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change at Sudforth Lane; it then worked back light engine to pick us up at the bus stop! Yes, literally
an actual bus stop on the Up & Down Knottingley Goods where driver changes take place.

The afternoon leg began with a straight run to Shaftholme Jn then through Doncaster on the Up Fast
before crossing over to Up East Slow/Down Loco towards the end of P3. The Up Goods was taken past
the site of the former Doncaster Carr Depot (it still is on the Section Appendix), now known as
Doncaster IEP Depot and home to the Hitachi units mostly Azumas, but a TPE 802 was also spotted.

Decoy Up Reception Siding 3 was taken, looking to see what track could be done in Decoy Up Yard.
Most sidings were occupied with engineers' trains and wagons, so we traversed the two short stubs in
front of the DB Cargo Wagon Repair Shed, the bunker shaped building ('DB Cargo' on TRACKmaps).

From there we took a bit of track I was looking forward to and required, the 1m 01ch Low Ellers Curve
to St Catherine's Jn for a reversal to take us through Decoy Down Yard Road 2. Onward then to a
further interesting area, Belmont Down Yard Hump Roads. TRACKmaps (2020) shows the Loco Line
and Reception Lines 1-3, however, the Loco Line and Reception 2 & 3 are now severed at the Royal
Mail Terminal end and Reception 1-3 are severed at the Belmont Yard end! Kev commented the track
looked a bit like an episode of Wallace & Gromit. We entered via Reception 1, then the track had been
slewed across to the Loco Line to continue through to Belmont Down Yard. Getting the hump, yes it is
a reasonable incline, into Belmont Yard there were many empty sidings. Belmont Down Yard Roads
1-8 were almost completely empty bar maybe 10 or so wagons at the Doncaster station end of Roads
3,4 & 6. It would have been rude not to have taken advantage so our driver, realising we were major
track cranks, quickly got into the spirit of things. Well, RTT did show us spending 2½ hrs in Doncaster
Yards, so off we went covering Road 8 throughout, back down through Road 7, Road 2 throughout,
back down through Road 1 then Roads 3, 6 & 4 in that order to the stabled wagons stabled at the
north end and back down, before Road 5 throughout into the Shunt Neck near Sandbank Jn.

A reversal here and then the Up West Reception was taken to Belmont Up Yard where we reversed
onto Road 6. Our path here was blocked by 66133 & 67012. However, our driver suggested firing up
67012, our fourth 'cabage' of the day which was used to do Road 6 to the buffers and back to 66133.

The driver then received a call from Control, a bit like the Adlam windscreen wiper fault on tours; they
wanted him to take 67012 up to the West Yard. However, its path was blocked by 66133 & 66144. We
transferred 66144 from Road 6 onto the Transfer Line, before firing up loco No5 of the day (66133).
It was moved from Road 6 where it was blocking 67012, but not before we did Road 2 to the end of
line and back to stable. 67012 was then used to cover Balby Carr Fuel Line 1 & 2, Roads 4, 3 & 5 up to
where the Class 91s and Mk4 stock were stabled and then onto the Transfer Line, coupling to the rear
of 66144 to take it up to the West Yard. Wow! An excellent, productive and very unexpected way to
spend two hours in Doncaster during which TRACKmaps was well and truly significantly coloured in
(a shed load of track?) some unlikely, if ever, to be covered on a railtour, what an absolute privilege.

Departure from Belmont Yard was via the Transfer Line to Sand Bank Jn then Down/Up West Slow 2
followed by Two Way Goods No1 to just north of the station. Reversal at Signal 1488 took us into
Doncaster West Yard Road 3 to stable 67012 on top of 67007. Having detached 67012, we ran back to
Knottingley in the cab of 66144 on a gloriously sunny evening, a fitting way to end an amazing and
unforgettable day which delivered way more than I had expected or could have ever dreamt of.

