Class: Original (unrebuilt) West Country / Battle of Britain class Use: Express Passenger and Express Goods Region: Southern Era: 1945-1967 Preserved examples: 34007 21C107 Wadebridge – Mid Hants Railway – operational 34023 21C123 Blackmoor Vale/Blackmore Vale – Bluebell Railway (as-built, Coat of Arms added in preservation) – Static Display pending overhaul 34051 21C151 Winston Churchill – National Railway Museum – Static…
Fittingly after yesterdays blog post we move forward in time to the 22nd July and to another character from Thomas the Tank Engine and friends; 5 James! This is in reality the sole surviving Maunsell N class (31874) that was painted as the Thomas the Tank Engine character towards the end of its last stint in…
1997 was a significant year for the Watercress Line, as it marked it’s 20th anniversary as a preserved railway. My father and I visited the line twice that year. The line’s impressive home fleet was supplemented by some very special visitors. Continuing from last week’s post, here are a selection of photographs of the Watercress…
Regular readers of this blog will no doubt be very familiar with the Watercress Line! It is a railway I visit regularly now, but when growing up one that I visited relatively infrequently. However, these early visits nevertheless were regular and enjoyable enough to go a long way in sowing the seeds of becoming a steam enthusiast! Going back…
From left to right BR standard 7MT 70004 William Shakespeare, rebuilt Merchant Navy 350027 Port Line, BR standard 9F 92220 Evening Star and rebuilt Westcountry Pacific 34026 Yes Tor make up a British Railway brunswick green fab-four line-up at Locoyard today. Tomorrow’s post will be continuing my story at another preserved railway from my childhood,…
Just a quick update tonight, as I’m sure many of you will, like me be watching England play in the Euro’s! This weekend I shall be adding more pictures scanned in from the Bluebell Railway in the 1990’s and will also be doing a short peice on Exbury Gardens steam railway. I am also rather…
A very appropriate structure has been purchased for locoyard – a Hornby coaling tower. Unfortunately there is not enough space on the layout for now so has been set up on top of the display cabinet whilst I consider what to do with it! 56xx 6619 has been posed delivering coal trucks, whilst rebuilt West…
Todays post is a reflection on the names given by Southern Railways to their top-link express locomotives. As the names are so evocative and well-thought out, I wanted to discuss some of the reasons why they work so well. I’ve illustrated the piece with locoyard fleet locomotives; both past and present. King Arthur Class Although…
Class: Rebuilt Merchant Navy Use: Express Passenger and Goods Region: Southern Era: 1956-1967 Preserved examples: 35005 Canadian Pacific, Watercress Line (Mid-Hants Railway) 35006 Peninsular & Oriental S. N.Co., Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway 35009 Shaw Savill,East LancashireRailway 35010 Blue Star, British Enginemen’s Steam Preservation Society,ColneValleyRailway 35011 General Steam Navigation,Sellindge,Kent 35018British IndiaLine,SouthCoastSteam,Portland 35022 Holland-America Line,East LancashireRailway 35025 Brocklebank…
Good Evening fellow modellers! Apologies for dropping off the radar for the past few days, unfortunately it’s been a busy few days and the yard has been quiet as a result. I would like to start this blog by recommending another – check out http://brookescastle.blogspot.com/ -it’s a great read and well worth following. I do not have…
Loco Yard 