avonside1563

Update regarding the on train beer sales. There will actually be up to 6 real ales on draught available on the train with sales from approximately 12pm both days through to the evening beer trains on the 27th and the last train on the 28th.

Both visiting locos have arrived at Foxfield, Unfortunately Ruston DE200 'Roman' won't be ready in time to participate in the timetable due to delays to repairs to springs but may be in action around the yard over the weekend. 'The One Legged Shunter' will also not be open over the weekend following issues with the new tenant but bottled beers will be available on the train thanks to our friends at 'The Butchers Arms' in Forsebrook. Despite these little issues the weekend promises to be full of action.

I wonder if the wording is deliberately ambiguous to avoid normal service trains coming to a stand every time they approach the crossing, coupled with the fact the crossing is manned during normal operations. Yes the sign could be worded in a stronger way but there is still an issue with complacency which will continue to be a problem as long as there is the human factor involved.

I agree to an extent, but the current sign still states 'STOP unless the crossing is clear to proceed' which it obviously wasn't as the barriers were still closed to rail traffic. Presumably had the driver followed the local instructions and come to a stand at the sign he would not have been on contaminated rail and therefore able to stop without any issues.

No.23 arrived at Foxfield last week and, following much work by volunteers to fit the vacuum pipework, a static and dynamic brake test of the vehicle took place on Sunday afternoon. There is still a lot of work left to get the coach ready for it's launch including fitting the double doors and final painting and lettering, but I have every confidence the vehicle will be ready. This will make the whole rake look like a complete train finally, instead of having to drag the shark brakevan around it will have three matching vehicles and the duckets on the brake will give that finishing touch! Can't wait to see the final results at the launch.

It was quite common to see Industrial locos braked on the reverser, with slide valves there is far less chance of over compressing the cylinders and with some judicious use of the drain cocks a good degree of sensitivity can be obtained. At Foxfield we have two locos that we often 'Pole' to stop, Robert Heath No.6 and Bellerophon. Neither of these locos had steam brakes fitted until preservation and I doubt the colliery drivers would have bothered leaping around the footplate on Belle as the handbrake is on the opposite side to the reverser. If you want to try the ultimate in controlling a train try an unfitted rake of wagons on a loco with a mediocre handbrake on a 1 in 19 gradient. Come to that, try it on a loco with a good brake on a wet rail..... The difference between driving styles of different modes of steam transport are interesting as most traction engines and steam rollers are controlled on the reverser, the handbrake on many only being used as an additional menas of retardation. Reaction times in modern traffic mean it is much quicker to pull the reverser into back gear and flick the regulator open when some numpty cuts in front of you in traffic! If you go for the handbrake you will probably end up flattening the back of their car...

Hi Dave, small correction to the caption of J6619. The loco on the left is Peckett 1925/1937 'Caliban' and the loco next to it isn't an Avonside, it looks more like a Hudswell Clarke although I cannot identify it at the moment. Edit: The Hudswell Clarke is 1366/1919 'Renishaw Ironworks No.6'

I don't think either of the locos in industrial service ran as originally built. They were both modified in some way, not least of which was the shorter chimney. Link to an image of another Y7 taken into industry; https://picturestocktonarchive.wordpress.com/2003/02/08/locomotives-at-stockton-gas-works-c1950/

Any reference material you have for AH3 would be great to know about, we are researching what we can but it's easy to miss things and it would be ideal to include in the conservation plan for the loco.

I am unsure if Ackton Hall's tank construction is due to a repair or as built as there are other examples of Pecketts with the same style of construction/repair of the tank. It is entirely possible that it is a repair carried out by Peckett as the bottom of saddle tanks tend to rot due to a build up of sediment and scale whilst the sides and top can still be almost original thickness. If it was a colliery repair I doubt it would be to such a good standard. We have an example of a W4 Peckett at Foxfield (Henry Cort 933/1903) where the tank has been repaired at various times with pieces welded in a very ad hoc way. Take a look at Martyn Bane's old website which has several pages dedicated to Peckett. http://www.martynbane.co.uk/index-old.htm

Here's a couple of images of Ackton Hall No.3 post 1955 overhaul where she received a new boiler and smokebox supplied by Peckett, losing the curved smokebox wings in the process.

Britlover? Surely you could have done better than that.... Hunslet3839 for instance...

Looking at maps of the area it seems like a very convoluted method of getting the coal from the trains to the power station. From the rail unloading point via a 4km roadway to a 2km conveyor system that takes it to the power station?

Anyone even thinking of trying this should get an automatic entry to the Darwin awards...

Try the headlight bulbs on an 08 Astra! In through the wheel arch getting your arm covered in whatever you last drove through and kneeling in whatever is on the ground, grope around in the recess till you find the right bulb then struggle to fit the new one as it has to twist in place under two fixed screws, the chances of getting it under both are slim so usually just ends up held in place by one side! Replace the back cap and then the cover in the wheel arch, change clothes!

