Shred`s UK trips.

[Techniquest]

Sounds like you've had one amazing week!

 

[Cowley]

Looked like a great week. Nice weather and scenery too. I like Bulleids but I've always found them quite quiet with their Lemaitre blast pipes compared to other locos, they make a nice chattering sound though. I would have loved to been on some of their last runs in 67 as they were worked up to a ton at times.
I knew a couple of old drivers at the Mid Hants in the early 90s that had reputedly hit the magic three figures on Merchant Navies.
I liked the headphone trick

 

[AnthonyRail]

Will be passing wareham in car early morning if you need way of wareham to norden, each day for diesel gala.

 

[shredder1]

Sounds like you've had one amazing week!

Thank you very much Techniquest, yes very enjoyable, great to get out.

 

[shredder1]

Looked like a great week. Nice weather and scenery too. I like Bulleids but I've always found them quite quiet with their Lemaitre blast pipes compared to other locos, they make a nice chattering sound though. I would have loved to been on some of their last runs in 67 as they were worked up to a ton at times.
I knew a couple of old drivers at the Mid Hants in the early 90s that had reputedly hit the magic three figures on Merchant Navies.
I liked the headphone trick

Yes the headphone trick never lets me down, lol, just caught the back end of the West Country`s on the Waterloo-Exeters in 67, yes they certainly thrashed them, they went out with a bang, never to be forgotten, thank you Cowley.

 

[shredder1]

Will be passing wareham in car early morning if you need way of wareham to norden, each day for diesel gala.

Thats very decent of you sir, Id try to book into Swanage next time though and suspect I`ll be out of the country for the diesel gala in May, but thank you all the same, a very nice sentiment Anthony, much appreciated.

 

[shredder1]

Middleton Railway and Midland Road TMD, (Leeds). Sunday 9th April 2017.

I drove over the M62 from North Manchester to the Midland Road depot Leeds last Sunday, I`d not been to the area for a sometime, so it was nice to see how busy it still was, and it was a glorious day too. Not an easy depot to visit though for photography and you do have to poke cameras through fencing, I also tend to use step ladders to see over the bridges and fencing, binoculars are advised for scratchers. Nice to see a class 90 on shed, plenty of Freightliner class 66`s and class 70`s too.

My main reason for visiting this region was for the Middleton Railway, it had been a few years since I`d last visited and the Middleton Railway, and the railway, in addition to advertising a steam operations, were also offering guided walks on the history of coal mining in the area.

I arrived at the railway quite early, in fact I was the first visitor to arrive and I was very fortunate and privileged in meeting one of the Railways Directors, David, who very kindly gave me a VIP tour of the entire workshops and site, thank you very much sir, an amazing site.

The Middleton Railway is a relatively small railway in terms of track mileage, but offers so much potential for expansion in this very rich industrial historical location. However, facilities, along with a first class museum and tea rooms and shop are one which you would expect on a much larger railway and the locomotive collection on site really is second to none. The staff are exceptionally friendly and you can quite easily spend a full day both on the railway and in the surrounding environment.

After my first trip to the top of the line at Park Halt, I joined the guided walk; it was a really enjoyable and enlightening tour lead by very knowledgeable guides. After a break at the visitors centre, I returned to the Railway and walked the track back to the main station at Moor Road, for a bite to eat in the tea room; I later walked back up to Park Halt to obtain some lineside photographs. I spent the rest of the day riding the line until the last train. Haulage was courtesy of former North Eastern Railway (NER) Class H, classified as Class Y7 by the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) is a class of 0-4-0T number 1310, in Apple Green liveried.
I`d like to thank the Middleton Railway for an excellent visit, I can certainly recommend it.

http://www.middletonrailway.org.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melli...76832313166.1073742721.100001125840218&type=3

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melli...1073742720.100001125840218&type=3&pnref=story

 

[AnthonyRail]

Middleton Railway and Midland Road TMD, (Leeds). Sunday 9th April 2017.