Plenty of winning track at Quail level, five locos (three were winners), excellent knowledgeable
professional drivers, decent weather and all in a good cause with Martin House benefitting from the
charity donation. Safe to say I'm still smiling and pinching myself that all of this actually happened a
few days ago as I write this report. [As they say 'It could be you!' keep an eye out for our next auction.]

Details must be checked 1378 CONNECTIONS (Paul Stewart) [email protected] .Please mention BLN.
1653] Mid Suffolk Light Railway: (MR p8) Runs every Sun until 5 Sep, plus 30 Aug & 4 Sep (extension
not yet open); advanced booking required. Normal running from 10.15; some days are special events.

1654] Bala ReRailed Sat 12 & Sun 13 Jun 10.00-16.00: Visit Bala Lake Railway's (BLR) Bala Town station
site behind the Cinema (Heol Aran/Aran Street, by Plassey Street pay & display car park, LL23 7SW,
with public toilets). Open days promoting the extension project with the first steam trains to operate
in Bala town since the 18 Jan 1965 closure of the standard gauge station. 2ft gauge portable track and
a BLR steam loco giving rides in an open coach also 7¼" gauge rides. Display of BLR Trust extension
plans with a model of the proposed station, guided tours of the extension route, vintage bus link to
BLR station. BLR trains are running a 'pink' timetable so passenger trains will use the rare intermediate
passing loop. Also: vintage vehicles, brass band, mechanical organ plus local exhibitors and traders etc.

1655] Stapleford Miniature Railway: Stapleford Park, near Melton Mowbray, LE14 2SF. This nearly
two mile long 10¼" gauge railway plans public running 3-4 Jul (Miniatures Weekend), gates open 10.00;
car parking £3 plus £3 per train trip (which takes 14 mins); other attractions. 28-30 Aug: Vintage Steam
Rally, gates open 10.00; Adult admission £5, Child £3, railway running and various other attractions.

1656] Minor Railways: (BLN 1377.1487) reopening: Mon 12 Apr: ●Heatherslaw Light Railway. Sat 1
May: ●Old Kiln Light Railway. Sun 2 May: ●Cardiff Model Engineers. Wed 19 May: ●Llanberis Lake
Railway. Sat 22 May: ●Snowdon Mountain Railway (was 1 May). Sun 23 May: ●Amberley Museum
●Shipley Glen Tramway ●Northampton & Lamport Railway. Mon 24 May: ●Vale of Rheidol Railway
Sat 29 May: ●Gwili Railway. Sat 5 Jun: ●Peak Rail (Rowsley South, pre-booked round trips only).
Sat 12 Jun: ●Wansford Miniature Railway 5" gauge (13.00-16.00). Mon 21 Jun: ●Launceston Steam
Railway. Thur 1 Jul: ●Brecon Mountain Railway. Sat 24 Jul: ●Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway. E&OE.

1657] Yorkshire Wolds Railway: (MR p9) Fimber Halt, Beverley Rd, YO25 3HG. From Sun 30 May, the
start of season, this standard gauge line was extended from 4ch to 15ch. It runs from 11.00 on Suns &
Bank Holiday Mons until the end of Sep; two passengers per cab ride. Reports and photos welcome.

1658] 19 & 20 Jun; East Kent Railway: Steam Loco 'Achilles' is due to run (boiler ticket runs out 23 Jun).

1659] 20 Jun Nene Valley Railway: Brakevan rides on rare track in Wansford Yard with 'Blue Circle'.

1660] Bure Valley Railway: (MR p21) On this delightful 15" gauge 8m 63ch railway, at Wroxham all
passenger trains currently arrive/depart from the ultra-rare P2, left on arrival, the one nearer the NR
line. It is recent, only opening 16 Apr 2016 (along with the remodelled middle engine release road);
our Minor Railways Editor has never known it to be used. Pre-Covid P1 was used (right on arrival) with
all the station buildings, facilities and easier access direct from the car park; there is no shelter even on
P2. However it does allow all passengers to alight and leave the station without having to walk through
the buildings and encounter those waiting to board who can then do so. P1 track is now quite rusty.
With three passing loops (left hand running even if not crossing a train with weighted point levers) it is
unusual to have two trains at Wroxham and this certainly doesn't happen in the 2021 base timetable.

