November 16th Winter Work Begins
A pretty full turnout on a pretty dismal and overcast day. Notable absentees were our President (somewhere in Europe) and our usual News compiler hence this effort from DG who awaits in fear the censure of the Grammar and Truth Police (David D)
The roll call was June David G Alan S Robin Nick S (needs an initial now Amanda's husband is a Nick) Richard Adrian Peter Paul Dave MB Dave H and a glimpse of Cliff who collected Clan Line for her winter holiday.
The top pictures tell the basic story of signals washed down and collected whilst any locomotives with water in their boilers were drained down. Pictures from Alan S.
The bottom two pictures
(thank you Peter) show the now crowded carriage shed - full because only two vehicles now remain in the tunnel.
Once we get the doors on and some painting done it's just possible that
at last
we can give a cheer and say
A delightful picture of Karen ready for winter hibernation completes this DG News.
10th November Garden and Woodland Railway 2019
The Garden and Woodland Railway held its last operating day as the site has been sold for housing development and the railway will be no more. The railway had many visitors and we met friends we had not seen for years who had come from far and wide. The railway stopped for lunch where food was provided and then later in the afternoon the railway stopped again for speeches which reminisced about the railway but also about the hobby where it is not just about the railway and locomotives but about the friendships that are made which keeps everything going. In the pictures you will see Tim Heather Mick and Robin. Nick ran his Charlie 33029 and took many photographs especially in and around their excellent locomotive shed. The previous day was awful with torrential rain where a loco was steamed but immediately put away; however today was the complete reverse with brilliant sunshine making it a very enjoyable day. All trains were double headed to cope with demand and the gradients.
2nd November fish and chips and fireworks 2019
After a horrendous start to the day weatherise it was amazing that we were able to run trains and enjoy fish and chips followed by fireworks. Nine friends:- Alan A June Andrew Hayden Nick Amanda and Olivia plus Tim Heather Richard Cliff Peter Dave MB David D David G Dave H Paul and Adrian. Andrew had a few visitors from work. Usual start with site clearance and with the strong winds and heavy rain in the morning there was a blanket of leaves everywhere and involved a lot of clearing up. Scott Line was used to treat the rails which proved necessary in the damp conditions. Cliff arrived so we stopped for lunch and as no controller had been appointed David G stepped in to take control. Thanks to Heather and Dave MB for the pictures Peter for buying the fireworks and June for the teas cakes and ordering the fish and chips.
Loco news
Four locomotives on track today and were Scott Line Scot 6109 1420 and 1470.
The two 14xx locomotives were steamed today 1470 venturing around the railway but still had water supply issues more teething problems whilst Dave MB ran 1420 up and down the loco shed road getting used to the controls and characteristics of the locomotive. Dave MB has also fitted brakes to the riding truck / wagon and he tested them on the branch. Luckily they worked.
When Andrew went through the tunnels he filled them with smoke and when following him made it extremely difficult to see forwards. The left hand picture shows Clan Line being hauled to Old Oak as it is being taken away for work. I noted a rare event - I made three circuits around Spinney with all signals at green and nearly stopped to report a signalling fault......
S&T news
In the signal boxes today were:-Dingly - David D Baytree - Alan A / David G Cliff Richard Spinney - Adrian and Old Oak - Peter. Baytree seemed to have someone different each time I went past. First time I have seen Alan A signalling. Usual signalling checks completed all in good working order despite the heavy rain in the morning.
Fish and Chips and Fireworks
The annual event marking the end of running trains went ahead as planned with fish and chips. Peter bought along a large box of fireworks which unfortunately did not live up to last year's standard however the rockets were and provided a lot of colour and noise.
Next time
Start of winter maintenance and the signals require cleaning and putting away. Robin has produced a list of planned work.
19th October 2019
Twelve friends:- Alan A June Andrew plus Tim Heather Richard Mick Cliff Peter Dave MB David D David G Nick Bob and Jamie. Usual start with site clearance. Heather and I were later than usual and texted to say we would be there approximately 11.50 BC. Cliff arrived shortly afterwards so we stopped for lunch. Weather turned a bit chilly and pictures show leaves on the line which affects all railways this time of year. I did not nominate a controller for today but Mick stepped up to fill this role. Not many friends do this task and maybe we can spread this out to a few more?
