1398

BELOW & NEXT: Aviemore, Ruston & Hornsby wks No265618 'Queen Anne' &

Thomas Hill Vanguard wks No277V gave brakevan rides from the Coal Bench.

BELOW: The Perth (left) to Inverness (right) line is in the background

d and the closed Category 'B' listed Aviemore signal box is upper right.

MR61] Marwell Wildlife Railway, Hampshire (MR p18) (BLN 1160.MR67): This 15" gauge 800 yard
long dumbbell layout railway opened in April 1987 (then known as Marwells Wonderful Railway) and
ran as an added attraction inside Marwell Zoo. It was extended in April 1990, and slightly realigned at
the entrance end for a new shop in March 1997. Unfortunately, it has now closed and ran for the last
time on Sunday 15 March 2020, just prior to the first pandemic lockdown - the Zoo itself closing for
the lockdown on Tuesday 17 March 2020. The Zoo's web site had this to say about the railway:

After more than 40 years service [sic], our Princess Anne loco, carriages and track have sadly come to
the end of their life. The zoo layout has changed a lot during the last four decades and the railway no
longer gives our guests the best possible views. We have some exciting plans for a new development at
the front of the zoo and so we will be reviewing the service in the future. Watch this space.

MR62] Yorkshire Wolds Railway, East Riding of Yorkshire (MR p9): After seven years of hard work and
fundraising, the railway has succeeded in completing a train movement not seen since the 1950s.
Their diesel locomotive, 'Sir Tatton Sykes', named after the local baronet of Sledmere House, shunted
a coach across the short stretch of line remaining on the route, which closed completely in 1958, eight
years after passenger services were withdrawn. Membership director Matthew Brown said:

It was a very important day for us as it was the first time in over 60 years that actual shunting took
place on part of the former Malton & Driffield Junction Railway. As we prepare for reopening at Easter,
work is continuing on the painting of the coach roof. We managed to complete one side working from
the platform, but struggled to reach the other due to the height. The obvious solution was to move the
coach from its former location on one side of the platform to the other. We have had to move the
coach slightly before, but never had the siding connected to the mainline at that point so had to use a
tractor. Thanks to the fantastic work done by our volunteers, the track is now all connected meaning
that we could use our loco 'Sir Tatton Sykes' to handle the movement. Both sections of track have now
been joined and later in the season it is hoped to be giving rides right over the newly installed point.

This year many of the line's developments are coming to fruition, including brakevan rides after a four-
year restoration project. King George VI himself used the line when he arrived at Sledmere & Fimber
station in 1948 to visit the Sykes family at Sledmere House, and it was popular for transporting
schoolchildren, grain, livestock, racehorses as well as chalk from Burdale and Wharram quarries until
production ended. The coal traffic originally envisaged never materialised as other routes were faster.

MR63] Ferry Meadows Railway, Cambridgeshire (MR p13) (BLN 1387.MR191): This 700 yard long,
10¼" gauge, railway has been sold, with the new owners ('a young local couple already in the leisure
business') taking over on 1 April 2022. The sale includes the rolling stock, except for the half size
Darjeeling B 0-4-0ST+T No44, which was sold separately at the end of February.

MR64] Wirral Heritage Tramway, Merseyside (MR p32) (BLN 1392.MR9): The tram service resumed
on Saturday 26 February 2022 but on a shortened section of line awaiting repairs to the track on the
section to Woodside Ferry. After having been closed since March 2020 due to Covid, the Tramway
only ran over 20-21 November 2021. The service had to be suspended then because a report into the
state of the track had found problems, which needed repairing before any services could be safely
operated. But now, after discussions with Wirral Borough Council, volunteers from the Merseyside
Tramway Preservation Society have been able to resume a service between Taylor Street (location of
the tram depot and Wirral Transport Museum) and the Police Hut in Shore Road (shortly before the
line curves round to Woodside Ferry) - no trams will run to Woodside Ferry until track repairs are
completed. Hong Kong built Tram 69 started off the service and it is now planned that trams will run
every Saturday and Sunday - subject to volunteer availability. Trams are scheduled to depart Taylor
Street at 13.20, 13.50, 14.20, 14.50 & 15.20 with return trips from Shore Road at 13.30, 14.00, 14.30,
15.00 & 15.30. Fares to ride on the tram will be £2 adults and £1 for children 6-15 and concessions.

MR65] Bournemouth Cliff Railways, Dorset (MR p34) (BLN 1304.MR90): On Sunday 27 February both
Fishermans Walk and West Cliff were closed with the two cars parked side-by-side in the middle of
the railways. At East Cliff no substantial work has taken place to stabilise the cliff. There are no cars
and both tracks are intact and understandably very rusty. The lower buildings have been removed.

