Lynton & Barnstaples 'EXE'

Just to prove I am a slave to my hobby rain or shine. A damp day at Woody Bay. Do support this little railway they are doing some sterling work in trying to get more of the line opened and the countryside is beautiful so that should keep the wife happy, plenty to see.

http://www.lynton-rail.co.uk/

More detail of 'Braunton' at Minehead

Here the rebuilt West Country class of the Southern Railway at Minehead

WSR's hybrid

Here a couple more of the West Somerset Railways hybrid. Built from a large prairie tank the GWR mogul in real life never got further than the drawing board at Swindon, the West Somerset turned it into a reality

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A few left over from August.

The Lynton to Lynmouth cliff railway

The view on the way up or down is superb

Preserved and past

Preserved now 6619 hauls posh restored Gresley carriages on the NYMR but in the past the reality was very different. They were the work horses of the Welsh coal trade.

Jinty on the KWVR

A very overcast day for this pic of KWVR's jinty making a spirited exit from Keighley station. The building in the Background is the new Keighley college, being the sucessor of the orriginal Keighley Tech which burned down during my teen years

GWR Dukedog

Here GWR Dukedog pilots a Gresley KI

Awaiting attention

Three locomotives awaiting attention at Bolton Abbey. Let us hope it is not long before these venerable engines are taken in hand

92214 at Minehead

Once again thanks to the 92214 society for this picture of the loco at Minehead. As you all well know Minehead is a favourite stamping ground of mine.

92214 Cock O The North

Many thanks to the 92214 society for all their work over the years and of course for this picture. As the cooler weather draws on I am sure it will gladen the hearts of many a railways spotter and picture taker. I am not sure where the assets of the society have gone so many thanks for what is available and NYMR I know will keep up the good work you began and tirelessly completed in what we have in Cock O The North. I shall attribute the pic to NYMR and hope this keeps everyone happy. Do visit them at http://www.nymr.co.uk/

Pickering station NYMR

Pickering station is now completely covered over as it never was in BR LNER day's. It does mean we train spotter's and snappers can stay dry whilst we participate in our hobby. So no excuses you can visit NYMR in the most inclement of weather. Get your selves along there, you won't be disappointed or wet.

Crabs and Jubilee's in paint

LMS designs were much represented in paint both simple and profound

Another Jubilee 'Bechuanaland'

Ex-LMS 4-6-0 Jubilee class No 45599 'Bechuanaland'. Number 45599 was built by the North British Locomotive Co to order 24157 in January 1935 and remained in service until August 1964 when it was withdrawn officially from Nuneaton shed for scrapping in November 1964 by J Cashmore of Great Bridge.

LMS Jubilee 'Leander'

The jubilee's were regular visitors to Bradford in my young days. And even more could be seen passing through Shipley on the Leeds Glasgow trains or Nottingham Glasgow cross country. I caught it many times myself joining ships in Glasgow docks or returning home from there.

On the eve of nationalisation

The Black fives were very very similar to Jubilee's in appearance. Many simply referred to them as two cylinder jubilees.

Preservation is living history.

Yes I get a nostalgic buzz from my tours around preserved steam railways but we must never loose sight of the very real purpose they serve historically. For the young of today we have kept our history alive in many ways none the least through our industrial preservation of how things were. There is no better or more profound way to learn than through experience

The top picture shows the only preserved L & NWR's Super D at Grosmont in present times. The lower picture shows a similar engine hauling a large heavy freight up Shap on the West Coast main line many years ago. Were it not for preservationists and very generous donors and sponsors this would not have been possible. The Super D took several hundred thousand pounds, in excess of 750,000, to bring back into mainline steaming condition and we have Pete Waterman and his team at Crewe to thank for that. He quite openly states the number of free hours given by the staff at Crewe were beyond being counted

Bradford railways from the air

You will have to open the picture link in a new window by right clicking on it and then enlarge with the spy glass, refering back to the key in the text.

