40 years of 'Rocks by Rail' and Updates

[Johann Marsbar]

1 hour ago, Ian Smeeton said:

 

We have Sundews Cab at RBR. It has been restored in recent years, however, there is still more to do on it.

 

Regatds

 

Ian

 

There is a complete Rapier walking dragline preserved in Melbourne, Australia...

http://www.melbournesteam.com.au/dragline.html

Unfortunately, it hadn't been moved to their museum when I visited the place back in 2004 !

[Michael Edge]

There's one a lot closer to most of us than that, at the former St Aidans open cast site between Castleford and Leeds.

http://www.walkingdragline.org/

[Ian Smeeton]

Shall we have some more??

 

RE-BUILDING THE WOOLSTHORPE IRONSTONE QUARRY LOCO SHED (Pt 4)

 

Work on cladding the wooden structure progressed steadily during 1986. 

 

With work completed on the concrete walkways within the building the inside of the building was painted.  

 

As the building work advanced the guttering was fitted up to the completed roof and connected to the underground drainage pipes buried earlier. Work was progressing steadily on all fronts and the volunteers looked forward to the day when the building was complete and could be formally opened to museum visitors.

 

 

 1 With work on the roof now complete attention turned to the doorway. Partially dismantled ex Woolsthorpe Ironstone Quarry steam loco SALMON can be glimpsed just inside having been re-united with its old loco shed as its restoration to working order was underway .

 

 

 

2. Cladding is attached around the doorway to the building. On the left of the photo can be seen Sentinel BETTY which arrived at the museum on loan in April 1986 in NCB yellow livery. This loco once worked on the ironstone railways in north Oxfordshire and also at Harlaxton near Grantham before spending its final years in industrial service with the NCB at Derwenthaugh, Tyne and Wear.

 

 

3. A volunteer paints the inside of the building. 

 

 

 

4. A volunteer fitting part of the guttering to the completed part of the building.

 

I think that his was the last time that the Woolsthorpe shed saw a pot of paint, so much so, that it is on the cards to be repainted this spring-lockdown permitting!!

 

Regards

 

Ian

 

 

[RANGERS]

On 23/11/2020 at 07:38, Michael Edge said:

There's one a lot closer to most of us than that, at the former St Aidans open cast site between Castleford and Leeds.

http://www.walkingdragline.org/

Sundew was a direct descendent of the 1150B, Following the successful use of one of these by S&L Minerals in an effort to make the removal of the limestone bed above the ironstone (overburden) more efficient, and allow access to deeper ironstone beds, they set about designing a bespoke machine to go even deeper. The result was the W1400 and W1800 project, of which Sundew was the last built. 

[Ian Smeeton]

Another installment in the riveting (and welding) story of Rocks by Rail, The Rutland Railway Museum

 

 

 

14 – THE WOOLSTHORPE IRONSTONE QUARRY LOCO SHED OPENING AND AN INFLUX OF DIESELS FROM THE NORTH-EAST

 

After nearly two years of effort the re-built Woolsthorpe Ironstone Quarry Loco Shed was opened to the public during an Open Day in mid-summer 1987.

 

Our guest of honour was Rt Hon Earl of Gainsborough who lived at Exton and on whose land the United Steel Companies Ore Mining Branch worked ironstone from 1950 to 1973. 

 

Reflecting the original wide-ranging museum collection policy relating to the preservation of industrial locomotives from various industrial users 1987 saw a number of diesel locomotive exhibit arrivals from National Coal Board sites mainly in the north – east of the country.

 

These were all privately owned by museum members - with the exception of the small Hunslet diesel locomotive which was then on loan to the museum .

 

 

 1 General view of the re-opening of the re-built Woolsthorpe Shed held on a public open day. Steam loco Singapore did the honours to re-open the shed by breaking a tape as it emerged whistling from the building as part of a short ceremony. 

 

 

2. Photo of Hunslet built diesel NORWOOD COKING PLANT No.1 seen just prior to delivery to the museum. 

 

 

3 .In 1987 the former BR D95XX (Class 14) diesel locomotives that formerly worked on the extensive NCB Ashington colliery railways near Newcastle upon Tyne were withdrawn as the coal industry declined. Privately owned D9555 is seen on arrival at the museum still bearing its NCB blue livery and identification. D9555 was the last standard gauge diesel locomotive to be built at BR Swindon Works in 1965.

 

 

4. Cabside lettering on D9555

 

 

5. D9555 was shortly joined by sister locomotive NCB No.7 (D9518). A month later NCB No. 3 (D9521) also arrived at the museum bringing the total of class 14 locos then resident at the museum to four.

 

 

Three quarters of the class 14 fleet led by D9555 at the museum.

 

Regards

 

Ian

 

 

Edited November 28, 2020 by Ian Smeeton
Wrong caption

[Michael Edge]

15 hours ago, Ian Smeeton said:

 

 

 

2. English Electric 0-6-0 diesel is pictured at Rawdon Colliery just before delivery to the museum.

 

That's a Hunslet 0-4-0DH, have you put the wrong photo in?

[Ian Smeeton]

3 hours ago, Michael Edge said:

That's a Hunslet 0-4-0DH, have you put the wrong photo in?

 

No, wrong caption

 

I will edit.

