Hi all

 

This ones gonna be picture heavy so sorry to anyone with a slow browser!

 

Went to Railfest on the tuesday bank holiday, took a look around, and despite the weather had a thoroughly enjoyable day. I'm guessing knows the big deal about railfest, so as per you might expect was dominated by the big names in preservation, Mallard, Tornado, Lizzie, truro, and even scotsman, just about back in loco form made it. But luckily a few more workaday forms made it, with everything from the smallest standard gauge loco, to my favourite, the last engine to run outside of preservation on the mainline in revenuse servcie, London transport's L94 (yes up until the last day on 6th june 1971, three panniers were still running over BR metals on a regular basis to the exchange sidings at West Kensington, in blatant defiance of the steam ban!)

 

Right amongst the stars, a rather appropriate pairing was made; L94 and Sarah siddons, 2 of only 3 working LT locos in LT livery, paired together.

 

 

Acuriosity of the show was the drift bogie from the bowes railway, a wagon that was used with ropes to gravity shunt wagons at several collieries right into the latter years of NCB

 

I'd hate to be the shunter on one, his position is where one of the buffers would have been!

 

 

Cheltenham, fresh out of Eastleigh works, i doubt he paint was fully dry! I also doubt it had even run a mile beofre getting to Railfest. Also i beleive the most powerful class of 4-4-0 hence its place at railfest

 

 

The oldest working steam loco, Funess railway no 20, not a pleasant experience driving it must have been!

 

 

The NRMs 37, My mate has one in this livery in 5'', seen in several picture of gilling.

 

 

Everyone favourite new build pacific, actually the first time i've seen it since i saw it that first weekend up at the GCR when it was still in grey and running in, 2008!

 

 

Almost top shed 1949, shame about the fences!they were strange those, they were there, put up for the event, but there were gaps in them so people could get down onto the ballast and round the locos, not quite sure of their function really!

 

 

Palmerston, not prince, which appeared at Railfest 2004, which i also went to, and was there the day that Pen-y-darren, fell off its wheels! (one of the iron axles broke, leaving it in an embarressing state of twisted across the track, 3 wheels on my wagon!)

 

 

You all know this one! Again first time i'd seen Hamilton since streamlining. Last saw it, unstreamlined at Railfest 2004!

 

 

Bill Parker's Polska Prairie. It has an air pump fitted round the other side left over from its wanderings hauling suburban services in Eastern Europe

 

 

A large contingent of modern stock turned up too. Sorry if my captions are more brief, not really my bag!

 

 

 

The Mardy monster, the most powerful 0-6-0 industrial tank built for the UK, about the sdame power as a 7F classification loco!

 

 

Thunderbird loco, tintin, along with virgins 2 car trainer unit were on site, demonstrating the coupler

 

 

The brighton belle, and interesting project to recreate one of the three 5-BEL pullman DMUs to run on the mainline, one of the restored powercars was there.

 

 

A rare tripo north for one of the javelin units, that run HS1, and may do the same fo HS2 should it ever come.

 

 

The grand old 100mph lady herself, City of truro

 

 

Britains (possibly the worlds) smallest standard gauge loco, gazelle made the trip from the KESR. Its original owner, in 2-2-2 guise reserved running rights all over east anglia in her, travelling over many mainline until she was purchased for the shopshire and montgomeryshire railway by Col stephens. then,when the army took the line over, she worked on till transferred to the longmoor military railway and put on display, before being donated to the KESR. As if to empahsise, theres a shot of her inside cylinder driving her 4 driving wheels (yes converted), it cant be anymore than 6'' bore!

 

Evening star

SECR Wainwright D class

J69 'Buckjumper'

Stephenson Long Boiler goods

Terrier box hill, approproately boxed in, by the fencing which is so unneccessarily prevalent at the NRM

LSWR M7

The rather depleted Main hall

 

 

SECR pullman Car Topaz in a beautiful rich red-brown colour, being mooted as a future 5'' gauge project! Thje MET had 2 pullman cars, which save from a few modifications such as no gangways and a slightly narrower roof profile, were identical to SECR pullamns, like topaz, actually from the same batch (Edward wtakin being chairman of both companies might have had something to do with it!)

 

Engine there that escaped the camera (exluding residents inside)

 

Mallard, Scotsman, Deltic production model, Webb Coal tank, Jubilee Bahamas, Teddy (industrial, with very small cylinders!) GNR N2, LNWR Precedent, Peter Pan Puffing Billy and varying coaches, and other small locos, and several diesels, and oddities.

 

My thoughts. I feel that the NRM is getting a bit hemmed in, tucking its stock into corners. Ideally the gret hall needs a sorting out, i couldnt photograph the aspinall 2-4-2 because there were access ladders in the way, the lighting in the station hall is appalling, and all the locos are incarcerated in wooden boards, stopping people falling off platform edges. The BoB spamcan, Winston Churchill was looking a little tired, and things were often difficuklt to appreciate properly. But its still ver yworth while going, i shall be going back soon. Even if its just for the warehouse which is crammed with thousands of interesting things, as well as many 5 inch models, designer models and paraphenalia.

 

Railfest i felt needed to take a leaf out of Barrow Hill's book. Only the two running lines were moving. things would be better for it. Only truro was runing the shuttle. Many locos were in light steam, but, especially the coal tank, were trapped in by up to 6 dead locos ahead. if they were at the front, they'd be able to move and give the public a better show.

 

But other wise i thoroughly enjoyed my day. I will be back soon!

 

Right, on another note, if you can handle any more pics, finally the coaches are finished! People who missed the last post, they are now running, rolling, and have now all received their final numbers, decor, individual works plates (2 built in 1919, 2 in 1923 and one in 1912, and all the works plates correctly reflect that!)

 

So they have gone from this;

 

To this in 8 months.

 

We also took the opportunity to line them up in the house, 24ft of coaches, with the locos and riding truck thats 32ft of teak coach and engine!

 

 

First run out is next weekend

 

 

Right, still with me? Good, you can relax, its over!

 

Cheers

 

Comments as usual welcome

 

Sorry its been so image heavy,

 

 

Mark