MR66] North Dorset Railway, Shillingstone Station, Dorset: On Thursday 10 March a member walked
to Shillingstone on the North Dorset Trail, which uses much of the old Somerset & Dorset Joint
Railway trackbed and came across clearance work being carried out to re-site the cycle path to enable
about a 400 metre extension of the track towards Sturminster Newton. This will include crossing
Hayward Lane (Child Okeford Road) on the existing bridge, which will need to be strengthened and a
short section just beyond the bridge needs infilling as part of the bank had been removed since the
line closed in 1966. Interestingly, this will open up the possibility of a further half mile of trackbed
towards Sturminster Newton, not been utilised by the cycle path. However, although seemingly intact
it is in private hands. Shillingstone station is currently open on Wed, Sat and Sun 10.00-16.00.

1398 FIXTURE REPORT (Paul Stewart) [email protected]
941] Scunthorpe Cold Steeler No23; Sat 8 Jan: By Nick Porter. In these unusual times it was reassuring
for my alarm to go off so early and actually have a trip to go on, so it was off to Scunthorpe I headed.
The drive across the Pennines was uneventful, a bit damp, but leaving the motorway the temperature
dropped on cue to the lowest of the day 3oC! [Your Editor's drive was eventful, with a phone call as he
was passing Long Eaton on the M1 from a participant who had just missed his train at …….. Long Eaton
station by one minute. He was in luck as within 12 minutes he had been picked up, slightly surprised
but very grateful. TPE was running an all day hourly Doncaster bay P7 to Cleethorpes shuttle. Having
explained to the TPE Conductor, when he checked tickets, why some of us were standing at the far
buffer stop end of his lightly loaded train, he then insisted that we sat in (empty) First Class after!]

Arriving with, as ever, little time to spare, our train was already in the Frodingham platform led by the
Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society's (AFRPS) old stalwart No1 (YE2877/1963) with four
brakevans - how many different formations can you make from this combination? I was allocated rear
end balcony of Van 'B' which was No7606 in the centre of the train. I count where the train is, not
where I am (probably in a minority with this), so was more than happy. With the 60 participants being
allocated spaces in advance, this led to a much more relaxed boarding rather than the normal scrum.

[On our website 'Archive', set the left box to 'fixture' and the right one to 'Scunthorpe' to see a marked
up map which can be magnified.] Leaving at 09.32 we turned left then left again to head up Basic Hill
with its good view of the Heavy Repair Bay (south) Yard to go as far as we could along CEW Dock, four
wagons took up the remainder of the track. That completed, our tour returned to Points 503, past the
AFRPS shed to the single track junction at Dawes Lane where all lines on the western side meet.
Then we went into the windswept Redbourn semi-finished steel stockyard, where once my hat blew
off. The sidings seemed full of wagons but no hats were seen; 'B1' and the recently extended 'B2' lines
were clear, so the buffer stops were tested. With a dash back to Frodingham platform to collect a late
arrival, our tour completed the track there to the buffer stop and also ran through the rounding loop.

The weather now turned a bit grim (even by Scunthorpe standards); with driving rain I was glad of my
waterproof coat. I always want to be on the balcony for the full Scunthorpe experience but those of us
on the balcony did look enviously into the snug interior as Neil and Archie Lewis got the stove hotter
than ever before. If you thought there were four blast furnaces here, this day that stove was glowing
so red hot it seemed they were trying to create a fifth. The balcony was certainly well ventilated!
Some warmth made its way out to us hardier members as we ran to Points 556 (all marked on the
plan) before reversing and carrying out a thorough exploration of the Heavy Repair Bay (north)
sidings. Roads 3, 4 & 5 were covered as far as possible; our ever busy member Alan Sheppard (also an
AFRPS member/shunter) removed various obstructions but a fork lift truck in Road 2 beat even him.

That completed, we planned to run to Dawes Lane but it was a weekend and 'essential improvement
work' was being undertaken, stopping our progress as some disused points to the former Plate Mill
were being plain lined in front of us. No exotic railtour replacement bus appeared sadly/happily
(delete in your copy as required), so it was back again past the AFRPS shed to the Rail Service Centre.
The sidings were full of wagons, we can of course only go where the lines are clear, it's safe and
agreed for us to go. This was just into 2 Bay East, weaving out through Siding 7 and back down the
slope giving a good view of the track workers below. We were held while Norwegian locos 8702 and

8703 passed; these big machines seem to work most trains now (except ours!). Next, we headed off
past the line of stored locos to the High Lines, always popular on our tours; they tower above the blast
furnace area. This is a fascinating area that you forget is all manmade. These lines have their own fleet
of elusive engines which can be glimpsed scuttling around; we made it just beyond the junction at the
top, perhaps a tad further than I'd been before. Not much chance of ever going any further though!
High level Loco No1 sat just beyond us, unfortunately not to be on the day bonus haulage.