I drove over the M62 from North Manchester to the Midland Road depot Leeds last Sunday, I`d not been to the area for a sometime, so it was nice to see how busy it still was, and it was a glorious day too. Not an easy depot to visit though for photography and you do have to poke cameras through fencing, I also tend to use step ladders to see over the bridges and fencing, binoculars are advised for scratchers. Nice to see a class 90 on shed, plenty of Freightliner class 66`s and class 70`s too.

My main reason for visiting this region was for the Middleton Railway, it had been a few years since I`d last visited and the Middleton Railway, and the railway, in addition to advertising a steam operations, were also offering guided walks on the history of coal mining in the area.

I arrived at the railway quite early, in fact I was the first visitor to arrive and I was very fortunate and privileged in meeting one of the Railways Directors, David, who very kindly gave me a VIP tour of the entire workshops and site, thank you very much sir, an amazing site.

The Middleton Railway is a relatively small railway in terms of track mileage, but offers so much potential for expansion in this very rich industrial historical location. However, facilities, along with a first class museum and tea rooms and shop are one which you would expect on a much larger railway and the locomotive collection on site really is second to none. The staff are exceptionally friendly and you can quite easily spend a full day both on the railway and in the surrounding environment.

After my first trip to the top of the line at Park Halt, I joined the guided walk; it was a really enjoyable and enlightening tour lead by very knowledgeable guides. After a break at the visitors centre, I returned to the Railway and walked the track back to the main station at Moor Road, for a bite to eat in the tea room; I later walked back up to Park Halt to obtain some lineside photographs. I spent the rest of the day riding the line until the last train. Haulage was courtesy of former North Eastern Railway (NER) Class H, classified as Class Y7 by the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) is a class of 0-4-0T number 1310, in Apple Green liveried.
I`d like to thank the Middleton Railway for an excellent visit, I can certainly recommend it.

http://www.middletonrailway.org.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melli...76832313166.1073742721.100001125840218&type=3

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melli...1073742720.100001125840218&type=3&pnref=story

You certainly get around, will check out photos on wifi later. Seem to use up phone data looking thru pictures

 

[shredder1]

You certainly get around, will check out photos on wifi later. Seem to use up phone data looking thru pictures

Thanks, gets me out of the house

 

[shredder1]

Coalport and the Iron Gorge, (Day 1). Friday 14th April 2017.

I spent a few days in the West Midlands and Welsh Borders visiting the Iron Gorge, the Telford Steam Railway and the Cambrian Railway at Oswestry and Llynclys.

I drove down from Manchester to Coalport and had booked two nights in the YHA Hostel, a lovely location facing the Coalport canal and the China Museum. My original intention was to visit the Telford Steam Railway on the Saturday, arriving early at Coalport on the Friday however gave to chance to visit all the attractions around the Iron Gorge. The area has no less than 10 museum`s based on the industry that was responsible for the towns significant growth, said to be the birthplace of industry, it is now a World Heritage Site and firmly on the tourist map.

It would have taken a while to walk between museums, so I used the car, first to see the Iron Bridge proper, an amazing structure, very impressive. Next I went to the Victorian Town at Blists Hill, probably not quite as large as the Beamish Museum, but Blists Hill is unique to the region and offers a lot of attractions, which include a mine railway, incline lifts, working early steam engine, Iron Works and lots of other Victorian outlets and shops, including a chip shop offering chips made in beef dripping and after a 30 minute wait, I was ready for them and I sat by the Shropshire Canal watching the working replica of the first operational steam loco designed by Richard Trevithick in 1804, predating Stephensons 'Rocket' by some 25 yrs. Sadly it was very heavy and not reliable enough for its initial backers to continue with. Trevithick then continued to work on steam engines for the mines.