Peter invited three guests who had the railway to themselves and one young person had a drive before running started. Nick can be seen repairing a point mechanism at Old Oak supervised by David G David D Peter and Mick who all confirmed his work was OK. Thanks to June for the tea's and cakes.
Loco news
Five locomotives on track today and were Scott Line Class 20 Jesse Eileen and Charlie 33029. An unusual event took place I observed David D drive Eileen from Old Oak but unfortunately I was unable to get a picture as when the locomotive came to where I was waiting David had got off. Also rare was Alan and June on the same train (see picture). Nick bought along his freight wagons which look absolutely brilliant. Dave MB worked on his 14XX trying to locate a water leak dismantling many parts along the way. Dave has also been busy fitting new disk brakes and an axle to his driving truck - both projects are still on going. The track between the two tunnels was slippery to start with but soon dried to give grip. David G gave driving instructions on Eileen to Heather Alan A and David D. Both Heather and Alan A ran out of steam at one point. It was an Autumn day where you could not see where you were going if you drove steam and wore glasses (Steamed up) and electric locomotives become easier.
S&T news
Dingly - Peter / Jamie Baytree - Cliff / Andrew Spinney - Bob and Old Oak - David D. It was good to see new faces in the signal boxes Peter and Jamie finding their way around Dingly as Bob had moved out to refresh himself at Spinney. Richard did the usual signal checks any repairs and was on hand to provide help where required to the new signallers. Cliff saved the day as we were short of signallers and gave up some driving time to operate Baytree. Andrew took over Baytree and Cliff moved on to steam Jesse.
Next time
Next meeting will be the annual fish and chips with fireworks. Peter has kindly offered to buy some fireworks as per previous years and if you would like to donate please email Spinney or Peter.
5th October 2019
Eleven friends:- Alan A June plus Tim Heather Robin Richard Mick Alan S Cliff Peter Dave MB Paul and Dave H. Messages from Bob and David D to say they could not attend. Visit from North Weald club organised by Mick. As usual for this time of year the railway was in need of some leaf blowing and general tidy up and Paul and Dave MB were on hand with the leaf blowers whilst others manually picked up the debris. Unusually we had two controllers myself and Heather. Heather was unanimously nominated to be the final judge (I did not get a look in) should there be any disagreement and her decision is final. We had lunch then Cliff arrived however he did apologise for his lateness and that we should not starve. Thanks to June for the tea's and cakes.
Loco news
New arrivals in steam
14xx day with both Paul and Dave MB locomotives being steamed. 1420 passed the hydraulic test and was then steamed and ran as far as Dingly and back. Dave MB is still learning his new locomotive and is taking it a step at a time gaining knowledge of the locomotive and learning new skills. As a locomotive owner you have to be a fitter fireman and driver. Paul steamed his 1470 with Alan A and ventured out but only made it as far as Spinney before struggling with enough pressure. The locomotive was towed back to the loco shed by our visitors where the fire was re-ignited but was not seen out on the track again. More practice next time.
Locomotives on track
Seven locomotives on track today and were L94 Scott Line Karen Class 20 0-4-0 saddle tank (Visitors) plus 1470 and 1420 (see above). Mick's class 20 has recently returned to Spinney after an overhaul and ran it today but had to retire early as the locomotive developed a squeak noise. Several remedies were mentioned which included:- buy an oil can turn the sound unit up or buy a cat all not very helpful. On investigation it was found that the motor drive pin was rubbing on the back of the wheel. The class 20 was put on an accommodation bogie whilst Mick has taken the faulty bogie home for repair. Picture shows Karen and L94 with too much steam.
Visitors
Bruce and Luke from the North Weald club were visitors invited through Mick and after helping with site clearance steamed and ran their 0-4-0 staffold saddle tank. They were the first in steam and also volunteered to shunt the rolling stock away at the end of the day. They expressed that they had enjoyed their day at the Spinney and wished to thank all those that made it happen.
S&T News
The signal boxes were manned as follows:-Spinney - Richard and later by Robin then Cliff after tea Dingly - Cliff then Mick Baytree - Robin and later by Richard and Old Oak Peter. Richard completed his usual signalling checks and no problems were reported. During running a facing point spring broke at Dingly (See picture points connecting the down line to the up line when departing). Robin attended to the points using a pair of pliers but suggest a more permanent remedy is found in this years winter maintenance. Richard gave Cliff some instruction as to how to clear the Dingly new shed signal - easy when you know how.
