Industrial Mixed Traffic Gala. Avon Valley Railway on the 16th March.

[Gordon A]

The Avon Valley Railway is holding an Industrial Mixed Traffic Gala  on the 16th March, at Bitton station, Willsbridge, between Bristol and Bath.

This one day mixed traffic gala will see up to 6 locomotives in operation from the home fleet, hauling a variety of passenger and freight trains throughout the day.
Income from train fares and your support will help the overhaul of our own resident industrial steam locomotive, Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn 0-6-0T No. 7151.

 

Locos

 

Sapper' was built in 1944 for the War Department by the Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds. Works number 3153, the WD gave her the number 75103. She was then renumbered 132 after the war.
After military service, she was purchased by the National Coal Board for colliery work alongside many of her sisters. She has the distinction of being the last steam locomotive in industrial service in the UK, being taken out of use from Bold Colliery in 1984.

After initial preservation at Chatterley Whitfield Mining Museum, she went to the South Devon Railway in 1994, where she worked for a couple of seasons before withdrawal. 'Sapper' was sold by the SDR to a private buyer in 2009 and was fully overhauled by the Flour Mill before making the East Lancashire Railway its home.

'Sapper' has now been on long term hire to us for the past 2 1/2 years, during which she’s been a regular performer on our service trains alongside TKH No 4015.

 

Built in 1961 for the MOD, No. 429 “River Annan” is a Ruston Hornsby LSSH 0-6-0DH (diesel hydraulic) shunting engine.

Powered by a 275 hp Paxman 6RPHL 29-litre V6 engine, Twin Disc torque convertor and two-speed final drive, the LSSH is a capable short wheel base shunter, capable of handling heavy trains over short distances and tight curves.

Nowadays, No. 429 is generally confined to Bitton Station but has been a regular performer at Bitton in the past, capable of handling 4 or 5 coach trains and keeping to the timetable! This flexiblility means it’s often rostered as a standby locomotive at special events.

The livery isn’t original and is a key to its past life acting as “Salty” during Day Out With Thomas events.

We still have two tickets available for footplate rides on 429 to ride on the loco for a six mile round trip, head to our website to book now.

 

No 446 ‘Kingswood’

446 is a 0-4-0 diesel mechanical locomotive built by Andrew Barclay in 1959 and was used by the Central Electricity Generating Board at Rogerstone.

446 has spent the majority of her preserved career with us at the Avon Valley Railway under private ownership. No 446 is regularly used around Bitton MPD shunting the steam locos around when required, she will also occasionally be used on works trains and for shunting coaching stock.

 

WD 70043 ‘Grumpy’

An 0-4-0 diesel-mechanical locomotive built by Andrew Barclay & Sons in 1941. Built for the UK War Department and numbered 70043, she spent the majority of her life with the War Department.

This locomotive has been a long term resident of the Avon Valley, serving as one of our regular yard shunters. Grumpy is often used out on works trains during the closed period and she occasionally ventures out on passenger trains, in particular during our 1940’s weekend.

Grumpy will be operating driver for a fiver for most of the day coming out to haul the odd train during the day, so grab your chance to drive this WW2 veteran, for just £5, no booking required.

We still have one ticket available for a footplate ride on 70043 to have the chance to ride on the loco for a six mile round trip, head to our website now to book.

 

Built in BR’s Derby Works, she entered service as No. 13272 on the 6th October 1956, allocated to Hither Green Depot in London.

Renumbered D3272 in 1961 and then 08202 in 1974, the loco spent the majority of its mainline working life allocated to Eastleigh, with a few years at Hither Green and Feltham, and a stint at Norwood Junction before being withdrawn from service in May 1989 while working at Cardiff Traction and Rolling Stock Maintenance Depot. After retirement 08202 was purchased for use by Potter Group where she attained her bright yellow livery. A brief stint followed at the Chasewater Railway under the ownership of Ed Murray & Sons Ltd. where she was moved for repair work.

In June 2015, one of our members purchased 08202 with his father and moved her to a new home here at Bitton. She’s now been repainted into BR blue livery and can often be found shunting coaches, locomotives and wagons around Bitton Station, as well as on very rare occasions operating passenger trains

 

Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0ST No 1742
(Courtesy of Buckinghamshire Railway Centre)

 

Full details on the Avon Valley Railway's website: https://www.avonvalleyrailway.org/events/industrial-mixed-traffic-gala/?fbclid=IwAR0Iz9k2eJPZUHwHjwl8x9M66i8vhnsaGhgPJflJNr5mhHjxPqcnDPArtes

 

Gordon A

 

 

 

Edited March 16, 2019 by Gordon A