Many industrial concerns found that having the whistle on the cab roof wasn't ideal and soon moved the whistle to the front of the cab or added a 90 degree elbow to have the whistle lying flat on the cab roof. Nothing wrong with replacing the whistle with an alternative off something else even if it's not a Peckett whistle. Take a look at Martyn Bane's pages on Pecketts, plenty of images to browse through showing how locos were modified to suit the environment. http://www.martynbane.co.uk/index-old.htm

Ackton Hall No3 has been stripped and assessed for restoration at the Foxfield Railway. We are shortly launching appeals for help funding the overhaul which is likely to cost in the region of £110,000. There are various benefits for donators including footplate rides and driving experiences once the locomotive is returned to steam which we are aiming to have done in time to celebrate her centenary in 2020! If anyone is interested in knowing more feel free to PM me or take a look at the locomotive's facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/AcktonHall

There are a lot of variables that are looked at when ordering coal such as the sulphur and chlorine content and the ash fusion temperature. Ideally I would say most railways will look for a coal with low sulphur and chlorine content to prevent build ups of acids in the firebox and tubes and a high ash fusion temperature to reduce the tendency to clinker. At the moment Foxfield are using a hard coal from Scotland which meets our requirements for low sulphur and chlorine and a high ash fusion temperature at the best cost. The only down side to it is it tends to be very smoky which entails regular tube sweeping and demands a stricter smoke control regime (which some crews seems unable to grasp!) to ensure the best combustion and least waste. If it's coming out of the chimney dark then you haven't achieved complete combustion and adding more fuel to the fire actually has the effect of cooling it even further!

I agree Dave, it's a wonderful book and one I dip in and out of for the colourful stories from the men who were there and did it! David L Smith wrote more books including Tales of the Glasgow and South Western, which is also full of excellent tales.

I've been following the work involved to reinstate both the coastal highway and the Main North Line from Christchurch to Picton following the Kaikoura earthquake with interest, and it has been an incredible project to get both opened again. It is very nice to see the Coastal Pacific service back and also the news that there will be a big investment in this to provide more stock to lengthen both the Coastal Pacific and the Trans Alpine service. Whilst the South Island doesn't have the same volume and intensity of rail traffic as the North Island, it has far more potential for the tourist services to grow and provide an essential extra income to towns along both routes. I believe there has even been some talk of reinstating the Southerner service south from Christchurch to Invercargill which would also give an excellent link into the Taieri Gorge operated out of Dunedin by Dunedin Railways.

Almost right, it's Hawthorn Leslie 3715, ex-Swanscombe Cement Works, definitely not ex Castle Donington. Another little correction to that post - J6476 the loco on the right is Andrew Barclay 2199 'Victory'

I know what this is, it will be the wheelsets for a new build project based on a modern version of Webb's 3 cylinder compound 'Experiment' class. The larger wheels will be for the low pressure inside cylinder and the smaller ones for the two high pressure outside cylinders. I believe the designers have overcome the problems the Webb locos had with the slip eccentrics for the inside cylinder by having two independent sets of valve gear controlled by their own steam reverser from one common lever in the cab! From what I recall this will follow Webb practice of naming classes by being called 'Unbelievable'

Ah the good old 'I go everywhere at 40mph no matter what the speed limit is so that my average speed works out' How many times have I come up behind someone doing 40mph along a road fit for the national speed limit ony to find they disappear in front of me when we reach a 30mph!

That's a very brave way of slinging chains to lift that Fowler. Looking at the state of the wood and the fact the buffer beam stands above the running boards I would have thought it was the last place you would want to lift from! Definitely seasoned Oak or at the very least a good hard wood. The Isle of Wight do a lot of carriage and wagon restorations so perhaps an enquiry to them regarding the effects of tannin on steel.

My mistake, I took your original post as implying that lane 1 was empty as you didn't say you were overtaking. But I agree with you on the point that people are strange, I have had people happily following me in lane 2 whilst lane 3 was empty only to speed up as soon as I move over and look at me as if I was holding them up. We become a very strange breed when we get behind the wheel. Last saturday evening on the M5 I had someone come tearing up behind me at some ridiculous speed in lane 3 whilst I was in the process of overtaking a car in lane 2, not content that I was going faster than the car in lane 2 (at the posted speed limit of course!) he proceeded to flash me and then both driver and passenger gave a non-complimentary gesture once I had completed the overtake and moved back to let them past. I do think part of the problem is the level of traffic means it is often perceived as safer to remain in the lane you are in than move over, and some driving agencies actaully recommend avoiding excessive lane changing in heavier traffic. I think that there should be a 2 part driving test with the second part dealing with motorway driving.