Cliff reports:- Dingly no 12 cleared when it felt like it (even when had line clear) and then refused to go up to danger. At one stage he had 7 24 and 12 all showing clear must be a conflict in there somewhere. All signals were obeyed and we broke a record by three trains arriving at Dingly in less than 5 minutes all accepted and berthed without delay.
21st September 2019
Eleven friends:- Alan A June plus Tim Heather Bob Robin David D Mick David G Adrian Cliff Paul and Dave H. Messages from Peter Richard Jamie and Dave MB to say they could not attend. Visit from Reading club organised by Cliff and David G was Controller for the day. As Cliff arrived early we had no idea of time and therefore had a late lunch and did not start running until approximately 14.00.
As usual for this time of year the railway was in need of some leaf blowing and pictures show Paul and Dave H completing this task. A dry and warm day thanks to Adrian and David D for contributions and to June for the tea's and cakes.
Loco news
Seven locomotives on track today and were:- L94 Scott Line Kate Class 20 Jesse and two visiting locomotives King James II and Raven North Eastern railway S2 class which the LNER classified as B15s. 825 was the only one fitted with Stumpf "uniflow" cylinders so was unique. The Uniflow arrangement was intended to avoid condensation in the cylinders by having separate intake and exhaust ports on the cylinders and the steam flowing in the same direction. Built in 1913 the loco was changed to conventional cylinders in 1924 John and Peter had a good time driving around the railway. Unfortunately the King 6008 King james II did not have a good day and started badly by derailing on Old Oak turntable. After re railing the loco ran out of Old Oak towards Spinney but was making a knocking noise so immediately returned for assessment and did not run again. Picture shows the return trip. Mick ran his Kate before tea and his class 20 afterwards. Paul steamed his 14xx but only made it to Dingly and several trips along the loco shed line. It was planned to run around the railway and I would follow with L94 to assist if necessary. One flaw in the plan was that the controller did not tell Bob the Dingly signaller who naturally became confused as to what was happening especially for giving bell codes to Baytree. A SPaD also occurred and had this been a full size incident would have been the result of the driver receiving information to move but not from the correct authority. Another SpaD involved the visiting locomotive where the locomotive went past SY.8 putting SY.14 back to danger in front of an approaching train - signalling tested again.
S&T News
The signal boxes were manned as follows:-Spinney - Adrian Dingly - Bob and Robin Baytree - Rob and Old Oak David D. Richard was not present so Robin and Adrian tested all signals before running trains before we started and found that the SPT alongside SY.6 signal had fallen over (due to rotten wood) and whilst lying down the phone was 'off the hook' so needed to be sorted urgently which our controller did admirably. We also had no CCTV for the gates/crossing until Alan A fixed it. A fault has developed with the yellow aspect on SY.6R signal which remains under investigation. At the end of the day the power supply was switched off at Baytree which in turn switched off Old Oak and in turn affected me returning to Old Oak and David D who was still trying to operate the signal box. With more use being made of the new carriage shed all the Chromer-Whites are in there now it is taking longer to put everything away at Old Oak and to do this the power needs to remain on for operating points. Yesterday it was prolonged by a loco using the loading ramp and whilst there is anything on the ramp road there is limited space on the track leading into the shed. It "s just something to bear in mind in future.
Grandson / Daughter
Pictures above have a Grandson/daughter theme. On the left can be seen Rufus who is Cliff's friend Andy Grandson and enjoyed driving Jesse and Scott Line whilst on the right Mick is opening a card we had bought as he is now a proud Grandparent his daughter Sarah had just given birth to a baby daughter Phoebe. Reading club and Mick's visitors totalled 13. I have been forced sorry nominated to be controller next time. Plan of attack will be to start running before it gets dark........
14th September 2019 Epping and Ongar Railway
The news is about people so I took the opportunity to Observe Mick in action on the Epping and Ongar Railway. The top left picture shows the resident DMMU on the left and 33201 hired in from the SPA valley Railway on the right. Mick was secondman on the DMMU (2 car) and had the task of going to the signal box to return and collect a token (token can be seen on the hand brake wheel) for the section of line between North Weald and Epping Forrest which is just short of Epping underground station unfortunately there is no connection at the moment. Mick's driver was a retired Marylebone driver who is interested in our gauge so maybe we will see him as a visitor? Mick told the Operations Manager who I was and my history and before I knew it I was in the cab of 33201 the original locomotive type that I passed my initial exams on when I was a Redhill driver and I was able to help out with a few pointers. The day ended with a few beers in Mick's local before being picked up by Mick's wife Sue. A good day.