 

 

Regards

 

Ian

[Ian Smeeton]

Time marches on....

 

15 – SUNDEW’s DEMISE, A DUMPTRUCK, A COMPLETE IRONSTONE QUARRY TRAIN AND SALMON’s RETURN TO STEAM 

 

Following being laid up at the end of 1980 upon the closure of Corby Ironstone Quarries the giant walking Dragline 'SUNDEW' stood as a silent sentinel on the escarpment overlooking the Welland Valley.

 

After a failed attempt to sell the large draglines to the American opencast coal industry the inevitable decision was made to scrap these huge machines.

 

'SUNDEW' was cut up near Harringworth but through the good offices of British Steel the museum was able to rescue for preservation some artefacts, including the left-hand driving cab of the machine.

 

Between 1958 and 1966 the United Steel Companies operated a small number of Euclid dump trucks to move excavated ironstone from the quarries on the escarpment down to a rail wagon loading dock at the end of the Cottesmore Mineral Branch.

 

Whilst the original vehicles were scrapped or sold in 1987 an old Euclid dump truck was spotted out of use at a landfill site near Peterborough. This was inspected and subsequently donated to the museum by the site operator Shanks & McEwan. 

 

The original dump trucks had been supplied by Blackwood Hodge of Northampton who generously offered to carry out minor repairs and repaint the vehicle in the livery of the original Cottesmore Mines vehicles. The completed vehicle returned to the museum where it has been occasionally used to demonstrate iron ore rail wagon loading on Open Days sat on the original tipping dock at the museum.

 

On more than one occasion the museum provided a steam locomotive for the annual Castle Donnington Power Station Open Day. Museum volunteers were permitted to drive the loco under the supervision of Powergen staff.

 

General contraction in the use of industrial railways in the UK continued and in 1987 redundant wagons at Tunnel Cement’s Pitstone Cement Works were visited. Discussions with the company were pursued resulting in the donation of a rake of six former ironstone tippler wagons to the museum. They had last been used for the internal transport of coal slack to the cement works kiln. They kindly arranged to load the wagons onto road transport with their crane when they left for the museum.

 

From time to time the museum was able to raise some much needed finance by doing jobs for others. One such occasion was a repaint for a Sentinel loco destined for a freight company’s sidings. The loco turned out to be ex Oxfordshire Ironstone Co Sentinel JEAN. Little did we know at the time that JEAN would eventually return to the museum as a resident working exhibit. 

 

During 1988-89 steady progress was maintained with restoration work on the boiler of Andrew Barclay 0-6-0ST SALMON inside its old shed. The boiler was retubed and hydraulically tested. The late autumn of 1989 saw steam tests and further re-assembly.

 

 

1: A sad end to a very impressive quarrying machine as SUNDEW is slowly cut up for scrap.

 

 

 

2. The repainted Euclid dumptruck arrives at the museum.

 

 

 

3  Out and about. Loco SINGAPORE poses with Castle Donnington Power Station’s two resident steam locomotives prior to the public open day.  

 

 

 

4. Having been loaded by crane at Pitstone Cement Works two 27 ton ironstone tipplers prepare to leave by road for the museum.

 

 

 

5. A new livery for Sentinel diesel JEAN having just emerged from the Woolsthorpe shed.

 

 

 

6. Andrew Barclay saddle tank 'SALMON' undergoes its first  steam test outside its old loco shed at the museum . 

 

Let me know when you are ready for more!!

 

Regards

 

Ian

[figworthy]

1 hour ago, Ian Smeeton said:

Let me know when you are ready for more!!

 

 

Thanks again for the pictures and the explanations to go with.

 

Ready and waiting whenever it is convenient.

 

Adrian

[Ian Smeeton]

Ready for another installment?

 

SALMON’s VISIT TO BSC SCUNTHORPE

 

To help mark the centenary of steel making at Scunthorpe in 1990 the museum was pleased to work with British Steel to allow a steam locomotive to work once again on the steelworks railway.

 

As part of the centenary celebrations BSC were to offer invited guests the opportunity to tour the works by steam hauled train. Arrangements were made to make available two vintage carriages to form the train with the museum to supply Andrew Barclay saddletank SALMON, which had only very recently been returned to steam.

 

Upon arrival at the steelworks the locomotive was lettered in the style of the Appleby Frodingham Steel Company for the centenary festivities. Over a period of some months the loco was steamed for works tours with a water stop half way round and on occasions was allowed to haul wagons for the benefit of visiting photographers. The following images give a good flavour of the activities during that centenary year with the museum’s volunteer crews gaining useful experience in steam loco management on the demanding steelworks private railway.

 

These initial tours and the positive visitor reaction to them helped to facilitate and cement the establishment and growth of the Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society and the works rail tours which continue to this day.

 

And well worth the trip. too, when they resume.

 

1   Salmon in A-F disguise outside the shed at Scunthorpe

 

 

Salmon on the centenary train at a temporary platform erected for the event

 

Salmon on tour round the steelworks

 

 

Running a demonstration freight

 

 

Rear three quarters view of Salmon earning her keep

 

 

 

Salmon takes on water from the Scunthorpe Fire Tender

 

Regards

 

Ian

[Ian Smeeton]

Another historical update

 

AVONSIDE LOCO DORA TESTED AND STEAMED AND INVESTMENT IN A NEW VISITOR AMENITY BUILDING

 

Whilst SALMON was up at Scunthorpe regularly chugging around the giant steelworks complex on the BSC centenary tours the museum’s volunteers were busy back at Cottesmore completing repairs and testing the boiler of member owned Avonside built 0-4-0st saddletank DORA. Upon completion of repairs the saddletank was craned back on and commissioning steam tests were then carried out. 