1661] Wells Harbour Railway: (MR p21) (BLN 1377.MR85) Beach Rd, Wells-next-the-Sea, NR23 1DR.
This 10¼" gauge, 1,200yd railway now runs daily, usually 10.30-16.20 but during half term ran until
18.10. On 31 May the friendly owning/operating family, who have run the Railway for 21 years, advised
that they are expecting to close but don't know when yet. The line opened in Jul 1975. Bank Holiday
Mon 31 May was the busiest day of the year; full trains ran as often as possible (every 15-20 mins).

CONTACT DETAILS: See BLN or e-BLN 1350 (18 Apr 2020), website PDF or via your BLN Editor.
●Editor: Paul Stewart [email protected] 4 Clarence Close, MALVERN, WR14 3HX 01684 562862 07790652351.

●General Secretary Tim Wallis, Sandringham Rd, STOKE GIFFORD, BS34 8NP [email protected]
●Fixtures Secretary: Kev Adlam [email protected] @BLSFixtures (Any post via BLN Editor above please.)
●Tom Gilby: (Great Scott Service Train Tracker) [email protected] 69 Regent St, Barwell, LEICESTER, LE9 8GY.
●Iain Scotchman: (Poland railtour) [email protected] 102 Shenfield Place, BRENTWOOD, CM15 9A.
●Bookings Officer: Mark Gomm [email protected] 84 Mornington Road, STOKE-ON-TRENT, ST1 6EL.
●BLS Sales: Graeme Jolley [email protected] Dolbryn, Penegoes, MACHYNLLETH, Powys, SY20 8NN. 07484646542.
● MAPS: By permission of National Library of Scotland http://maps.nls.uk/index.html ●Printed by Willow Printing & Design Ltd,

[email protected] 75/79 Back Cross Lane, NEWTON-LE-WILLOWS, WA12 9YE 01925222449.
https://goo.gl/X6aQBA ●Published by the Branch Line Society, 10 Sandringham Rd, STOKE GIFFORD, BS34 8NP. ISSN 1354-0947.

X.136] Sat 2 Oct; The Lickey Incliner III: A private railtour organised by our members Alan Spencer and
Stuart Smith to explore lines in the South Midlands and Gloucestershire, with ROG motive power.
Derby (pick up 08.00) - Burton-on-Trent (Down Goods) - Elford Loop - Kingsbury Jn - Hams Hall Arrival
Line (subject to on the day traffic requirements) - Sutton Park - Walsall (pick up) - Dudley Turnback
Facility (reverse) - Walsall - Sutton Park - Water Orton West Curve - Camp Hill - Bromsgrove (pick up) -
Cheltenham Spa - Gloucester (one hour break, reverse) - Cheltenham Spa (High Street Loop) -
Eckington Goods Loop - Worcester Through Siding - Bromsgrove (set down) - Camp Hill - Water Orton -
Nuneaton - Leicester - East Midlands Parkway (set down) - Trent High Level Goods Lines - Toton
Centre - Chesterfield - Beighton Jn - Woodhouse - Darnall - Sheffield (set down) - Chesterfield (set
down) - Derby (set down 20.30).
Motive Power: 37510 (requested) and a ROG Class 57/3 (in 'top & tail' formation). The Class 37 will
lead from Derby in the morning, and again from Gloucester on the return.
£110 per person. (Child fare £65). All seating is in First Class vehicles. Cheques payable to STUART
SMITH, or request BACS details via email. Email [email protected] for a Booking Form.

X.137] ABOVE: One of the first trains to use the recently replaced George Lane underbridge at Wyre
Piddle on Sat 5 Jun when the North Cotswold Line reopened after an engineering blockade (Neil Berry).