1399

BELOW: One of the five turntable moves (the volunteer staff had never seen anything like it before).

BELOW: Alan Sheppard looks elated to have reached the end of an elevated steaming bay…







BELOW: Before finishing we were asked if we would like to do anything else. (Tim did think of something...)

MR71] Swanage Railway, Dorset (MR p6) (BLN 1393.MR15): Plans for through services between the
railway and the national network station at Wareham have been postponed over concerns about the
economic conditions. It is hoped to stage a 90-day trial in 2023 instead of 2022. Chairman Gavin Johns
said the railway faced challenging trading conditions and economic uncertainty. In a statement, it said
delays in its submission to obtain government permission to run the service, the cost of bringing in a
contractor to operate the trains and low rail passenger numbers, have prompted the decision to
postpone the trial. Mr Johns said the business faced significant price rises and was still recovering from
the impact of the pandemic. We can only run trains to Wareham when conditions are commercially
viable and it's important that we operate the trial as economically as possible and when commercial
conditions are at their best. We remain fully committed to securing all necessary consents and
commencing services with a view to operating to Wareham during 2023, he added.

MR72] Southend Pier Railway, Essex (MR p17) (BLN 1394.MR26): As of 10 March, the new trains were
still experiencing problems. Apparently, the platforms at both stations also need lengthening.

MR73] Dean Forest Railway, Gloucestershire (MR p6) (BLN 1397.MR47): Parkend signal box was
commissioned as planned, and signalled its first passenger train on Saturday 19 March 2022 (when
services resumed for the 2022 season). The signal box was recovered on 23 March 1997 from
Maesmawr and had been placed in position at Parkend by November 1999. However, Parkend signals
had, until now, been controlled by a ground frame (now disconnected). Regarding the box diagram -
the signal box, marked in red, is at the north end of the Down platform. Next to this is a level crossing,
the gates of which will still be manually opened by staff on the ground. The tracks only extend for a
short distance over the crossing, to allow locos to run round. However, the diagram shows further
track, including a level crossing over Fancy Road (Travellers Rest), which will be part of any future
extension to Speech House Road (2½ miles). Note that the railway's website states that all journeys
must now start and finish at Norchard - but alighting is permitted at Lydney Junction and Parkend.

MR74] Wensleydale Railway, North Yorkshire (MR p9): Leeming Bar station reopened to passengers
in July 2003 (BLN 949 p149) but visitors were unable to enter the Grade II-listed station house, which
was used as offices and for storage. Now, with an injection of National Lottery funding, the parcels
office, ticket office, waiting room and even the stationmaster's private accommodation have been
restored to their 1920s heyday and are fully accessible. The long running project, propped up by hard
working volunteers, has even seen them track down original parts of the station apparatus that were
thought to have been lost. After the railway successfully restored Scruton station to its Edwardian,
turn-of-the-century glory, they settled on the period immediately following WWI for Leeming Bar.

MR75] Central Cliff Railway, Scarborough, North Yorkshire (MR p34) (BLN 1394.MR23): Reopening is
delayed from the 'end of March' until 'May', their website advised in early April (date TBA 'soon').

MR76] Tanfield Railway, Tyne & Wear (MR p9): This railway is a standard gauge line, just over 2½
miles long, which claims to be the oldest railway in the world. It was one of the few heritage lines to
have opened for 2022 when a member visited on Sunday 27 March. Unfortunately, because of
engineering works between Andrews House and Sunniside, a limited SuO service was in operation
only between East Tanfield and Andrews House. All passengers were expected to start their trips at
Andrews House and return on the same train. With the remnants of Covid-19 restrictions still in place,
prospective travellers were advised to book in advance and were allocated carriages on arrival.

In reality, arrangements on the day were more relaxed and there was room for on the day bookings.
Former NCB locomotive 0-6-0ST 'Horden' (AB1015/1904) performed the day's duties, pulling three
vintage wooden compartment coaches plus a coach with open seating and a rear window offering
good views of the track behind. The railway runs alongside a steep wooded gorge with good views of
Causey Arch, the oldest surviving single arch railway bridge in the world. But the eponymous station
was passed non-stop. Passengers were offered complimentary teas or coffees at the Andrews House
tea room, which was some consolation for the curtailed run. The last working of the day had an
'Afternoon tea' service, which had to be pre-booked. The engine returned to the sheds to pick up the
afternoon tea coach (two coaches might have been a tea set) after the second trip of the day.