 

Until that time visitor accommodation at the museum was very basic with use being made of an old Portacabin and a grounded GER coach body.

 

It was decided that visitors required better than this and plans were made to build a larger permanent single storey building that could provide for a small café with internal seating together with further space for museum displays.

 

The museum took advantage of information that a DIY shop in Grantham was due to be removed as the bolt together wooden glazing panels used would make a useful front to the building. A museum volunteer drew up scale plans of the structure which incorporated the elements reclaimed from the other structure. Planning permission was obtained and site clearance undertaken before construction could get underway.

 

The building concrete base was prepared and laid in a day long exercise whilst concrete blockwork was erected to form the back and end walls. The wooden front glazing panels were then fitted together with corrugated roof sheets and a suspended ceiling to finish.

 

A timely upgrade of a Tesco store café near Cambridge provided second hand seating for visitors in the new building.

 

Two museum display cabinets were also installed showcasing a number of smaller exhibits and photographs.

 

Sadly about one year or so after opening this museum building was the victim of a targeted theft. A wooden panel in an access door was broken through to gain entry and a 5” scale model of an United Steel Companies Ore Mining Branch Austerity saddletank was taken.

 

This model , made of wood and heavy card, was originally made by a driver at Exton Park Ironstone Quarries and was obtained by the museum from a local auction. Of sentimental value to the museum anyone who is aware of the whereabouts of the model is asked to contact the Curator via the RbR website as we would very much like to get it back for public display at the museum.

To be continued………

 

 

1. The saddletank of Avonside DORA is lowered into position outside the Woolsthorpe shed.

 

 

 

2. Avonside DORA undergoes steam testing.

 

 

Photo 3. Concrete is poured for the floor slab of the new building

 

 

Photo 4. Blockwork construction underway for the new visitor building

 

 

5. A steam hauled visitor train approaches the platform positioned just outside the recently completed new building taken in summer 1991.

 

 

6. Photo of the missing USC Ore Mining Branch Exton Park Austerity model steam loco No.11

 

Still a few more updates to bring us up to present.

 

Regards

 

Ian

[Ian Smeeton]

Time and tide wait for no man as we work through the 40 years of the Rutland Railway Museum

 

SINGAPORE GOES ON LOAN TO THE IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM

 

In early February 1992 steam locomotive SINGAPORE was loaded onto a low loader at the museum for the journey to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford Airfield near Cambridge.

 

The loco was to stay at the museum so that it could mark some poignant anniversaries associated with Far Eastern Prisoners of War. The loco itself was a prisoner of the Japanese - a fate it shared with 80,000 allied servicemen taken prisoner at the Fall of Singapore.

 

On the 50th Anniversary of the Fall of Singapore (15/2/1942) the loco was specially steamed for local media on a short length of track at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford.

 

During its three year stay at Duxford we were permitted to steam it occasionally on special museum airshow days - provided we ceased to move the loco when the airshow flying displays started at 2pm ! 

 

From summer 1992 until October 1993 the display by the Singapore loco was supplemented by our memorial to those who worked on the 250 mile long Burma Siam railway construction through the disease infected jungle in Thailand and into Burma.

 

The equivalent distance in the UK would be from London to Darlington.

 

Using both conscript labour and prisoners of war the railway was completed in just over one year but at a high cost in human lives and suffering.

 

For the IWM Museums October Airday in 1993 the loco was specially steamed to mark the 50th anniversary of the completion of the construction of the Burma-Siam Death Railway. The IWM welcomed a party of veteran survivors of the notorious project and who subsequently posed with the locomotive for photos and were even encouraged to pick up track tools – a poignant reminder of those dreadful times and the sacrifices made.

 

On 15th August 1995 the locomotive was loaded onto a low loader for the journey home to the museum. However en route the loco stopped off for a special FEPOW remembrance service held on the 50th anniversary of VJ day with its fellow veterans at Bassingbourne Barracks in Cambridgeshire.

 

 

1 Far Eastern Prisoner of War locomotive SINGAPORE is steamed on the Easter Airshow day 1992 at the Imperial War Museum.

 

 

 

2. SINGAPORE shares the view with a preserved B17 Flying Fortress Sally B and the Army narrow gauge railway exhibit (removed in 1995). 

 

 

3. The museum’s memorial cross to those Allied Far Eastern Prisoners of War who worked on the 250 mile long metre gauge Burma Siam Death Railway.

 

 

4. On the 50th anniversary of the completion of the Burma Siam Railway surviving veterans pose with the locomotive for a group photo.

 

 

5. Remembering their year of toil on the Death Railway veterans again pick up track tools for the benefit of the media. The number C5631 visible on the loco was the number of the Japanese built metre gauge 2-6-0 loco present at the opening ceremony of the Burma-Siam railway on October 19 1943.