I was particularly impressed with Hay Incline Plane which joined the Shropshire canal at the high level to the Coalport Canal at the lower lever. I later visited the Museum of the Gorge, Ironbridge Toll House, Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron, Enginuity, the China Museum and the Tar Tunnel, a full day which was finished off with a meal in Madeley and a few beers back at the Coalport YHA Hostel. Although not my usual railway visits, the Iron Gorge is very railway centric, hope you`ve enjoyed this insight and the photographs.

I paid £20 for a ticket that covers all the 10 museums for unlimited visits over a 12 month period, senior price and £3.00 car parking covers you for all museum car parks. YHA Coalport Hostel £15 a night.

http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melli...33838634132.1073742723.100001125840218&type=3

 

[Cowley]

Fascinating area Shred. 55013 went there recently and I ended up looking at the area a bit more in detail online than I had done before. I must go and have a look sometime, the trouble is I have to pass the Severn Valley railway on the way and it pulls me in like a tractor beam in Star Wars.

 

[shredder1]

Fascinating area Shred. 55013 went there recently and I ended up looking at the area a bit more in detail online than I had done before. I must go and have a look sometime, the trouble is I have to pass the Severn Valley railway on the way and it pulls me in like a tractor beam in Star Wars.

Haha, I know what you mean about the tractor beam, well worth a visit to the Iron Gorge though, an amazing area.

 

[shredder1]

Telford Steam Railway and Coalport, (Day 2). Saturday 15th April 2017.

I spent a few days in the West Midlands and Welsh Borders visiting the Iron Gorge, the Telford Steam Railway and the Cambrian Railway at Oswestry and Llynclys.

I was up early at the YHA hostel, breakfast and off in the car to drive over to the Telford Steam Railway, I was there two hours before the first train, I usually am, it gives me chance to have a look around and this was the first time I`d visited the Telford Steam Railway, it was impressive, with what appeared to be lines going everywhere.

One of the volunteers was also on site, the steam tram driver, a lovely chap who allowed me to have a walk around and take a few photographs. I also got chatting to one of the directors, who said I could go trackside if I signed in, put a hi viz on and made a donation.

I had a coffee in the railways excellent Furnaces tea room, (who serve hot dogs to die for). I was on the first train at 11.00am, being hauled by a diesel loco that was out for the first time since being renovated, North British 27414, carrying its works number and in BR livery.

“Built by the North British Locomotive Co. Ltd in 1954 as a demonstrator for its Paxman V6 turbo engine, it entered service at GKN Sankey in Hadley, Telford. It must have been popular as it remained there until being donated to the Steam Trust in the early 1980’s. It acquired the name Tom after a Managing Director of Sankeys, Tom Honess.

Toms claim to fame must undoubtedly be in February 1961 it hauled the Royal Train! This occurred when the train was being stabled in Wellington overnight and the experimental train loco failed. 27414 and another Sankey locomotive then moved the train onto the Wellington to Stafford line where it was left overnight guarded by soldiers!”

(Source; https://telfordsteamrailway.co.uk/the-railway/stock-list/north-british-0-4-0-no-27414-tom/).

I had a few rides between all three stations, Spring Village, Lawley Village, and Horsehay and Dawley. The site has a lot to offer which includes a unique narrow gauge steam tramway with vertical boiler, an extensive miniature railway and an excellent model railway, which are actually three layouts into one.

After I`d been on everything, I decided to take up the kind offer of going lineside, so I enquired about signing in to one of the volunteers who suggested I ask in the ticket office, I was then taken over to the signing in room and adorned my hi viz, reported to some trackside volunteers that I had had permission and signed in, and I then walked up the tracks to take a few photographs. I`d been up there about 30 minutes when another member of staff said I shouldn’t be trackside by myself and took me to see the DOM who was unaware of the arrangement and suggested that anyone trackside must be accompanied by a volunteer and offered to very kindly take me back, but I didn’t want to cause any more inconvenience and had obviously misinterpreted what I had originally been told, so I apologised and signed out. All credit to the railway and staff however, who are up against it judging by the vandalism they suffer. They made me feel extremely welcome and it is certainly a railway worth visiting.

