Hornby (ex-Dapol) Hunslet Austerity (J94) Review

This marks the twentieth review published on Locoyard! To finish our theme on modern steam’s hero, we

A Tribute to the Hunslet Austerity Saddle Tank (J94) Part 2

In a previous blog post, we learned why and how 70 Hunslet Austerity tank engines survived into preservation. We also looked into how they were cheap and easy to build and maintain. They were a successful design that continued into production into 1964 – 4 years after the last British Railways steam engine was…

A Tribute to the Hunslet Austerity Saddle Tank (J94) Part 1

Here’s a scenario for you, and one that I’d like to know if you’ve experienced… How many of you have arrived at a preserved line, heard and seen steam… full of excitment rushed into the ticket office, glanced through the window

Locoyard’s Unsung Hero 1111 due a facelift

With the number of visits to preserved line’s that I’ve had in the past few week’s the layout has seen little action. But as days get shorter and colder, I think this will change! There has been one small purchase made

My Journey in becoming a Steam Enthusiast, Part 6 – The Watercress Line (1997)

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…

South Devon Railway – pictures taken in 2010

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…

My Journey in becoming a Steam Enthusiast, Part 4 – When the Dart Valley became the South Devon Railway

In previous posts I have often mentioned that although my model locomotive focus is mainly Southern, I have interests in all regions. This is particularly true when it comes to the Great Western Railway! Having family who live in Devon, visits to what was once called the Dart Valley Railway were fairly regular, as were…