 

 

6. SINGAPORE takes part in the 50th anniversary of VJ Day remembrance service at Bassingbourne Barracks, Cambridgeshire.

 

 

7. The loco was positioned close to the memorial lychgates from the POW Changi Cemetery in Singapore. The lychgate was subsequently moved to the National Memorial Arboretum.

 

More to follow.

 

Regards

 

Ian

 

 

[Bucoops]

Very poignant. Thank you for sharing.

[Ian Smeeton]

It is a rainy, wet, miserable Friday, but the weekend starts here!

 

More from the archive.

 

STEAM RETURNS TO THE QUARRY FACE 

 

Following a chance comment with a quarry manager by a museum volunteer going about his day job the museum were invited to participate in the 1994 Community  Open Day at Barrington Cement Plant near Cambridge.

 

This was of significance to the museum as Barrington’s quarry still used an industrial railway to move the excavated minerals from the quarry face to the start of the cement making processing plant.

 

The quarry used a number of diesel locomotives on a daily basis taking the eight wagon trains to two separate quarry faces where the chalk and clay were loaded by large Ruston Bucyrus quarry machines as required into the wagons for the short journey to the Raw Plant.

 

For the commissioning of the standard gauge quarry railway in 1963 two Ruston and Hornsby 165DE locos were purchased for quarry work. 

 

At the raw plant the wagons were unloaded in a rotary tippler machine and the minerals were then blended together with water before being pumped to a storage tank near the cement kiln for subsequent use.

 

It was arranged that the museum would bring a steam locomotive to the Works for display on the public open day, which raised funds for local charities.  The museum agreed to supply Avonside saddletank DORA for the event where the loco would be given some light exercise on the mile-long Barrington Light Railway on the Open Day.

 

In recognition that the use of steam might be of interest to railway enthusiasts the quarry management graciously allowed the visiting locomotive to do an additional  day of real work in the quarry in front of a limited party of visiting railway enthusiasts. Museum volunteers were permitted to crew the steam locomotive under the strict supervision of works and quarry operating staff.

 

Such was the favourable public reaction on the Open Day and enthusiasts day to the presence of steam at the works this was not the only occasion that we co-operated with the works and quarry management to turn back time at the last standard gauge quarry railway in the UK …

 

 

1. Avonside saddletank DORA trundles past some stored Rugby Cement tank wagons at Foxton exchange sidings on the Barrington Light Railway.

 

 

 

2. DORA positions her short train ready for loading as the Ruston Bucyrus 110RB mining shovel scoops up a load of chalk.

 

 

3. Re-creating an everyday scene from the past…. Train loading at the chalk quarry face.

 

 

4. Clay was extracted from a separate face in 1992 on the other side of the quarry. The Ruston Bucyrus 110RB dragline prepares to load the train.

 

 

5. At the clay face the excavated material was loaded using a dragline bucket.

 

 

6. Eight wagon loading underway at the chalk quarry face with a Ruston & Hornsby diesel loco in charge.

 

Regards

 

Ian

[Ian Smeeton]

The archive is being plumbed yet again.

 

Another trip for Museum exhibits to the Barrington Cement complex.

 

A STEAM SENTINEL RETURNS TO WORK IN A QUARRY 

 

In April 1974 a museum member acquired a 100hp steam Sentinel locomotive and it subsequently arrived at the museum in May from the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre. Fortunately the new owner and the museum could draw upon the wide knowledge and experience of all things Sentinel from a fellow museum volunteer. Consequently it was not too long before loco No.7 ventured out onto the tracks at the museum.

 

The loco however came into its own in 1996 when the museum received another invitation from Rugby Cement to participate in Open days at Barrington Cement Plant.

 

Whilst the standard gauge quarry railway at Barrington operated initially using diesel power in early 1965 the works received three steam locomotives from the closed cement plant at Totternhoe near Dunstable.

 

An Avonside saddletank was accompanied by two 100hp vertical boilered Sentinels. The three steam locomotives were re-commissioned and worked alongside the Ruston diesels.

 

Whilst the Avonside saddletank usually operated around the main cement works the two steam Sentinels operated on the quarry railway. The Sentinels survived at work until 1967 when they were then sold to loco builders Thomas Hill of Rotherham.

 

For the 1996 Works Open Day the museum were permitted to return with Avonside DORA together with Sentinel No.7.

 

EWS were contracted to move coal to the cement works by rail. Due to a weight restriction on the concrete rail viaduct over the River Cam the EWS engine would deposit its full train of HOP AB coal wagons in the exchange sidings at Foxton.

 

Short rakes of the loaded coal wagons would then be collected by the works locomotives (usually a pair of Sentinel diesels working in multiple) and taken via the Barrington Light Railway (BLR) to the coal hopper for discharge.

 

EWS agreed to participate in this Works Open Day and parked their loco at the exchange sidings for the day.

 

Visitors travelled down the BLR to Foxton on the two works locomotives to view the EWS loco and the museum’s locos also put in an appearance. 

 

Once the Open Day was over the museum were again permitted to operate their locomotives in the quarry for the benefit of visiting photographers. After a gap of some 30 years a steam Sentinel locomotive once again visited the quarry face….

