During last week’s visit to Didcot Railway Centre, British Standard 7MT 70000 Britannia was not the only locomotive in steam. On another demonstration line, pulling an auto-coach was GWR black liveried 8750 class pannier tank 3738. This locomotive was operated from “Didcot Halt”, a faithful recreation of a GWR branchline. A Great Western themed attraction would not be complete without…
Following from yesterdays blog post on GWR locomotives to be found in Didcot Railway Centre is a close look at two special (though very different) steam locomotive. These are both examples that the engineering spirit of the Great Western Railway is still alive. We start with the magnificent 60xx King class 6023 King Edward II. This example of…
One simple reason for the steam enthusiast to want to visit the Great Western Society at Didcot Railway Centre is fairly simple – it houses the largest collection of GWR loco’s and rolling stock in Britain. Last Sunday’s blog post looked at the Didcot site and as promised we will now look inside the engine…
Following from my previous post on BR standard 7MT 70000 Britannia, I had a very enjoyable flying visit to Didcot Railway Centre on Wednesday and wanted to write a quick guide to this fantastic site. Regarded as a “Mecca” for Great Western enthusiasts, the Great Western Society’s base at the Didcot Railway Centre comprises amongst other…
As can be seen by the number of posts published in the past few days, a visit to the South Devon Railway is an experience not to be missed. The beautiful route, the attractions nearby, the loco yard, the model railways all make it a very special place. Todays post looks at the two locomotives…
Following from the previous post is a continuation of the journey along the South Devon Railway from Staverton to Totnes Littlehempston. We start with the very picturesque rural branchline station of Staverton. Staverton is a smal rural atation with a short platform, so if you wish to get off, make sure you are in a correct carriage (usually the first two…
The South Devon Railway runs along a very picturesque part of the country and is a very enjoyable ride. It has many points of interest and tourist attractions either near or along the line. I have summarised the journey in a previous post (click here), but having had a ride on the line last Sunday, I thought it…
As promised earlier in the week, this is the first post following a short stay in Devon. My wife and I had a lovely time staying with Grannie, despite the best intentions of the wet weather! So thank you Grannie 🙂 We visited the railway on Sunday 8th July, during its Military Weekend. There was…
A quick blog update tonight and a sneak preview of articles to come! I am currently enjoying a short break in Devon and have managed a wondeful ride on the South Devon railway with my wife yesterday and even squeezed in a quick visit to Staverton today. A full write-up of these visits will be given; hopefully…
As promised in yesterdays post, here are a few pictures taken at a visit to Buckfastleigh in 2010. That day, pannier tank 57xx 5786 was shunting stock around the yard. Meanwhile the beautiful (in my humble opinion) and only surving Collett Goods class 2251 0-6-0 number 3205 ran services. Meanwhile, a few other locomotives were…
Loco Yard 