Here we have an excellent picture of Bradford from the air and showing the shortsighted decision not to have a through rail link between the LMS (Midland) Foster Square and Lancs and Yorks Exchange stations. It has blighted the city for over a century

Key to the railway sections

1 and 2 is the Midland Rd sidings and approach to Maningham locomotive depot.

6 and 7 are Valley Rd sidings

8 is approximately where the new Foster Sq station is located

9 Midland goods depot sidings.

10 The Midland Hotel and Foster Square (original) station.

11 Midland goods depot and sheds.

12 Foster Square station forecourt.

13 Midland Goods Offices.

14 and 15 is the Lancs and Yorks Exchange station. Originally further up the line at Adolfus St.

16 Lancs and Yorks engine sheds where very light repairs and maintenance were done.

17 The Great Northern Victoria Hotel.

18,19 and 20 is the Lancs and Yorks goods sheds and sidings.

21 Lancs and Yorks line to the south and west via Low Moor and to Leeds and the east via Laisterdyke.

22 Lancs and Yorks marshaling yard

24 Adolphus St goods depot which was the original Lancs and Yorks station for the city.

29 and 30 St Dunstans junction, station and carriage sidings. With the Leeds line turning East to Laisterdyke

35 Spur for the GNR Queensbury lines which rose up and crossed the L&Y line just west of Bolling Rd.

32 Spur linking the Laisterdyke/Leeds line directly into the GNR Queensbury lines to Halifax, Thornton etc

Norman readies to depart Bolton Abbey

Here the Hunslet austerity 'Norman' readies to depart Bolton Abbey on the return journey to Embsay.

Norman makes a spirited departure. I was very impressed with the power of this locomotive, hauling four upthe grade out of Bolton Abbey

Bolton Abbey with Hunslet arrival

Norman arrives with it's train at Bolton Abbey

Then runs around it's train. This seemingly little loco has quite a punchy exhaust and excellent acceleration

Bolton Abbey station

Hunslet austerity detail

The Hunslet austerity at Bolton Abbey Sunday 18th Sept

Details within the frames of the inside cylinder loco

The footplate and the fireman builds his fire

Hunslet austerity tank

L & NWR Directors saloon

An impressive coach and quite a star possesion of the Yorkshire Dales Railway.

Austerity tank 'Norman'

This weekend Austerity tank 'Norman' was in charge and doing sterling work. Hauling four the acceleration was quite impressive.

The last coach above and first below is the L & NWR directors inspection saloon

Several of this class originally designed by Hunslet Engine Works were produced in large numbers throughout the second world war. Many lived on in industrial roles long after the end of steam on British Railways.

Embsay station

Excellent atmosphere and the station buffet, from where this picture was taken, is a very old fashioned one where a cup of tea was had for the very reasonable price of a pound.

The static displays this weekend was the Railways diesel shunters and the LMS Directors inspection coach

As can be seen the countryside around is good Yorkshire moorland and there are plenty of walk's for those who are so inclined.

Yorkshire Dales Railway Embsay station

Here the whole station looking east

 The waiting room and bridge sadly out of order when I visited.

A very LMS feel throughout. The link through to Bolton Abbey was built in the late 19th century at the request of the Duke of Devonshire who owned all the land around Bolton Abbey, this to facilitate easy access to his shooting friends who enjoyed the grouse and Pheasant shooting on the moors surrounding the line

Embsay Bolton Abbey Railway

This weekend saw me visiting the Embsay Bolton Abbey line of the Yorkshire Dales Railway. Set in superb countryside a mile and a half from Skipton. Embsay station is the headquarters of the Railway and so a busy place. The main loco sheds are situated here and there are some interesting static exhibits on show.

 A very typical LMS country station, Embsay hosts a very good shop and station buffet along with an excellent second hand book and magazine shop selling donated items at very reasonable prices, and example being magazines which sell for eight for the pound. I picked up four quids worth of last years Steam Heritage and Steam Railways plus a few books into the bargain.

 The station looking West towards Skipton and hopefully a link eventually, it is tantalisingly close, a matter of yards.

This is the eastern end of the station looking towards Bolton Abbey and the engines sheds lay to the left and storage sidings to the right. The main line is single tracked.