MR77] Peak Rail, Derbyshire (MR p8): When services commenced for this year on Saturday 2 April
they ran-round at Matlock Riverside and did not run into Matlock P2. This will remain the case until
further notice, but certainly at least until the end of April. It is presently hoped that trains will be able
to run into Matlock P2 again later this year. The last occasion on which Peak Rail trains ran into
Matlock P2 was 24 December 2021. This change is due to the increased prices of coal and diesel
making 'top &and tail' operation uneconomic. The timetable is on the Peak Rail website.

MR78] Lakeshore Railroad, Tyne & Wear (MR p25) (BLN 1278.MR57): The Lakeshore Railroad is a
steam hauled 9½" unusual gauge railway situated in South Marine Park, near South Shields beach and
funfair. It runs clockwise around a picturesque boating lake for just under ⅓ mile. Weather permitting,
trains run at weekends throughout the year from 11.00 onwards with daily services during school
holidays. Workings can continue until 17.00 depending on the weather, daylight and demand. Your
correspondent arrived shortly after 11.00 on Saturday 26 March - a gloriously sunny day. Locomotive
27 'Adiela' (2-6-2 plus tender) was pulling five brightly coloured open wagons, each seating up to eight
small children or two to four adults. £1.50 bought one trip around the lake. No tickets were issued.
Trains ran at frequent intervals to cope with the high demand. The single station had one covered
island platform with a short siding nearby. All trains used the inner side of the platform. At the far side
of the lake, seven tracks split either side of the main line feeding the various sheds.

MR79] Hunstanton Pier Railway, Norfolk: This 10¼" gauge railway, along the Pier in the Norfolk
seaside resort, carried a very unusual passenger on Thursday 26 June 1952 - as the Lynn Advertiser of
Tuesday 1 July 1952 reported. The first seal baby of the season was washed ashore at Hunstanton on
Thursday. The little grey pup seal was spotted soon after it landed by council workmen. Mr H Hollanby,
deckchair superintendent, carried it on to the promenade, and the 56 pound baby was taken to the
pier, put on the miniature railway, transported to the end, and dropped into the sea. But the little seal
was back on the shore again before the train came back to the shore end of the pier. Three more times
the seal was taken out to the end of the pier, but each time it came straight back. No pleasure craft
were due to leave for the seal banks until the next day, so the baby seal was kept ashore overnight.
Next morning he was ferried out to the seal banks. [The railway was dismantled later in the 1950s.]

MR80] Stocksbridge Funicular Railway, South Yorkshire: Proposals for a 27 metre long funicular
railway to link Stocksbridge Manchester Road with the Fox Valley centre have been dropped.
Problems securing sections of land required meant the plan, part of the £24M Stocksbridge Town
Deal, will not go ahead. A Town's Fund Board spokesperson said other options were being examined.
The body, which oversees projects for potential funding, halted plans for the lift between a site at
Liberty Steel and the town's High Street due to the time it would have taken to resolve problems with
land issues. The spokesperson added: A number of options to create an accessible link were considered
and an incline lift was the most practical solution which would definitely have created a point of
difference for the town. Unfortunately, this element of the wider plans for the town centre has now
been withdrawn from the Town's Fund bid because of the complexities around securing the land
needed to deliver the project within the timescales.

1399 FIXTURE REPORT (Paul Stewart) [email protected]
1076] Mersey Mini Mayhem; Sat 12 Feb 2022: (By Peter Green). I have to begin by saying that the
weather forecast on the evening of the Friday for Saturday was not favourable for minor railway open
carriage travel - heavy rain and high winds for most of Saturday. My journey down the M6 to Whitfield
was entirely consistent with Friday's forecast but by the time of arrival the rain had ceased and didn't
appear again during either visit. Arriving at the 10¼'' gauge Whitfield Light Railway (MR P20) in plenty
of time, allowed a brief wait in the excellent café before its 10.00 opening for refreshments and the
party to gather and be advised by our organiser, Neil Lewis, that rides would commence at 10.30.

I had previously visited in Jul 2020 (the month the railway opened on its present formation, previously
it had been peripatetic). It was my first railway event after the first lockdown, as a reasonably local
'test the water' visit, which I'm sure many of us experienced after being 'OOU' for several months of
lockdown. The outer terminus was then at the MINI MAZE and the line has since been extended

alongside the pond to the site of a large fallen tree (thanks to Storm Arwen in Nov 2021) which had
only just missed the buffer stops. The intention is to extend it around the pond to form a circle and
rejoin it in the area previously known as Mini Maze but moving that tree will be quite a task!

