It has been a miserable winter all round. England had the big freeze, America has been hit by freezing conditions and I won't even mention the torrid time they are having in Australia! I have been cooped up for weeks now, it has even been too cold to go out to the workshop and get some railway modelling done and I have spent the time scanning in my 250 or so rolls of black and white negatives I have never got round to printing. That task is turning into an epic! Yesterday, however ,was the first day when it was decent enough to go out filming. The event was the seasons first Steam gala at Preston's Ribble Steam Railway' an unusual preserved railway in the North of England that specialises in Industrial steam and diesel locomotives. They now have over 40 examples of motive power that would hav been privately owned by companies the length and breadth of the U.K The day dawned misty and grey and Hunslet 0-6-0ST 'Walkden' was building up steam and being watered. This is an example of the classic 'Austerity' tank built in large numbers during and after the second world war by Hunslet and other loco builders. At the other end of the rake of coaches was Bagnall 0-4-0ST Linda which was visiting from the Chasewater railway Barclay 0-4-0ST 'John Howe' was on a demonstration freight train and like the other engines was immaculately turned out for the event Once it had run round the train it propelled them onto the back road
Peckett 0-4-0ST 'May' was a visitor from the East Lancashire Railway and the brass work including the dome was highly polished Part one of the video is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vew2glTMGY and is set mainly around the station part two meant a walk along the river bank to get the trains as they went past the docks to near Preston city centre http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNYbtF2KTFg sadly they were working bunker first coming back
the large workshop complex across the yard from the museum had a lot of items under restoration one of British Rail's classic type 03 shunters is well advanced 'Kinsey' an 0-6-0T needs a lot more work A Barclay saddle tank with its characteristic square tank is at the primer paint stage 'Walkden came looming through the mist to take on water at the shed entrance
In the museum itself two three notable main line engines were found An LMS Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0 whose boiler ticket has expired was on display 46441 was part of a class introduced in 1946 and is one of six surviving examples in the U.K The LNWR 0-4-0T is part of the national collection and is on loan to the Ribble Steam railway one of my all time favourites was also here, Lancashire and Yorkshire no 1300, an Aspinall 0-6-0. Typical of thousands of small tender engines that were built for the railways of England it is resplendent in the Lanky's lined black livery It is unusal in having 'Joy' valvegear More typical of the mueums content is a Fowler diesel shunter
I had some nerd telling me that my exposures were too long as he was geting good pictures hand holding his camera, poor lad could not get his head round 1 second exposures with fill in flash! Back in the workshop another Austerity 0-6-0ST formerly at the Lakeside and Haverthwaite was seen Anyway it was nice to get out and about again. Things are going to be quiet this spring as the Kent viaduct south of my house on the Cumbrian coast line is going to be closed for 16 weeks for rebuilding. It does mean, however, that starting in July we have about six or seven weeks with a steam special going past every Saturday! Finally here is a video of trains in the snow in my village early December. This is not the real snow we had but still caused a lot of problems on the counties roads http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HUCohcMtNw cheers KEV
Very nice selection, Kev. So, you're in the Arnside/Grange/Kendal area, are you? I'm exiled from Lancaster!! Regards, Pete Davies