 

To be continued……… 

 

 

 

1. DORA and Sentinel No.7 stand on the siding leading to the loco shed by the rotary kiln.

 

 

 

2. A line up at Foxton for the Public Open Day with DORA, No.7 and EWS 56089 

 

 

 

3. Return to the quarry face. Sentinel No.7 patiently waits for DORA ‘s train to be loaded with chalk by the Ruston Bucyrus 110RB face shovel. 

 

 

4. Sentinel No.7 slowly propels its loaded train towards the tipplers at the raw plant.

 

 

 

5. Almost lost in the wider quarry landscape No.7 is loaded at the clay face by the Ruston Bucyrus 110RB electric dragline 

 

 

 

6. No.7 Sentinel No.7 tries its hand at shunting HOP AB coal wagons in the cement works.

 

A few more to follow

 

Regards

 

 

Ian

[Johann Marsbar]

Those Barrington works open days were well worth going to, though I only went to the 2003 one, which must have been one of the last Public days there....

 

 

[Ian Smeeton]

Christmas Eve.

 

Joy and happiness to all!

 

Another dusty archive surfaces!

 

TO KEEP GOING THE SPIRIT THAT KEPT THEM GOING -  Part 1

 

 

In December 1996 the volunteer run museum learnt that it had made a successful bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for funding towards an overhaul of FEPOW memorial steam locomotive SINGAPORE. 

#

Earlier that year many hours had been expended in preparing the grant application for HLF and obtaining alternative quotes for the anticipated major items of expenditure.

 

In preparing the draft restoration scheme we were constrained by the requirement at that time not to have started the project by dismantling any part of the locomotive. There was thus an element of risk involved as it is difficult to anticipate with great accuracy what repairs to items will be needed until some of them can be stripped down and exposed.

 

We did know however that the loco boiler would require  significant attention as it had been working on a reduced pressure for a number of years, due to some thinning in part of the firebox. Also the wheels would need re-profiling.

 

In the HLF decision they confirmed they would support the scheme to a value of £42,950 given the overall estimated cost of £66,000 of which the difference would be costed RRM volunteer labour partnership in kind contribution.

 

The grant award was the first HLF grant to be given for the restoration of a steam locomotive to working order and obviously reflected the heritage merit of the locomotive given that one of HLF specialist assessors was a staff member at the National Railway Museum.

 

The grant offer was subject to the museum first clearing an outstanding loan on the purchase of the locomotive from a museum member. With the welcome support of Singapore Airlines we were able to successfully raffle two return air tickets to Singapore kindly donated by the airline to the cause. This exercise cleared the loan.

 

After a necessary pause to complete the paperwork the great day for the project start dawned. To mark commencement the loco saddle tank was lifted off during a public open day at the museum.

 

Removal of the boiler cladding, cab and coal bunkers was followed by the removal of the old boiler tubes from the boiler by museum volunteers. The boiler was then lifted out of the frames to be inspected by our boiler inspector from Plant Safety.

 

A list of required repairs was drawn up and the boiler work was the subject of the usual tendering process. The repair contract was won by specialist steam boiler repairers Chatham Steam. Originally this company used to operate out of Chatham Dockyard – the place where loco Singapore spent its last two decades in Royal Navy Service. However by the time the boiler departed by road the Company had moved to another industrial site not far from Rochester.

 

At about the same time the wheelsets departed to Pete Briddon at the Yorkshire Engine Company at Long Marston where attention to the eccentric straps and re-profiling the tyres was to be arranged.

 

The mainframes subsequently left the museum briefly to be cleaned, shotblasted and primed at Parker Plant in Leicester.

 

The dismantling of the locomotive also gave the museum’s volunteers the opportunity to have a closer look at Singapore’s war wounds. The cladding sheets were removed and the shrapnel hole on the barrel had clearly not resulted in any significant damage to the boiler barrel. The bullet damage on the cylinder however clearly showed where the round had taken a small chunk out of the cylinder casting before ricocheting into the ground. 

 

To be continued……… 

 

 

1. Museum volunteers busy removing the old boiler tubes.

 

 

2.  SINGAPORE’s boiler is lifted clear of the frames.

 

 

3. With the tubes removed the boiler inspector carries out his assessment of the condition of the barrel.

 

 

4. The frames are lifted off the wheelsets.

 

 

5. The drivers side cylinder casting exposed showing where a Japanese bullet had left its mark in 1942.

 

 

6. The wheels and tank were loaded onto road transport for remedial work off-site.

 

 

7. At Chatham Steam the firebox was removed for assessment and repair.

 

 

8. Another boiler inspector from Plant Safety carries out a detailed check on thicknesses of the outer firebox with Chatham Steam staff in attendance.

 

I might blow som more dust off the archives, tomorrow.

 

(if Mission Control gives permission)

 

Regards

 

Ian

[Ian Smeeton]

The prospect of cooking the Christmas dinner sent me back to the archives.

 

For your insatiable appetites.....

 

THE COUNTY OF RUTLAND RETURNS

 

 

After a gap of 23 years the County of Rutland returned on 1st April 1997. To mark the occasion the Museum ran a special steam train departing at one minute past midnight on 1st April for invited guests. Breaking off from other celebrations the Leader of the new council flagged away the train which carried the loco headboard and carriage board “The Rutlander.”

 

Avonside DORA provided the motive power pulling a former Class 108 DMU coach which had been acquired the previous year from British Rail’s Bletchley depot where it once operated as part of the Bletchley to Bedford service. For the special event the coach sported a slightly amended NSE livery…..

