The weekend turned out to be something of a mini-steam event with a good selection of steam lined up for visitors – a taste of this weeks event to come…

As I write, there are lorries heading south to gather various attractions for the forthcoming GNSF and I am looking skywards at blue skies – will this weather last though?!

Below: Alan Hines’ had his Robey Showman’s engine in steam over the weekend, to keep the gallopers company!

Below: A herculean effort by Stuart Hines, Bob Fielding and numerous other colleagues saw the gallopers up, tested, running and even with music (albeit with a cd and speaker as the organ is not due back from its restoration until the 10th September). There are one or two details to attend to, mostly cosmetic, but the ride has proved to be popular with the steam school students readily taking on the job of firing and driving the sometimes tricky Savage centre engine. All good stuff!

Below: The ride, the Robey and a threatening sky…

Below: Meanwhile Sir Cecil Cochrane continues to ply the 1000 yard round trip some 25 times a day every weekend. This weekend is its last however, after which WST from Bowes will take over for the remainder of the season, maybe joined by the Y7 for October half-term. I had the engine on Sunday, and the sun shone and the rain fell in equal measure – this was during one of the former intervals!

Below: In the Colliery, Blue Circle (with owner Mick Smith) was in steam all three days, joined by myself and Coffee Pot on Saturday – a chance for some line-up photographs.

Below: A formal portrait in the exchange sidings.

Below: On Friday night, David Potter’s ‘Paddy’ arrived, and on Saturday it was pushed out for display while Mick and I were around. Since its last visit it has acquired a roof and also the lettering for the ‘British Steam Piling Co’ (the source of its cylinders as I recall).