Railway Images

Here are some random images taken recently at different locations on the railway, beginning with the Class 42, Nº  842, 'Royal Naval Reserve' at Davemoor.

She is seen here about to depart with a south-bound express consisting of a rake of Mk2 coaches with a Mk1 buffet car.

Next we see the recently added Class 47, Nº 47593 also at Davemoor at the head of a Freightliner train.

Well, so much for her being used, primarily, on express passenger services!

Viewed from the other side, we now see both trains at Davemoor and with an Aston Martin DB5 in the car park, can we assume that a certain Secret Agent is letting the train take the strain?

From Davemoor we move to Carswater, the next station on the line, heading south. 

This station is approached via a single line, off the main line, and has a passing loop through the station.

The trains above are both heading south with the Class 45, on the left in the first photo, in charge of an express using the loop to overtake a semi-fast hauled by the Class 40. 

As can be seen, such movements, albeit somewhat rare, can be the cause of much frustration to drivers waiting to use the level crossing!

Moving, now, to the Gunnmere to Anchwood branch line, above, we see Folly View Farm, which recently acquired a small halt so that milk and other produce could be loaded onto pick-up goods trains for onward shipment to the big cities! 

It can also be used as a request stop for occasional passenger trains so, quite clearly, the occupant of the farm is someone very important or is a big name in Lakeland Railway circles!

At Gunnmere itself, we see Class 15, Nº D8239, basking in the late evening sunshine in the company of a particularly filthy Yeoman hopper.

While, a little later and with the station lights now lit, we catch sight of 33025 at the head of a rake of those Inter-City liveried coaches on a down semi-fast.

Further Additions

In addition to Britannia, two more Bachmann diesels have recently been added to the locomotive fleet - namely a Class 37 and a Class 47, both of which are fitted with non-sound, DCC decoders.

The Class 37 is a 37/5, Nº 37506 in Railfreight Red Stripe Livery with Flush Front. The Catalogue Nº is 32-387 and she is seen in the photo at the head of a rake of VGA vans.

Currently she is in pristine condition although we expect that to change in time.

Her primary role will be for hauling goods services but, I daresay, she will also be called upon to haul the occasional passenger train.

The Class 47, meanwhile, is 47593, in Inter-City livery. I picked this one up, second-hand and I believe it is a blue liveried Class 47 that has been repainted, renumbered and weathered.

She has also been fitted with mini snow ploughs at either end and runs extremely well.

She does need to have new aerials fitted but, apart from that, she is in a nice, grubby condition.

The intention is to use her on express passenger services, primarily with the Inter-City liveried coach set, as seen above. 

However, I am sure she will also be called upon to handle the odd goods train, as is the nature of things on the Lakeland Railway!

Other recent additions to our coaching stock are a BR Standard GUV, also in Inter-City livery, and a Pullman Bar Car 'Diamond' Daffodil Bar, both by Hornby.

The GUV is in an excellent condition and is Catalogue Nº R6354.

Its Running Nº is 64312 and it will be used, with similarly liveried coaches, on our Motorail Services, as shown above.

Finally we have the gorgeous Pullman Daffodil Bar Car 'Diamond', both sides of which are seen here, with the table lamps lit! 

The Catalogue Nº is R4387 and, again, I acquired this second-hand and without a box but it is in an excellent condition and perfectly complements the stock of Orient Express Pullman Cars that we have.

Royal Britannia

Since acquiring the Hornby Diamond Jubilee Train Pack recently, it has meant that there is now an addition to our ever-growing fleet of steam locomotives, namely BR Standard Class 7 4-6-2 'Britannia' Nº 70000.

She has a white cab roof to signify that she is on Royal Duties but, rather than repaint her, we will probably use her, with a white roof, for the occasional non-Royal' special.

I am sure Her Royal Highness will not mind!

At the moment the loco is DC only but that will be rectified in due course.

In the above photo the loco is seen, looking suitably immaculate, at the head of the Royal Train.

Midsomer Norton Diesel Gala

Over the weekend of March 8 and 9 Midsomer Norton (South) held a Diesel Gala and here are some of the photos that I took on the Saturday.

The diesels featured were their own duo of Class 08, Nº D4095, and Diesel Shunter, Nº 1120.

The Class 08 was built by BR at Horwich Works in 1962 and then proceeded to spend all of its working life in Scotland.

D1120, meanwhile, was built in 1966 by English Electric for the National Coal Board and was used at Lea Hall Colliery.

A view of the station from the other side of the very busy Silver Street.

Another view, taken from the viewpoint near the Pill Box.

Looking north towards Radstock ... one day, perhaps!

Names & numbers of Bude and Biggin Hill on show in the Museum. 

These locos headed the LCGB Railtour over the S&D on Saturday 5th March 1966.

A busy scene at the station, as viewed from the buffer stops.

D4095 & D1120.

A closer look at the Class 08.

While D1120 prepares to depart with the next train.

The site of Somervale Sidings.

The entrance to Somervale Sidings.

A great view from the train.

Looking towards the current end of the line,
just before the infill leading up to Chilcompton Tunnel.

A final view from the buffer stops.

Followed by a brief warm by the fire before heading home!

A Tender Behind - and In Front!

I recently acquired two of the new Dapol Diesel Brake Tenders, produce for Hornby Magazine and, currently, available through the Key Publishing shop - although they are selling quite fast, apparently.

There were three different versions but one of them has already sold out!

The first of the two that we now have on the railway is the one seen above, behind a Class 22 at Davemoor, our northern terminus. 

This tender is in plain BR green livery and there was a version in green with split yellow ends but this is the one that has now sold out.

The Catalogue Number for the plain green tender is HM-DBT-014 and it has the Running Nº B964039. 

The second tender is in BR Blue livery with split yellow ends and ours is seen assisting a Class 25 with a heavy load of coal wagons. This tender's Catalogue Nº is HM-DBT-016 and it has the running Nº B964116.

The warning lamps at each end of the tenders are factory fitted but are removable and, currently, our tenders are both in pristine condition, having only recently acquired them. However, I expect that both will be weathered in due course.

Diesel Brake Tenders were introduced in the 1960s to increase the brake force available to new diesels locomotives, which struggled to slow down unfitted goods trains due to the fact that they were considerably lighter than their steam locomotive predecessors.

These tenders are based on the, later, round topped versions that were introduced in the mid-1960s. These models are highly detailed and have Gresley pattern bogies and are provided with optional dummy screw link couplings, should you wish to fit them.