 

Prior to the event at midnight DORA was given some light exercise on the museum’s demonstration line as the sun was going down.

 

 

1. Dress rehearsal of the passenger train in the late afternoon.

 

 

2 & 3. With the sun setting DORA takes some exercise on the museums demonstration line with a rake of 27 T iron ore tippler wagons.

 

 

4. Avonside DORA Floodlit in the gathering gloom.

 

 

 

5. At midnight DORA’s whistle marks the return of the County of Rutland before setting off with the inaugural “The Rutlander” train . 

 

The Rutland Times was full of the Independence news, but I also managed to appear on Page 3 in that issue, as I got married the following day. (We were the first entries in the new Rutland Register of Marriages. It would have been a day earlier, but she refused to marry me on April 1st)

 

Rutland gained its Independence, but I lost my Liberty!!

 

Regards

 

Ian

 

 

Edited December 25, 2020 by Ian Smeeton
Dates corrected.

[Ian Smeeton]

The dead days between Christmas & New Year (and possibly Easter & beyond, this year) means that there is a bit more dust disturbed from the Archives at the Museum.

 

TO KEEP GOING WITH THE SPIRIT THAT KEPT THEM GOING Pt 2

 

During 1987 and early 1998 the museum volunteers and its contractors were kept busy carrying out an overhaul of the museum’s Far Eastern Prisoner of War Memorial locomotive SINGAPORE.

 

Down at Chatham Steam detailed testing of the dismantled boiler had demonstrated the need for a new boiler barrel and new front tubeplate.

 

The thinned part of the sidewall of an area of the copper inner firebox could be restored by specialist copper welding whilst it was judged necessary to make the boiler plug apertures smaller so they would accept a standard size and thread BR plug.

 

New boiler palm, longitudinal, side and roof stays were made ready for fitting during boiler re-assembly which included a lot of new replacement riveting. Once complete the boiler was hydraulically tested before being subjected to an out of frames steam test under the watchful eye of our boiler inspector.

 

Back at Cottesmore the museum’s volunteers were kept busy painting the mainframes and tank whilst also checking for piston ring wear.

 

Once the re-profiled wheelsets had returned from repair these were scraped down to bare metal and repainted.

 

The re-metalled eccentric straps were trial fitted whilst the loco frames were raised on jacks ready for re-wheeling. Following the fitting of the axleboxes the frames were lowered onto the wheelsets and brakes refitted.

 

Coupling and connecting rods and inside valve motion followed and the chassis gently taken down the track to bed in the bearings.

 

The boiler arrived by road and was lowered into the frames.

 

Cladding, cab assembly and saddletank were replaced together with pipework ready for a steam test.

 

In early July 1998 the boiler was tested for our boiler insurance inspector and the loco moved under its own power to check operation.

 

Satisfied with the trial, arrangements were made to re-commission the locomotive.

 

What better way to achieve this than having a special party with old comrades ! The museum was thus pleased to welcome back members of the National Federation of Far Eastern Prisoners of War Clubs and Associations to a second re-union with the locomotive.

 

Their motto was “To keep going the spirit that kept us going”  – we hoped that through the museum’s efforts with the memorial locomotive we would make a meaningful contribution  to preserve that heritage.

 

A memorable and enjoyable day was had with the WW2 FEPOW veterans following a remembrance and re-dedication service and a couple of steam hauled runs for our guests…..

To be continued……… 

 

 

1 New Stays being inserted in the boiler

 

 

2. Riveting over crown stays at Chatham Steam

 

 

3. The volunteers break for a group photo just prior to re-wheeling the loco.

 

 

4.SINGAPORE seen with her guests from the NFFCA and the local council on the conclusion of the HLF supported scheme. 

 

 

5. A group of museum volunteers, Taken at the FEPOW reunion and remembrance day. By the completion of the HLF SINGAPORE project the museum’s volunteers had committed a total of 1,500 hours of their time to achieving a successful outcome.

 

 

6. At the conclusion of over two years efforts by the museum’s volunteers and our contractors the loco is posed in steam for publicity purposes.

 

More to come...

 

Regards

 

Ian

[Osgood]

Many thanks Ian for taking the trouble to post all this archive information - only just found the thread.

Keep going!

 

Tony

Edited December 31, 2020 by Osgood

[Ian Smeeton]

27 minutes ago, Osgood said:

Many thanks Ian for taking the trouble to post all this archive information - only just found the thread.

Keep going!

 

Tony

A pleasure, more to come....soon.

 

Regards

 

Ian

[Ian Smeeton]

Let's have a New Year Minerals Feast.

 

1998 is the year, and the Museum has another Day Out.

 

MINERALS 98

 

In 1998 the UK minerals industry embarked on a year-long countrywide public relations exercise seeking to foster wider public acceptance of the importance of and highlighting the benefits of mineral extraction.

 

In support of this initiative all mineral companies were encouraged to engage with their local communities which resulted in an extensive programme of conferences, exhibitions, education packs, quarry restoration awards,  quarry and works school visits and open days where the public could get a clearer view of how mineral extraction was undertaken.