6th September 2019 Cockcrow annual Gala
Cockcrow held their annual gala and Spinney was in good turnout. I was just finishing my lunch when Cliff arrived which was unusual as it is normally the other way round. Cliff brought along his brother another DAVE! (See previous news). Also from Spinney were David G who was acting as resident controller or one of them then there was Mick Dave MB Nick Jamie Henry Annika and myself. I ran my L94 whilst Nick ran his Charlie 33029 and Jamie his LMS 7163. Nick's loco unfortunately developed an injector fault however he managed to find other locomotives to drive whilst Jamie's LMS 7163 only did one circuit as the lubricator decided not to work. When Jamie left Hardwick I jokingly said 'see you back in 5 mins' I had no idea that would be the case. There was a little rain in the morning which made the rails very slippery and locomotives were struggling to accelerate then lock wheels when trying to stop. Maybe some of our track gel would have been the solution. The weather dried up and the locomotives gripped the rails making it a very enjoyable day along with plenty of chat.
24th August 2019
Adrian once again took on the role of controller and did a good job on a glorious hot sunny summers day which made it difficult to take pictures due to sun and shadows. Thanks to June Louise and Eric for the tea cakes BBQ and Heather for some of the pictures.
Mike H e mailed to say he would come but contacted bob in the morning to say he would not be able to come which is a shame as it would have been nice to see him again. Alan A June plus thirteen friends:- Tim Heather Bob Robin David G Dave MB Peter Richard Cliff Adrian Mick Jamie Dave H. who were outnumbered by the guest numbers I think they totalled 25. In the morning the rolling stock was given a clean mainly by Sue whilst Mick (behind Dave H in the light coloured top) pretended he was doing something else. Dave MB and Dave H (we have a lot of Dave's) and others cleared the railway of debris and then Cliff arrived so we stopped for lunch.
Loco news
Six locomotives on track today and were L94 Scott Line LMS 7163 Kate King Jack and Eileen. Mick returned his class 20 with added detail and looked very good. This only ran from the unloading ramp to the loco shed.
The pictures show how busy the railway was and most of the time the locomotives where being driven by the guests whilst other guests can be seen waving in anticipation to getting a trip around the railway. Also to be seen is Scott Line decending the branch Jamie out with passengers and Dave MB giving driving opportunities as was Alan A who can be seen giving instructions on the operation of King Jack.
S&T News
Richard completed some track wiring at Dingly Dell reaffixing cables to prevent track circuit failures in the future. Richard and Robin took on the role of S & T technicians and were called out a couple of times. One instance was to the sprung point at the top of the branch where debris had collected and obstructed the detection thus the signal would not clear. Robin was observed later in the day collecting a screw driver and said if this doesn't work I will use a hammer - not sure what he was repairing but the trains ran well. The signal boxes were manned as follows:-Spinney - Robin / Richard then Adrian Dingly - Bob Baytree - Cliff then Richard after tea and Old Oak was staffed by Peter.
The picture above showing Adrian driving has been added as it is the first time I have seen him drive a locomotive and is rarer then Robin being seen driving.
And finally.....
Picture shows David G dropping the fire from Eileen which I thought was a good picture for the end of the news for today. It was great to see so many friends and families and many stayed for the BBQ (Approx 30 people). Sorry no pictures as I was taking rest however it was a good end to the day a sit down and a chat. Adrian managed to coerce David G into being controller for the next time which he is happy to do. There is a long gap until next time which is late September as a lot of us will be visiting the Cockcrow gala. If anyone manages to take pictures I will post them here on the news. Jamie and I are running on the Friday.
10th August 2019
Cliff was the controller for today and emailed us all with a timetable plan. Visitors from London Underground signalling once again joined us and guests of Peter joined us for an enjoyable day. Weather started with rain but became a nice day. Thanks to June for the tea and cakes.
Cliff e mailed to say that he would leave home aprox 10.30 to pick Adrian up. This meant we all knew what time we had to leave in order to beat Cliff (BC = Before Cliff time) and arrive before him at Spinney. David G was unable to visit as he was not allowed out due to his Wife's Birthday. Goes without saying.....