We then had a good run to Anchor Exchange Sidings where Road 5 was clear and visited up to the NR
boundary (any further and we would be on Scunthorpe panel). The tour continued past Brick Shed Jn
on the Up perimeter line (the inner one) under the Foreign Ore Branch where 66127 busied itself and
tippler wagons were tippling iron ore. Pleasingly, the tour ran to the appropriately named Muck Bank
(clipped OOU during previous tours in recent years) with its lunar landscape. Line requests are taken in
advance and I had submitted one for this line. All new to me despite being a Scunthorpe regular, as
ever a totally unfamiliar discovery was made. At its loop we took the outer line, the inner being full of
very elderly looking deformed wagons. [If you said that about a person, you'd be in trouble…]
The track seemed to end but soon the operations team mucked out the Muck Bank and on we carried
as far as posible. Very good! Gingerly the tour ran back for the obligatory exploration of the extensive
and busy Mills Exchange Sidings. Dead end Roads 5 and 6 were completed, 7 had some wagons in, we
then ran through Road 9 before two reversals allowed us to visit the headshunt from Points 482.
It was once a through line, which a few of us had done, alongside Billet Mill Approach Rd (tarmacked).

Much drier now, a fast run was made round the outer perimeter (essential for our Scunthorpe virgins),
dodging various monster trucks, then through the South Melting Shop running road/loop to Appleby
platform for lunch at 13.30. Not all the train could be accommodated there at once; I had to wait until
it had shunted up before alighting so was one of the last to be served. Thankfully beef and onion
sandwiches were still available! Also with a fine slice of cake and a tea, the Mk1 'buffet' coach being
full, I returned to the snug interior of my brakevan for lunch and a warm. A hardy few ate al fresco if
such a phrase applies here. [There is no such thing as cold weather, only inadequate clothing - Kev
Adlam.] Lunch is included in the tour but for a very reasonable £1 a sausage roll could be had as well.

Just under an hour later with PNBs complete, we started the afternoon session. Major remodelling is
being undertaken in the southern area around the BOS Yard ('BOS' is Basic Oxygen Steel Making) so
we proceeded down Plate Pit Hill through the Mill Shop running road to the end of Road 4. Reversing,
we then took the new line next to the Former Soakers building to what used to be the P'way Yard into
the loop between Points 322 and 323 where our train attached to wagons 2218, 2216 and 2220 which
were propelled as far as possible. This was new track for everyone on board, including all the AFRPS
members and driver. Hopefully by our Sun 28 Aug tour (see item 835), work will be complete and we
can thoroughly grice the extensive new layout here. Having earlier been blocked by locos seemingly all
hiding to avoid work on a Saturday afternoon, Thomas the Tank Engine style, the relatively new link to
the Medium Section Mill Furnace Road was visited via its loop line. Heading back via the alternative
old line (Points 319 to 310), our final exploration was to the not often visited Scrap Bays. Piles of scrap
everywhere for recycling! We passed through the Scrap Loop (fortunately it had not been scrapped as
well) to East Bank end of line. Again track clearing was needed, otherwise you'd never know it was
there, finally Dead End road was visited (we did escape alive). With fading light track watching and
spotting is harder, but it's wonderful at dusk here with colour, steam and flames everywhere, we made
our way back past Northants Bridge to Frodingham Platform on time at 16.30. The day's fun was over
and as ever I scored some new track and spotted some more wagons. Where were they hiding over
the years? A visit to this uniquely accessible and heavy industrialised site is always recommended.

Time to say our grateful thanks, although the winter tours are shorter, we had extensive coverage as
the marked up plan shows and were pleased to donate £2,500 to the ARPS. Thanks to everyone
involved in the organisation and execution of this excellent day out. There are 24 different ways to
marshal four brake vans unless you know otherwise. [Mathematically 4x3x2x1.] Photos - Mark Haggas.

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

[BLN 1398]

(Item 941)

LEFT: The new fifth mini-blast
furnace was commissioned at
Scunthorpe during our tour.

Chief Stokers Neil & Archie
Lewis got the stove hotter than
they had ever done before (the
AFRPS guy doing commentary
was amazed and said he had
never seen one so hot). It was
so hot in Van 'B' that even with
both end doors open to let in
cold fresh air, they were all just
in shirts and still had sweat
on their foreheads - the
wooden interior literally made
it look and feel like a sauna.

When the door to the stove
was opened, as in the photo,
the heat was so intense you
couldn't stay near it for more
than a few seconds. There
were comments from those on
the cold balconies that they
were enjoying the heat coming
through the open doors and
some were leaning against the
wall of the brake van as it
felt warm from the outside!

(Mark Haggas, all photos in this
section taken Sat 8 Jan 2022.)

NEXT TWO PAGES:
The 24 different ways of
arranging 4 brakevans.

(Mark Haggas.)

We have kindly been sent 274
photos (yes, two hundred and
seventy four) of our 8 Jan tour
here and will endeavour to
include some in future BLNs!









PREVIOUS: Frodingham platform showing our headboard and Alan Sheppard (K

Kev Adlam). BELOW: The CEW Dock line - clearer than normal (Ian Mortimer).

BELOW: Another 'highlight' - the High Lines, the limit reached looking towards

s end of line - you always get one - in this case it was the Editor (Ian Mortimer).

BELOW: On the Muck Bank loop passing those decrepit, deformed wagons as

iron ore from Immingham arrives on the Foreign Ore Branch. (Ian Mortimer.)