 

Rugby Cement held Works Open Days every two years to raise funds for local charities and  public Open Days at their works were consequently arranged as part of the Minerals 98 initiative. As the focus was on quarrying the museum was approached to bring a loco to the Barrington Cement Plant and Quarry Open Day.

 

In contrast to previous open days where the visiting locos largely loitered about the cement works, on this event the public would be able to see the quarry at work with steam hauled quarry trains.

 

Special transport was to be laid on to take the public in small guided groups from the cement works up to the quarry.  

 

The museum elected to take steam locomotive Singapore to the event and this was to be joined by a Peckett saddletank on temporary loan for the event from the Telford Horsehay Steam Trust.

 

In support of the Open Day quarry operations it was agreed that there would also be two steam quarry days for visiting photographers.

 

The two steam locomotives duly arrived and the visiting Peckett was temporarily lettered “Minerals 98” and “Mr D” (after Quarry Manager John Drayton)  for the public Open Day.

 

Unfortunately on the first quarry day Singapore developed a fault but was repaired in time to participate in both the public Open Day and the second private steam day.

 

On the Public Open Day the two locos worked quarry trains all day. Having worked all morning in the quarry together on the second private day both locos went down the Barrington Light Railway to Foxton Exchange Sidings where the coal train for the works had just arrived.

 

Special permission was given for the two steam locos to take some loaded coal wagons back to the cement works for discharge – a gesture much appreciated by the visiting photographers present on the day. 

 

To be continued……… 

 

 

1. Minerals 98 Peckett 0-4-0st MrD just before its first run up to the quarry. 

 

 

2. The Peckett saddletank nears the face in the chalk quarry and awaits loading by the Ruston Bucyrus 110RB face shovel..

 

 

3. Singapore and its loaded train waits for a diesel hauled train to the loaded at the chalk face by the Ruston Bucyrus 110RB face shovel .

 

 

4. Singapore reverses its loaded train across the quarry towards the Raw Plant where the wagons will be unloaded in the wagon tippler.

 

 

5. With the Peckett leading and Singapore providing assistance in the rear the loaded coal train stops for photos on the concrete viaduct over the River Cam on the Barrington Light Railway.

 

 

 

6. On the way back to the loco shed at the end of the day the Peckett and Singapore briefly pose by the cement works coal store building.

 

 

 

Regards & Happy New Year

 

Here's to 2021, thank the Lord that 2020 is nearly over!!

 

Ian

Edited December 31, 2020 by Ian Smeeton
Posted too soon

[Ian Smeeton]

Well, we got there, 2020 is in the past and may it stay there.

 

We are still dusting off the archives, so to welcome in the new year, let's have another one - 1999

 

BLACK VALENTINE - 25th ANNIVERSARY OF THE CLOSURE OF HARLAXTON IRONSTONE QUARRY 

 

In February 1999 the Museum held a special Open Day to mark the 25th Anniversary of the closure of the ironstone quarries north of the Welland at Harlaxton and nearby Woolsthorpe.

 

Thirty four years of ironstone quarry railways at Harlaxton ended at 11.50am on 14th February 1974 (Valentine’s Day) when the last train load of five wagons left Hungerton No.4 quarry face hauled by Rolls Royce Sentinel 0-4-0 DH ‘BETTY’.

 

At 12.04 ex BR diesel hydraulic No. 27 (formerly D9548) left the yard and descended the steep incline with twelve loaded wagons to leave them for collection by BR at Casthorpe exchange sidings. 

 

Contraction in the steel industry and the move in favour of imported iron ore also brought about the closure of Woolsthorpe and nearby Harlaxton ironstone quarries on the same day. Sentinel diesel loco MARY collected the last eight loaded wagons from Denton Park Quarry on Valentine’s Day 1974 and 91 years of ironstone quarrying at Woolsthorpe and district thus came to an end.

 

Twenty five years later the scene at Harlaxton was re-created at the Museum when Sentinel BETTY and a renumbered Class 14 diesel, posing as D9548, re-enacted the last rites with a train of iron ore tippler wagons for the benefit of visiting photographers.

 

A few years later the nameplate from quarry loco MARY was donated to the museum where it now occasionally finds its way onto fellow sister loco JEAN on museum Open Days….

 

To be continued……… 

 

 

 

1. A Sentinel diesel takes its four loaded wagons back towards the loco shed sidings at Harlaxton where the trains were marshalled before a Class 14 diesel took the loaded train down the incline to Casthorpe exchange sidings on the BR Denton Branch. The empty quarry trains were propelled into the quarry by the Sentinels. To warn quarry personnel of the arrival of the train for loading the leading wagon carried a box which emitted high pitched warning tones. The “bleeper “box can be seen slung over the right-hand buffer in the end wagon in the picture.

 

 

 

2. BR type 1 diesel No.27 (formerly D9548) seen on an iron ore train at Harlaxton ironstone quarry 

 

 

 

3. 25 years after the quarry closure surviving Sentinel loco BETTY is seen at the Museum.

 

 

 

4. For the 25th anniversary re-enactment a Class 14 at the museum was briefly renumbered as D9548 – the loco that took the last load to Casthorpe exchange sidings. Tea up time for the museum’s volunteer driver.