I took a few more rides up and down the line, another ride on the steam tram and demolished a few giant hot dogs in the Furness tea room; I stayed until the last train. The weather had been glorious and I had had an excellent day on the railway, a big thank you to all the staff for a great visit, I`ll certainly be back. The Telford Steam Railway has the potential to expand back towards Ironbridge and the power station, so the future looks great for the railway.

I drove back to Coalport after visiting the Ironbridge power station and taking a few photographs and also walking a section of the Silkin Way, the former Coalport track bed, it’s had been a great day and I had the six bed dormer to myself again, (it must be my snoring), a few beers and I was out for the count.

https://telfordsteamrailway.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melli...1073742725.100001125840218&type=3&pnref=story

 

[shredder1]

Cambrian Heritage Railway, (Day 3). Sunday 16th April 2017.

I spent a few days in the West Midlands and Welsh Borders visiting the Iron Gorge, the Telford Steam Railway and the Cambrian Railway at Oswestry and Llynclys.

I was again up early at the Coalport YHA hostel, it had been a great two night’s stay, but I wanted to drive up to Oswestry and the Cambrian Railway on the way back to Manchester, the long way round. I arrived in Oswestry for 08.30 on Easter Sunday morning and after a few photographs around the station and its environs, I searched out somewhere for breakfast and purchased an amazing full English at Weatherspoon’s in the town centre. Fully refreshed I returned to the railway.

Operating Stock on the day.

Shunting on site was “Telemon”, Built - Drewry / Vulcan Foundry, 1955, Works Number - D295, Engine specification - Gardner 6L3, Wheel arrangement - 0-4-0DM, Braking - air train brakes, Livery - plain black, Owner - Cambrian Diesel Group. I had caught it on the right day as all the stock from the works and museum were being shunted and moved around, so I got chance to photograph everything outside the buildings.

A steam locomotive was working the guards-van taking visitors up and down the line; this was Andrew Barclay Sons & Co, 0-4-0ST "Fife Flyer No 6" no. 2261 of 1949.

I must admit to being bias for the Cambrian Railway, it’s always fascinated me, Oswestry works was still in my Combined Volume in the 1960`s, but being a grotty little short panted school boy with a very limited disposable income at the time, I failed to get down there and have regretted it ever since.

However so much has been saved at Oswestry, one of the magnificent palatial station buildings and offices, both station platforms, the goods shed, now a museum and the works in its entirety, albeit now in private hands, even the old steam depot still partly survives. The track is now laid all the way to Gobowen, with a dedicated bay platform in situ awaiting the Cambrian Railways arrival, in the other direction South, the line length has doubled since my last visit a few years ago, it presently runs to Bridge 49 Gasworks Bridge, with the next extension to reach Weston Wharf, and longer term plans to take the railway to Llynclys South Station and join up with the southern section of the Cambrian Heritage lines.

The potential for extending the railway is phenomenal, here is a recent press release from the Cambrian Railway; “The Department for Transport delivered their decision regarding the transfer of the Gobowen to Blodwel Railway Branch in a letter dated 28th February 2017. Notification was published in the London Gazette on 3rd March 2017 and in the Shropshire Star on 14th March 2017”.

I was allowed to put on by hi viz vest and wonder around the site and go trackside, but photographing most of the line can be done from public areas anyway. The staff gave me a very warm welcome, really lovely people; in fact I spent a lot of time talking to our guard for the day, who had an amazing encyclopaedic knowledge of the Cambrian and its future plans, a lovely chap, very knowledgeable.

I later drove down to the southern lines at Llynclys and took a ride over that section of track, the same driver and my instructor for the day, was on one of the class 101 Metropolitan-Cammel DMU that I had the pleasure of driving on my last visit, so we had a good chat and caught up, a lovely chap and an ex Allerton driver from the BR days. Again the staff at Llynclys are particularly welcoming and very likable people, more than happy to do anything for you. You find this a lot with the smaller railways and although the Cambrian is an isolated railway really, it is a very progressive one all the same.