Two journeys down the main line by Loco No3 'Kestrel' and open carriages from the Top Station to the
Fallen Tree buffer stop were taken, during the second of which I realised the track at the Top Station
had been realigned since my earlier visit. [The line used to extend a bit further, alongside the car park,
but this involved a level crossing over an internal road track and had a steep gradient so it was cut
back.] This railway, like many others, has constant changes with realignments, extensions etc so if you
haven't been to a particular railway for a couple of years you will probably gain track, especially if it's
our visit doing track not in use on a normal public running day (item 1079 has public running details).

We then transferred to open carriage No1 with Loco 31 'Scamp' for several trips to accommodate all
the participants from the Top Station to the branch into the container serving as the shed for locos
and stock. Both shed roads were available and we travelled as far as possible into the shed utilising a
section of removable track at the doorway. With all available track accomplished and time for a chat
with the owner and his son about the changes made to date and their future intentions - the pond
extension already mentioned, but also a further loco is very likely later this year. Two other features of
this railway are how the skyline is dominated by the closed but still intact Fiddlers Ferry Power Station
and the remarkable variety of passenger trains on the nearby Warrington Central to Liverpool line.

After the donation cheque was presented it was time to retire to the café for a warm up round of
refreshments and to discuss the best way to our next venue, the 7¼'' 800yd Royden Park Miniature
Railway home of the Wirral Model Engineering Society. Four possible routes emerged - first, the new
(Oct 2017) Mersey Gateway Bridge, the shortest route but remember to pay the £2 toll by phone or
internet. Second the original refurbished Runcorn (Silver Jubilee) Bridge alongside the rail bridge with
the same toll, thirdly and shortest via Liverpool and the Mersey Tunnel, £2 cash or card, but a queue
to pay and Liverpool traffic delays. Finally, retrace to Warrington and then M56 and M53 virtually the
whole way but a bit more mileage but toll free. I chose the latter but the new bridge was the quickest
by a small margin in that the free refreshments were well underway when I arrived at Royden Park.

A rake of carriages was stabled on the track set in the floor through the kitchen/clubroom which leads
to the shed, so all aboard for a push back as far as possible by organiser Neil and one of his (not so
little these days) children helpers. Then it was reverse to the outside door for double headed locos
'Royden' and 'Little Cliffy' to be attached and haul us up the kitchen branch to the three-platform five-
track terminal station, where public rides start. Two full circuits of the system followed after a cross
platform change of train, utilising the third loco in use during our visit, steamer 'Peter George'.

There followed a complicated series of trips by both trains to do all five tracks at the station and the
end of line turntable variations, the steaming bay single line twice (the second trip after wagons at the
buffers on the first trip had been moved to allow us a vital extra 3yd) and the three lines steaming bay
lines further down the main lines. While doing the latter one of the volunteers said that he had been
there since the line opened in 2000 and was sure coaching stock had never been in the steaming bays
or over the turntable before. [That's what we like to hear!] These trips involved many loco swaps to
place them at the right end to maximise track coverage but the volunteers were very enthusiastic to
ensure we covered everything available. Two items to mention at this point are that this railway, like
Whitfield, had experienced tree trouble as a result of Storm Arwen with the area round the steaming
bays badly affected. Piles of recently removed branches were certainly there for all to see. Secondly,
because it isn't possible to socially distance on the elevated line, situated beyond the turntable, it had
not been used since the start of Covid and remains OOU. Just time for a full circuit before a brief wait
at the station and a return run down the kitchen branch and back to the starting point inside the
kitchen. It was then fascinating to see the bogies removed, stored on the track and each carriage lifted
mechanically onto a three storey stacking device - they don't call them Model Engineers for nothing!

So from a somewhat depressing weather forecast on the Friday evening we had managed to do both
visits in the dry, with all available track and locos at both locations. Sincere thanks are in order to Neil

and his helpers Ruby and Archie (both Society members) for the organisation in advance and on the
day, and also to the volunteers at both railways for their help in making a super day out for us.

:Details must be checked 1399 CONNECTIONS (Paul Stewart) [email protected] .Please mention BLN.
1077] 22 Apr 2022, World Wickham Day: This was the 100th Anniversary of the dispatch of Wickham
Works No1 from D Wickham & Co Ltd, Ware, Hertfordshire. It was a Wickham Type 10 Trolley built for
the British owned, Tal Tal Railway in Chile. Please post any pictures, films, experiences/memories of
Wickham Trolleys, Wickham Railway Vehicles and Wickham Industrial Equipment on social media and
the internet, with the following tags: #WorldWickhamDay #WickhamofWare #WickhamTrolley
#WickhamRailwayVehicles #WickhamIndustrial #TheRailTrolleyTrust See: https://bit.ly/3vqdgTb

1078] Until 5 May 18.00; RBF Auction of Rail Experiences: Part of 'Railway Family Week', over 40
'money can't buy' rail experiences in five categories; all money raised supports railway families
through difficult times. ●Experiences With a Difference: Cab and helicopter rides in Scotland, a day
at the British Transport Police Dog School, drive a Routemaster bus, walk the Forth Bridge or spend
the day with Network Rail on their New Measurement Train or observation saloon 'Caroline'.

