Dorkingian

There's plenty of gauge 1 'snow' here!: https://youtu.be/GoQtZP3RC50

To keep up the flow of photos, yesterday I dug out some old lineside pics, mostly 35mm slides from the 1950s, and was pleasantly surprised at how little the colours have faded! This is Jubilee 45611 carefully negotiating the pointwork as it passes Throstlebeck Sidings. Here's the same loco caught on Foxdale Bank Not sure who took this old B&W print. It may have been famous railway photographer Ivo Peters, judging from the Bentley in the foreground. It's a BR Standard Class 4MT on a goods train, obviously at Throstlebeck Sidings once again - maybe one of Ivo's favourite spots! This is another of my old 35mm slides(!); a goods train crossing the Northern Viaduct, probably hauled by a Standard 4-6-0.

That stone retaining wall looks superb. Keep up the good work.

Southern Memories We had few guest locos visiting last week, and these nostalgic photographs ensued (still wet from the darkroom!). Did the sun always shine in the 1950s? This is an S15 and a BR 4MT at Northdown Sidings: Here's the Wrenn version of "Clan Line", still going strong: And here's "Lord Anson", complete with bogie tender, passing Sycamore Lodge in dappled sunshine:

Passenger trains weren't often hauled by Class 9F freight locos in the normal course of events (except on the Somerset and Dorset line), but here are some shots of just such a rare working. The mixed coaching stock suggests an inter-regional train of some sort. My video of another 9F hauled passenger train (made earlier) is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzP2KSfBppw

Geoff and Josh came round yesterday and we had another great day running a wide variety of trains in the sunshine. For example, the Norfolk and Western Railroad had its roots (and most of its original routes) in Virginia and West Virginia, with tentacles stretching to Maryland, North Carolina and Kentucky. Here Bo-Bo diesel 6504 hauls a few freight cars along a shortline towards the junction to connect with a long distance train.

Here in the Dorking Rockies we don't actually run in the snow, just take pics:

Best I can say is "out-of-the-box Hornby" for the loco, and ditto Bachmann for the darker green coaches.

Thank you, Idris. There's a 30 second video snippet of the King Arthur here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVE9EBClNZw

Recently we had Teutonic visitors on the DGR once more: 2-10-0 showing its rear end Who'd be a banker?!

Here's 30737 "King Uther" hauling 11 coaches across Foxdale Bank:

Earlier this week we had fun in the spring sunshine with trains from visitors Geoff and Josh, and also the debut of my new Rebuilt West Country class loco "Ottery St Mary". First it was "Tornado" who took to the rails, seen here on Foxdale Bank: Then, the second Class 67 to visit the Dorking Garden Railway, this one sporting DB Schenker Maple Leaf livery on a relief train of Virgin Mk3 coaches: We then took a quick trip to Germany where we saw this 2-8-2T on a local train somewhere in the Black Forest... After that, it was just Bulleid Bliss, as "Ottery St Mary" made light work of an 11 coach train: And then "Clan Line" joined in the fun and we had the delight of double-headed Bulleid power. What a way to spend the afternoon!

A couple of photos from a running session on a bright and frosty January morning. Ivo Peters and his Bentley used to pop up all over the country! More photos are here: http://www.oogardenrailway.co.uk/forum/index.php?/topic/354-the-dorking-garden-railway/&page=13#comment-16881

Here's a video of John Hampden doing his stuff: https://youtu.be/dHGlj321GzY

There are a couple of new Dorking Garden Railway videos here: https://www.youtube.com/user/Dorkingian One is a tribute to Metropolitan Electric locos, and the other to Pacifics in general. I hope people will enjoy them.

A few autumnal photos from "sixty years ago"...

See here for photos of yesterday's visiting engines: Met "John Hampden" and Class 67 "A Shropshire Lad": http://www.oogardenrailway.co.uk/index.php?/topic/354-the-dorking-garden-railway/&do=findComment&comment=16609

Possibly the ultimate garden railway is that shown in the superb Gauge 1 videos from Duck End Pictures. The latest epic called "Not Quite Cricket" is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNggYA7LghM

The Dorking Garden Railway was delighted to have visitors from Wakefield in the form of IanR and friend Mike in early August. Ian brought a couple of beautiful locos to run - an A4 and an A3 - and a good day was had by all. Here's the A3: A3 number 60047 'Donovan' on Foxdale Bank A3 'Donovan' coasts across Foxdale Bank

There are two more of Josh Barker's great videos of his visiting locos (both sound-fitted) on the DGR here: Tornado: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XvmLOf55gmU and GBRf Class 66: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NxLZ5Mxek_Q And a couple of photos to match the videos:

With the help of visitors Geoff and Josh we had a German afternoon recently. Josh produced a couple of short but very nice videos here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1_rnzKQTBBE https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj1anOePZyQ Do have a look at them! Here are a few of the still pics: This Prussian P10 loco in ex-works undercoat is passing a waiting DB Pacific in the sidings Here the P10 runs rounds Sycamore Curve This early streamlined Deutsche Reichsbahn Pacific might look even more impressive without those smoke deflectors! This DB 03 electric is coasting over a gap in the catenary - or being towed backwards with its freight train by a loco we can't see...

We recently had a German HO steam afternoon, courtesy of David from Reigate who brought an assortment of Fleischmann, Piko and other locos and rolling stock. We tried pairings of several different 2-10-0s and ran the Prussian P8. It was rather cold but great fun. The link to the video of the session is below these (low quality) screengrabs: The 6 minute video is here:

Snow in the Dorking Rockies didn't last long but there was just time to shoot this pair of F7As carefully exploring the track before the snowplow and flanger had been through.

That first boxcar is a long way from home... Hope it's cosy in that caboose Finally, an eastbound train

Today I was lucky enough to discover some seasonal photos taken in the Fraser River Canyon, British Columbia, in the 1960s. They feature a pair of Canadian National F7As in zebra stripe livery with the 'wet noodle' logo, hauling a short freight train. Let's see how the first photo turns out before I do any more...