I returned to Oswestry for a few more guards-van rides behind Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. 0-4-0ST "Fife Flyer No 6" no. 2261 of 1949. I also finished up purchasing more railway books, about £40 worth, I really should restrain myself more.

The drive back to Manchester was uneventful, it had been a great 3 days away though, a big thanks to the railways I`d visited, the Telford Steam Railway and the Cambrian Heritage Railway, great job guys, I`ll be back.

http://www.cambrianrailways.com/

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melli...92821761567.1073742726.100001125840218&type=3

 

[AnthonyRail]

So much to see up your way, brilliant pictures.

 

[shredder1]

So much to see up your way, brilliant pictures.

Thank you very much Anthony, yes I`m lucky living in this region.

 

[AnthonyRail]

Thank you very much Anthony, yes I`m lucky living in this region.

Yeah its pretty much boring down this way. Full of disclosure lines

 

[shredder1]

Yeah its pretty much boring down this way. Full of disclosure lines

I`m sorry to hear that, although you are closer to Europe than me

 

[shredder1]

Manchester to Stratford, (Day 1). Friday 21st April 2017.

I had a trip down to visit the Epping and Ongar Railway, who were holding a two day diesel gala and also spent a day in London, staying over for 3 nights in total.

I took the first off peak TPX to Doncaster and then a Virgin East Coast 91 to Kings Cross, the underground to Liverpool Street and an Anglian service to Stratford for a few hours, before taking the Dockland Railway to Woolwich Arsenal where I had booked an hostel for the night.

The hostel was Wrotteslay House, London SE18 3EP, it was the worst I`d ever stayed in and was booked via Booking.com. My review of the hostel, Owned by Polish lads, I am bias to the Polish, and well-travelled in the country, I do genuinely like the Polish people, they were very friendly, but I really don`t think they should be in the hostel business.

Where do I start, it was basically a dangerous hovel, I ordered a bottom bunk bed, they didn’t have a clue what I was talking about when I arrived and said they couldn’t speak full English, I climbed in the top bunk bed, a step was missing, the back rail came away in my hand and fell down the back of the bed, just missing the chap in the bunk below, live plugs hanging out in kitchen, shower hanging from wall, note in shower room to mop floor after taking shower, washing machine fell apart when I leaned on it, wash basin came away from wall, place stank, wouldn’t eat food in there, sink full of pots and dirty water in kitchen, no toilet rolls in any of the two toilets, paint on the carpets, the bed sheets I was given were very poor and worn, you wouldnt have given these toi a charity shop, the mattress was very old and looked like it have given up, the pictures are far removed from what the hostel actually looks like, you need to see it, the place was a nightmare the worst I`ve ever stayed in, and I`ve stayed in many in Eastern Europe, but this one, they should have paid me to stay there. Booking.com I would seriously consider moving this hostel from your lists as it will reflect badly on your business.

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melli...62021084647.1073742727.100001125840218&type=3

 

[Kite159]

Ouch on that hostel being rubbish. There are a few dodgy places on Booking.com (as I found out by booking a place in Leyton area last year which was a converted house with beds inserted into random rooms, checking in at a random house nearby)

 

[rg177]

Some nice photos taken there.

Indeed, we booked some awfully small apartment in Rotherhithe last summer via booking.com. And by that I mean it was a bed rammed next to a small fridge with a velux window. Heck, i've had full price stays at Hilton hotels for less than I paid for it.

 

[shredder1]

Ouch on that hostel being rubbish. There are a few dodgy places on Booking.com (as I found out by booking a place in Leyton area last year which was a converted house with beds inserted into random rooms, checking in at a random house nearby)

Thanks mate, I think I`ve been lucky in the past, lol

 

[shredder1]

Some nice photos taken there.

Indeed, we booked some awfully small apartment in Rotherhithe last summer via booking.com. And by that I mean it was a bed rammed next to a small fridge with a velux window. Heck, i've had full price stays at Hilton hotels for less than I paid for it.

