Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Spring Gala 10th & 11th May 2014 Steam Heritage
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- čas přidán 15. 05. 2014
- The wind wasn't as bitterly cold as it was exactly a year ago, when the first two heritage coaches entered passenger service, but it blew just as hard! Mind you, Woody Bay station at almost 1000 feet up on Exmoor, the highest station on the whole of the former Southern Railway, it's to be expected. One year on and we now have three beautiful coaches, with a fourth under restoration in Essex. To go with them, the recently restored new resident locomotive "Isaac". Built by Bagnall in 1953, one of four originally exported to South Africa to work at the Rustenberg Platinum Mine near Johannesburg. All four locos still exist with sister loco "Gelert" being resident on the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway.
To the casual visitor, the L&B may have seemed to be little more than a pleasure park railway. However, the arrival of three restored heritage coaches has transported the railway into a new era. It didn't take long for this to be recognised either. At the end of last year (2013) the railway won an award from the HRA (Heritage Railway Association). This train is now what the every day visitor will travel in. The previous ex "Thorpe Park" coaches are now for sale, they served well but there's just no comparison.
The freight train was handled by our other loco "Axe" a 1915 built Kerr Stuart & Co Ltd of Stoke-on-Trent, a "Joffre" class, originally built for the French army for use on the western front during the first world war.
The railway is just a tantalising mile long at the moment, but we have big plans and in a few years we'll have several miles with longer term plans to reopen the entire 19 miles from Lynton to Barnstaple. General manager, Martyn Budd and others are thinking years ahead already. The recently renovated ground frame seen in the film, already set up for the planned layout at Parracombe Halt accompanied by complex documents regarding the interlocking required. All proof of how well run the railway is!!
To find out more, make a donation or jump on board as a member go to www.lynton-rail.co.uk
UPDATE 15th May 2014: Rowley Farm at Blackmoor gate purchased. A huge piece of the future operational headquarters of the railway.
UPDATE 23rd May 2014: All four Thorpe Park coaches sold to the Statfold Barn Railway.
UPDATE 30th May 2014: Newly acquired (by an L&B member) Bagnall loco "Charles Wytock" passed its steam test and for the first time in about 50 years holds a valid boiler certificate... see the loco in action soon.
The Puffing Billy is 15 miles in length from Belgrave to Gembrook and is a full days outing to enjoy the railway and the surroundings, but it took many years to achieve that result. There are intermediate stations that you can hop off the train and explore and I just love the Na class locos. We do have a small narrow gauge here in Queensland at Woodford that runs trains along a straight length of track but it is not much compared to Puffing Billy. I have always been fascinated with the L&BR since my ex Husband showed me a dvd of a layout built in 16mm scale and I never imagined that it would ever run again, but it shows what can be done with determination. My best wishes to the volunteers and supporters and you for your wonderful video which I am sure will do wonders to help promote the site.
Glorious. Sorry I missed the weekend
Superb video....you have captured this event so well. I now know what i missed on The Saturday !! We did look out for you on Sunday, but seem to have missed again ....no worries there's always September..lol.
Your videos of the L&BR are a delight to watch, I wish we had something similar here in Queensland, Australia. Thank you for sharing this great little railway with us.
Thank you very much... The only narrow gauge railway I know in Oz is the Puffing Billy railway in Melbourne. Yes it is a wonderful railway and it's only a mile long at the moment. Just imagine in a few years when we extend to eight miles and further still to the full nineteen miles!!
A delightful railway line and so well captured and edited! They have obviously started the way they mean to continue by setting a very high standard in everything they do which s highly commendable. The locos and stock have been restored to an excellent standard and future plans look very exciting. The wind seemed to be playing havoc with your sound altho "Isaac" seems to have a very soft exhaust. The scenery has a kind of rugged grandeur about it which makes it attractive to visit. I wish you all the very bes with your plans will be following your progress with interest even though I'm very far from the line. Great to see this little line being restored to its former glory as I've always had an interest in the LBR from a young age. Thanks for a very interesting and well produced video. Ken from Ayrshire in Scotland.
Thanks very much Ken. Glad you enjoyed my film. I hope they give people who are unable to visit a feel of how things on the railway are developing, I think this coming year will be very interesting with the planning application being submitted soon and the assembly and hopefully steaming of LYN. For someone from Scotland to appreciate the North Devon landscape tells me it must be good! The line certainly has the potential to be a massive tourist attraction.