Foxfield Railway Autumn Gala 23rd/24th September 2017

[avonside1563]

The Foxfield Autumn Gala is being held over the 23rd/24th September and will once again see the railway playing host to a multitude of traction engines, steam rollers and steam lorries, as well as other wonderful quirks and curiosities.
The railway will field up to 5 steam and 2/3 diesel locomotives over the weekend, with demonstration coal trains on Foxfield Bank, lifting demonstrations by Dubs crane tank at both Caverswall Road station and Foxfield colliery, and selected passenger services using the Knotty Heritage Train during the day.
The newly refurbished 'One Legged Shunter' bar will be open and serving excellent real ales alongside the buffet at Caverswall Road and light refreshments will be available at Foxfield Colliery.
We look forward to welcoming all of you to our last big event of the season.

[Guius]

Sounds like you've got a good line up for the Gala, I hope the weather gods look down on your weekend and smile.

 

Best

 

Guy

[avonside1563]

Beyer Peacock 1827 successfully returned to traffic on Sunday 17th September having been out of service for 18 months, first having had the axleboxes overhauled and then awaiting specialised boiler repairs following identification of problems in the firebox. Seen here on her first trip out double heading with Bellerophon she will be back in action for the gala this coming weekend alongside Bellerophon, Whiston, Dubs crane tank and Eustace Forth which will be unveiled for the first time fully lined and lettered.

 

[avonside1563]

Timetable and guide for this coming weekend's Gala

 

Autumn Gala Guide 2017.pdf

[avonside1563]

A link to Alistair Grieve's album of the event. If you weren't able to make it due to other railways clashing do take a look and see if it tempts you to visit next year.

 

https://aligrieve.smugmug.com/PreservedRailways/Industrial/Foxfield-Anything-Goes-2017/

 

 

[tractionman]

A link to Alistair Grieve's album of the event. If you weren't able to make it due to other railways clashing do take a look and see if it tempts you to visit next year.

 

https://aligrieve.smugmug.com/PreservedRailways/Industrial/Foxfield-Anything-Goes-2017/

Superb pictures, thanks for posting the link.

 

Especially love this one

 

https://aligrieve.smugmug.com/PreservedRailways/Industrial/Foxfield-Anything-Goes-2017/i-ZsgMLTr/A

 

Really must get myself there next year.

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

[avonside1563]

Superb pictures, thanks for posting the link.

 

Especially love this one

 

https://aligrieve.smugmug.com/PreservedRailways/Industrial/Foxfield-Anything-Goes-2017/i-ZsgMLTr/A

 

Really must get myself there next year.

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

I was driving Bellerophon that day and the chap leaning out admiring his clag in that photo was my fireman. He managed to make Bellerophon clag all the way up the bank! I felt it necessary to show him the correct way to fire on the next trip up the bank. Bellerophon was doing most of the work and right on the mark as evidenced by the feather at the safety valve! (Photo courtesy D Hughes)

 

[faulcon1]

I went to the Foxfield Railway's autumn gala and yes the gods did smile from time to time. Drizzling rain or not it was a great event and I'll be back for another sometime although it's a little out of my way, about 18,000km out of my way. Is it really necessary to run a diesel loco on the back? The engine to make the most noise up the bank was Whiston. There was one glitch on the weekend when the CEGB 0-4-0 saddle tank No. 15 was late in departing from Foxfield Colliery. The fire went out. She had been coaled up but apparently no coal had been added to the fire which went out. Oops! However she was soon fully functional once again thanks to old pallets.

I love the industrial steam locos and it's good that so many have survived too. When steam went on the mainline there was about 16,000 locos and there was about the same number in industrial service. Ivo Peters was a great lover of industrial steam and filmed many industrial locos doing what they were built for. Most photographers at that time completely ignored the industrial scene and concentrated on the mainline scene only. They may have found it hard to film industrial steam with most places having a no enter policy. Ivo always wrote to companies beforehand to ask if he and his friends may come to film their industrial steam locos and the answer was usually yes.

I filmed at the gala weekend but something went wrong with the 32GB memory card and so all the footage I took has been lost. Oh well never mind a return visit is on the cards for sometime in the future.         

Edited November 9, 2017 by faulcon1