●Behind the Scenes: Depot and ROC visits, simulator drives and tours of major stations where you
can even record an announcement or drive an assistance buggy. ●Tickets: Travel overnight on the
Caledonian Sleeper, enjoy a BLS railtour, (!) a family day out on the Scarborough Spa Express or the
Dalesman. ●Great Days Out: Take part in the RBF Golf Day, travel on 'The Royal Charter' or take a
tram tour in Blackpool. ●Memorabilia: Bid for a 1st Class Pendolino seat for your office or a station
sign for your wall. Pete Waterman, RBF President, has also kindly donated three exceptional prizes:

A day with Pete at his 'Making Tracks' exhibition at Chester Cathedral; the chance to visit his home
in Cheshire to play trains on his model railway and a day on the footplate of his Small Prairie 5553 at
Peak Rail. https://go.eventgroovefundraising.com/railwayfamilyweekauction closes 5 May 18.00.

1079] Whitfield Light Railway: (See 1076) (MR p20) (BLN 1382 MR135) The Hayloft, Sandy Lane Farm,
Widnes, WA8 3XP. This new 10¼'' gauge 300yd railway runs on 250 days this year (subject to weather)
10.30-16.30, £2.50 per trip. Facebook has details, free parking and next to a great café/farm shop.

1080] Sat 7 May, Princes Risborough North Signal Box 10.00-16.00: Open day at this large GWR 1904
signal box, being restored to full working order, north of P3&4. FREE ADMISSION, donations welcome,
talks and demonstrations, tea, coffee and biscuits available. See: https://bit.ly/3tFEGVr all welcome.

1081] Sat 7 May, Mental Health Awareness Week, LNER Wellness Train: See https://bit.ly/391MhWR
and to book - 08.06 King's Cross to Lincoln and 15.24 return with a range of therapies to try. Research
shows that 53% of people enjoy travelling by train because it is a chance to unwind and relax.

1082] Sat 18 Jun, Verbano Express Association (Italy): Re6/6 hauled excursion with Verbano Express from
Luino, Maccagno and Bellinzona to Flüelen, Verkehrshaus and Luzern. Our BLS member, Helena Moretti,
has paid to replace the usual traction (Re484) with an ETCS-fitted Re6/6 from SBB Cargo. Timings will be on
their calendar https://bit.ly/3OhRObJ nearer the time but it is usually off Bellinzona about 08.30. Usual
disclaimers about the vagaries of rail transport! The cost should be in the about £50-55 and the date is
designed to coincide with the VHS Rail Days event https://bit.ly/3rw0p0N at the transport museum.
Our UK member, Helena is organising a group booking please contact her at: [email protected]

1083] :STOP PRESS: Cheap Rail Tickets: Just as we went to press 'selected' Advance Tickets had been
reduced by up to 50% across all TOCs during Apr and May - other tickets are not on offer.

CONTACT DETAILS: See BLN 1397 or full list in BLN and e -BLN 1350 (18 Apr 2020), website PDF or via BLN Editor.
●Editor: Paul Stewart [email protected] 4 Clarence Close, MALVERN, WR14 3HX 01684 562862 07790 652351.
●Bookings: Mark Gomm [email protected] 84 Mornington Road, STOKE-ON-TRENT, ST1 6EL 07983 541887.

●Chairman: John Williamson [email protected] La Marguerite, Croit-e-Quill Road, Laxey, ISLE of MAN, IM4 7JD.
●Fixtures Secretary: Kev Adlam [email protected] @BLSFixtures (Paper post via BLN Editor above please.)
●Sales: Graeme Jolley [email protected] Dolbryn, Penegoes, MACHYNLLETH, Powys, SY20 8NN. 07484 646542.
●Printed by Willow Printing & Design Ltd [email protected] 75/79 Back Cross Lane, NEWTON-LE-WILLOWS,

WA12 9YE 01925 222449. ●Published by the Branch Line Society, 10 Sandringham Rd, STOKE GIFFORD, BS34 8NP.