Thanks very much, yes I`ll read the reviews more carefully next time,

 

[Techniquest]

I would definitely contact booking.com about your experience! A rough experience there, I've never heard of anywhere quite as dangerous!

 

[shredder1]

I would definitely contact booking.com about your experience! A rough experience there, I've never heard of anywhere quite as dangerous!

Thanks very much, yes I did let them know Techniquest, thank you.

 

[shredder1]

Epping and Ongar Railway Diesel Gala, (Day 2). Saturday 22nd April 2017.

I had arranged a trip down to visit the Epping and Ongar Railway, who were holding a two day diesel gala and I also spent a day in London, staying over for 3 nights in total.

I was up early at the Hostel from Hell, (Wrotteslay House, London SE18 3EP), and made my way down the road to Woolwich Arsenal Docklands Railway station, taking a train out to Stratford for breakfast. My next move was a Central Line service out to Epping and a bus directly to Ongar to have a look around. I last visited Ongar in the 1980`s when London Underground were still running a service albeit an early morning and evening only service, the station had changed for the better since my last visit, thanks to the efforts of the Epping and Ongar Railway.

The Epping and Ongar Railway diesel gala was excellent, with many active services throughout the day and very little waiting for trains in-between, even heritage bus services were also operating between Epping TfL station and North Weald, Both class 03`s 03170 and 03119, were active along with classes 31, 31438, (D5557), class 33, D6501, visiting courtesy of South Devon Diesel Traction Ltd, Class 20, D8001, class 37 D6729 (37029), and a class 117 DMU, Class 45 Peak 45132 was on display and 47635 (D1606), Jimmy Milne was in the shed. GWR 0-6-0PT 6430 stood outside the shed at North Weald and Broad gauge Finnish VR Class TR1 1060 locomotive stands in the yard at Ongar in a poor condition.

I took a number of train rides throughout the day between Ongar and to Epping, where trains have to stop short of the Underground station at present. The unusual stalls, hot food and beer were at hand and I even managed a shed visit. The staff were very friendly and helpful so a big well done to all and thank you for a great day out.

I returned to Epping Underground station by heritage bus and took a train back to Stratford for an hour or so on the platforms and tea in a local café, before returning to Woolwich Arsenal and my final night in Wrotteslay House hostel, thanks goodness, never again.

http://eorailway.co.uk/events/diesel-gala/

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melli...47810946068.1073742730.100001125840218&type=3

 

[Techniquest]

Sounds like I've missed out badly! I need the EOR for coverage, let alone the monsters in use over there. One day...

I assume you're doing the SVR gala? It promises to be insanely hellfire, and not just because it's my gala of choice this year! Unleash the thrash already!

 

[Cowley]

Excellent Shred. I've not been on the Epping and Ongar line since I was a kid in the 80s.
A couple of old favourites at the gala then. 33002 being my favourite 33 from back in the day and 47635 which I had on the S&C in the late 80s.
Looks we're all going to be at the SVR in a few weeks time. Perhaps a pint should be arranged?

 

[shredder1]

Sounds like I've missed out badly! I need the EOR for coverage, let alone the monsters in use over there. One day...

I assume you're doing the SVR gala? It promises to be insanely hellfire, and not just because it's my gala of choice this year! Unleash the thrash already!

Yes they put a good show on, well worth as visit. I`m not sure about the Severn Valley yet, might be in Europe?

 

[shredder1]

Excellent Shred. I've not been on the Epping and Ongar line since I was a kid in the 80s.
A couple of old favourites at the gala then. 33002 being my favourite 33 from back in the day and 47635 which I had on the S&C in the late 80s.
Looks we're all going to be at the SVR in a few weeks time. Perhaps a pint should be arranged?

Thank you very much, I`m not sure if I`ll be in the UK then, but yes I would love to meet up with you guys, I`ll keep you posted.