ParkeNd

I'll be going to the Prairie Farewell Gala (Flour Mill's red 5521) on Friday 14th Oct - it's also on Sat and Sun. Any timetables yet? PS. Iris is still lurking at Norchard - saw her today.

Wanted to tryout some new photo gear on the DFR this weekend but decided not to so as to avoid beer festival attendees drving home - Oh I forgot, the drunk ones will go home by train!

It's maybe because Iris is such a cutie. It's quaint in the manner of the old American street cars, in fabulous restored condition, and suits the route so utterly perfectly? I think DFR shouldn't give it back.

No-one screamed "No don't do it" so here goes. My next visit to DFR will be 15/16 Oct so I won't see what I think may be Iris's last day at DFR next Wednesday. So here are a last few photos from me anyway - the first is at Norchard with Iris about to move over to the lower platform No 1 - and the other three are at Lydney Junction.

Arrived at DFR today to ride on Iris - just behind the recently disgorged first 2 of 6 coach trips!! There was fifty foot X four wide queue of very old ladies at the ticket office. Fortunately all travelling in reserved carriages behind the prairie apparently - which lifted my depression. Gave the queue a miss and decided to pay on the train. Iris is great to ride on (more like a light aircraft after a Boeing 737) with huge windows. Will publish some interior photos and a shot at Lydney Junction if you have the stomach for it. For "brianusa" - destination outbound was Worcester Foregate Street, and Weston Supermare on return!!

I went to Norchard today to ride on the trains - there were about 40 cars in the car park but the station was virtually deserted - no visitors at all, and only three DFR staff. Apparently there was some kind of problem and no trains were going to leave but just an outside chance of a steam train at 12.45 maybe. A family who came in just behind me left, and I went home. No explanation was offered and nothing appeared on the DFR Facebook page to keep customers warned or informed.

Just as the world's fastest motor vehicle is a rented Transit van, then surely the world's fastest model train is one where a 5 year old boy has got hold of the controller.

I don't know if this counts as a loco - but here goes. It's the restored prototype of the Derby Light Railcar guesting on the Dean Forest Railway at 12.20 pm Sunday 18th Sep 2016. It's named Iris.

Three more shots of Iris on Sunday 18th Sept 2016.

Before someone beats me to it, here are three shots of Iris the Derby Lightweight railcar. There are more but will post later. It was very quiet, in great condition, and accelerated like a dingbat.

Better day today. Iris running and low life's not in evidence. Got the pictures I wanted finally. Will post soon.

Hi Tim, thanks for posting the pictures of Perrygrove. I have to confess that I was so pissed off as Scumbag No 1 got ready to smash one of the passenger side windows (to pull forward the rear seat to see what was in the hatchback?) that I had had enough of Forest hospitality for one day. Right now I feel that it is not a safe place to leave a brand new £30K car unattended at the weekend (seems better on a weekday) - so I took it home. However I had just taken this photos which was a practice run for Iris covering the same piece of track. But Iris never came.

Dissapointing. At 10.52 Saturday the guest railcar didn't appear around the curve from Whitecroft - so I waited and waited. Finally phoned DFR office - railcar broken down - won't run today and dubious for Sunday. So no pictures of Iris. Went home since only Class 108 DMU running. To cap it all - whilst I was waiting (with my car in my full view) 2 of the local lowlife stopped in grey van and were about to try and break into it having walked around it several times and peered through each of the windows in turn. Shouted at them and photographed the van and its number plate - they left in a hurry. Update 4.50pm Sat. Phonecall to DFR informed me that Iris is running again - so tomorrow hopeful.

Iris is the very first DMU up from the south coast for a weekend gala. It is restored to as new status.

Off to ogle Iris tomorrow !! Will post some full frontal pictures over the weekend.

Thanks for adding the photos Arthur. I did go down the track in my company car days but now that I have to buy my own cars, this one with lowered suspension and low profile tyres, it's a site I shan't see again for a while. Must have been very hard getting Black Prince down there.

I get the impression that a man's life is worth a certain amount - until he get's on a bike after which time it's worth a lot less. I have even heard cyclists being killed by motor vehicles being summed up as "Tough - wrong place at the wrong time"

Went to The International N Gauge Show (TINGS) at Warwickshire Exhibition Centre today instead of going to photograph the Class 26 between Parkend and Whitecroft. Mistake. The exhibition centre was dark, many of the layouts had no lighting of their own, and standard of layouts IMHO was not a patch on last year. Should have gone to DFR - it never disappoints. Lesson learned.

From what I can make out the lines either side of Parkend were double track. Once they reach Norchard, which was a power station and a colliery rather than a train station, it seems to be single track for a while until just before Lydney Town - then double track again.

As a car driver who rides bikes for fitness, I wish :- 1. Other cyclists wouldn't make me embarrassed about the breed by riding through traffic lights when red. 2. Cyclists with Go-Pro cameras on their helmets wouldn't ride straight at cars about to turn right out of side streets. As a cyclist I wish :- 1. Car drivers wouldn't overtake me from behind without pulling out a few feet. 2. Car drivers would just drive without balancing iPads on the steering wheel.

Tony - thanks for the info. It's been a while since we heard from you. I had hoped that I would bump into you at Norchard or Parkend to put a face to a name. Same for Dan "Derail" and Tim.

I'll research Brian's query about double track. In the meantime a couple of rear end shots.

I guess so. Most had the yellow wrap around at cab window height and back across the full width of the cab door even - leaving the bottom 2/3 of the door blue. Those with a SYP seemed to have this region white. Only the Dutch Engineers scheme had the front only coloured like this with no wrap. Looks more like a 24 or 25. Well spotted.

Class 26 on the Dean Forest Railway 2nd September 2016.

Double headed Class 14 freight with mineral load on the Dean Forest Railway 2nd September 2016.