Narrow Gauge Shunting...

Narrow Gauge Shunting…

In anticipation of the start of Power from the Past on Thursday, Matt and I have been preparing the various railways for the event.  Today it was the turn of the narrow gauge, whilst Wednesday will see the standard gauge in the Colliery and Rowley prepared.  Part of the latter shunt is to position the Duke of Sutherland’s coach in anticipation of an imminent start on its overhaul to running order, which will include stripping to bare wood ahead of a high-quality repaint, to suit its quasi Royal status…

Here are some photos from the shunt today, with apologies for their murkiness – the lens on the i-phone tends to fog up when in the vicinity of railways and steam engines…

Below: Britomart arrived this morning, and after unloading was shunted around as part of the preparations for Thursday – Sunday’s event.

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Below: I love this!  This is the new replica MkIIa Quarryman’s Coach – alleged to seat 12!  I had a short ride in it (first passenger on our railway!) and can vouch that whilst the solitude enables a little more leg room, the unsprung ride, lack of sprung coupling/buffers and the stoop needed to fit within its frame means you wouldn’t want to travel far in such stock!  The quarrymen originally traveled 13 miles up on a Monday, the same back on a Saturday (lodging in barracks in the quarries in between).  It is said they lit newspapers and made small fires to keep warm…  More on this coach can be found on the superb Festipedia website: http://www.festipedia.org.uk/wiki/Carriage_33

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Below: Some general shunting shots. There are plans to both relocate the shed shown here, and extend it in the future, enabling the siding it is on to form the east curve of the planned triangle and so enable a driver-for-a-fiver (or tenner!) experience to be offered to day visitors, who could complete a couple of laps of the triangle on a suitable locomotive.  Something for the future…

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Below: The open goods waggon (or beer waggon) has been loaded with period boxes and crates as part of its contribution to the display.  We may have to find some barrels to complete the picture…

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Below: The two granite waggons commission the previously untouched siding which will eventually access the western side of the yard.

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Below: It is interesting to contrast these two Quarry Hunslets.  Edward Sholto is visibly stockier, as the larger of the pair, even sans cab.

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Below: The loan from the Lilla Group of the Penrhyn Fullersite waggon has enabled ES to be coupled with an appropriate tender!  The waggon is very tight on back-to-back on our track and so is a little bumpy through turnouts, but it certainly looks the part with the ex Penrhyn Hunslet attached to it!

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So, there you go – a preview of this Thurs – Sun’s narrow gauge entertainment…  On the standard gauge No.18 (Lewin) is rostered for its first full session of operation, backed up by Coffee Pot No.1 whilst around the site there will be the usual mixture of road steam, vintage & veteran traffic and working displays centred on agricultural activities, including some horse logging which I am looking forward to seeing.