains. Although the K&ESR was my local heritage railway, I was fortunate in being taken to other preserved lines in my youth.…
This morning I had the pleasure of both meeting Simon of Brookes Castle and also seeing the unique British Railways Standard 8 class 71000 Duke of Gloucester at Eastleigh station. Brookes Castle has a great blog that is definitely well worth following! The Duke of Gloucester was immaculately turned out for the tour and was a…
Todays post is a short piece about one of the lost classes of steam engine – the Standard 3MT tank. The class were designed to last for forty years, but thanks to Beeching’s axe; the longest survivor was 82019 that didn’t even reach it’s 15th Birthday. A model of this locomotive is part of my…
Now it’s time to get back on track (please excuse the pun!) and talk about the best performing model in my collection. It also gives me a chance to praise Bachmann, as I’m well aware that some of my previous reviews have been a little critical of the firm. This is mainly due to the…
As mentioned in my post yesterday, I visited the Watercress Line (or Mid-Hants Railway) on Saturday. It is the closest preserved line from where I live and I visit when I can. Although not the longest preserved line (7 miles long), it is a pleasant railway journey. The towns at either end of the line…
Loco Yard 