 

 

 

5. As darkness fell the two locos are seen at the museum.

 

 

 

6. JEAN masquerading as long gone Woolsthorpe ironstone quarry Sentinel MARY at the museum on a public open day. The MARY nameplates were transferred to the new Sentinel diesels when the steam locos were scrapped at the Oxfordshire Ironstone Company (OIC) in the mid 1960’s. Upon closure of OIC Sentinel loco MARY was delivered to Woolsthorpe Ironstone Quarry in the Vale of Belvoir.

 

Stay safe, and we can lookn forward to some more in a day or two.

 

Regards

 

Ian

 

 

Edited January 2, 2021 by Ian Smeeton
Smelling Pistakes

[Ian Smeeton]

Back to Barrington Quarry for a picture-heavy archive update

 

2001 is the year

 

QUARRY RAILWAY HERITAGE DAY 2001- AN AVONSIDE RETURNS HOME 

 

In 2001 the museum received an invitation to attend the Barrington Cement Plant Open Day to be held in September of that year.

 

As the Company had received very favourable comment from visitors and enthusiast alike about seeing steam trains in the quarry in 1998 a repeat operation was jointly planned by the museum and the quarry manager and his staff. However on this occasion the museum sought to replace the quarry diesels with steam on the quarry lines and consequently three steam locomotives were sourced to support the initiative.

 

Two of the locos, namely Avonside DORA and the steam Sentinel came from the museum and the third was no stranger to the Barrington site. 

 

As mentioned in an earlier post Barrington Cement Works received three steam locos from the closed cement works at Tottenhoe in 1965. One of theses locos was an Avonside saddletank loco which spent most of its time around the Cement Works tracks but was occasionally to be seen working in the quarry when a diesel was out of action for repair or overhaul.

 

The other two were vertical boilered Sentinels numbered 11 and 12. The saddletank survived at the Cement Works until 1972 when it was sold into railway preservation arriving at the Colne Valley Railway. By kind permission of the loco’s owner the saddletank, now named BARRINGTON, was set to return to its home ground as part of the Open Day activities.

 

As on the last visit in 1998 the Museum was allowed two additional days for enthusiast photographers in addition to the Works Open Day.

 

As the return visit of BARRINGTON was to be something special the museum entered into the spirit of the occasion by re-painting the steam Sentinel in the same colour scheme as the original Barrington quarry Sentinels and for each enthusiast day the number of the museum’s Sentinel was changed from 11 to 12.

 

Because the visiting public were very complimentary about seeing the steam locos working in the quarry on the Minerals 98 Open Day in 1998 quarry working demonstrations and steam hauled quarry trains formed a major part of the Works Open Day.

 

The three steam locos were kept busy hauling loaded wagons back to the wagon tippler. AS the tippler was not in use on that day the wagons were parked up in the sidings awaiting discharge. By the end of the day the whole wagon fleet at the quarry had been filled up !

 

Before returning to the shed the three locos put in an appearance in the Cement Works Yard and loco BARRINGTON took a nostalgic trip re-tracing its steps to Foxton Exchange Sidings on the Barrington Light Railway.

 

It was hard work for the volunteer train crews running the quarry on steam on the last enthusiasts day (11th September) and the final train of the day was double headed by the two Avonside saddletanks. Quarry Manager John Drayton was intent on riding on the footplate of BARRINGTON up to the quarry face as he was rekindling an earlier meeting with the loco. As a young trade apprentice at the Works in the mid 1960’s he had been given the task of repairing the locos wooden dumb buffers.

 

At the end of the day, as the volunteer crews cleaned out the locos, came the tragic news of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York ………..

 

 

To be continued……… 

 

 

 

1. Photo of Avonside no.1875 built in 1921 taken in the Cement Works in June 1966   Photo courtesy David M Scudamore

 

 

 

2. Photo of Sentinel No.12 taken on the quarry lines in June 1966. Photo courtesy David M Scudamore

 

 

3. Return of the prodigal . Avonside BARRINGTON seen at Foxton Exchange sidings. It will be noted that following preservation the loco has lost its dumb buffers and gained a BARRINGTON nameplate. 

 

 

 

4. A three loco line up in the Raw Plant at the start of the day .

 

 

Photo 5. DORA’s train is loaded with chalk by the driver of the Ruston Bucyrus 110RB face shovel. 

 

 

Photo 6. A vintage lorry gives way to Avonside BARRINGTON at the level crossing by the Raw Plant

 

 

 

7. Sentinel No 11 is loaded at the chalk face by the face shovel 

 

 

 

8. DORA waits near the clay face

 

 

 

9. BARRINTON waits near the 110RB face shovel at the chalk quarry face 

 

 

 

 

10. Approaching the quarry from BARRINGTON’s footplate

 

 

 

11. Quarry Manager John Drayton steps down from the footplate of BARRINGTON at the chalk quarry face on the double-headed run. Without John’s active enthusiasm and forbearance these special steam days would not have happened.

 

 

 

12. At the end of the day Sentinel and BARRINGTON cool down outside of the loco shed at the Works.

 

No fun any more, there are no quarry railways to go and have a day out at these days......sniff!

 

Once our curator has stopped sneezing at the amount of dust that he has stirred up, there will be some more.

 

 

Regards

 

Ian

[Ian Smeeton]

Sorry about the extra three at the end. Picture editing was not and still is not, my strong point!!

 

Regards

 

Ian