Also more e mails to say they could not make it were David D who has undergone surgery and we wish him a full and speedy recovery. David MD who is in Sydney (spelt right) Paul Robin and Jamie who are both at their continental retreats. Unfortunately Bob was unable to join us and his normal position was covered by Adrian.
Cliff e mailed everyone a timetable which he hoped would work (hint - look at the full size railway) S & T news contains more details.
Loco news
Six locomotives on track today and were L94 Scott Line Scot 6109 Kate King Jack Brunel whilst Spinney electric made some movements within the loco shed with a very young trainee. Once the signalling issues were rectified good running ensued comprising of both freight and passenger trains. As a typical driver I did not know what time it was and went when the the signal cleared. On two occasions I was 4 minutes early at Baytree so I said I would wait and be one minute late to keep the norm.
I think I now hold the record for over carrying the branch line token I travelled from Old Oak through Spinney and the tunnels arriving at Dingly. Turning on the turntable to the water point where I discovered I STILL had the token. Thanks to Alan S who kindly returned it for me. It could also be classed as a signalling test to ensure that no trains could be signalled down to Old Oak - my excuse andI am sticking to it....... Unfortunately we had a slight mishap and Scott Line went over the edge of the turntable at Dingly by one bogie. No one injured and no damage just a dent in the young lad's pride.
S&T News
Richard started the day by relabelling all the signal box relays as the old labelling was wearing a bit thin. The signal boxes were manned as follows:-Spinney - Richard Dingly - Adrian Baytree - Rob and Old Oak Peter W and this remained the same after tea. At the start of the running Spinney developed a signalling fault and this was traced to number 7 points and possible an error occurred when moving empty stock to start the day. Also at Spinney point detection on 5B points caused an issue with Spinney number 1 signal as you leave the tunnel. The return spring had become dislodged and could have been caused by rolling stock movement or if walked on. Once cleared no more problems were reported. Dingly platform 1 (DG) track circuit had an intermittent fault - ironic really that David G (DG) was not here and that was the track circuit to play up - must be telepathic.
Adrian decided to draw up a signal box register / log and this can be seen in the pictures above. It appears the turn round times on Cliff's timetable were a bit optimistic. Adrian said he kept a departing train on the same line as its arrival. Locos: 16 = Brunel 808 = King Jack 6109 = Royal Engineer K = Kate LT = Tim's LT Tank SL = Scott Line. 'PB' this means Permissive Block. The signallers report that the time table did not work due to factors such as early start signalling problems and short turn rounds to name a few.
Visitors
Pictures show the guests driving both electric and steam locomotives. The guests also took time to visit the signal boxes and appeared to have a really enjoyable time. This is not their first visit and they were really friendly as were Peters guests who all said they thoroughly enjoyed their day. Unfortunately some guests had to leave early as a taxi was booked to whisk them away to the railway station for a long journey home. We look forward to seeing them again.
Cliff says his timetable did not run to time but some interesting points were learnt from it.
Next time
No controller has yet to be nominated so will it be the Default controller????? Next time we are holding the friends and families day so see if you have any friends!!!
27th July 2019
Did you spot the errors from last edition? I have amended the text as Peter BROUGHT his daughter and did not purchase her (no internet in those days) and Scott was pictured driving L94 and NOT Scott Line as mentioned thank you to the proof readers or those that can read text has been altered. What started out to be a slow news day actually became relaxing and enjoyable with everyone doing something different to the norm due to the wet start. Fourteen friends:- Alan A June plus Tim Heather Bob Robin David D Alan S David G Peter Adrian Richard Cliff Paul and friend Dave. E mails received from Rob Dave MB and Jamie to say they have fled the country in pursuit of better things!!! Thanks to June and Alan for the tea's cakes and BBQ to end the day. Tom emailed to inform us it was raining and looking out of the window he was right. Mick was controller for today.
Adrian is without a vehicle and so emailed asking for transport. Cliff kindly offered to pick him up and return after the running this nearly worked Adrian was picked up and later in the evening whilst having tea with his good lady Cliff remembered that he was supposed to give Adrian a lift back as he had departed on his own. All worked out well as Adrian stayed for the BBQ and someone else provided him with a lift home. So to start the day the site was cleared and the water pipe trench was completed pipe laid and trench filled in. Then Cliff arrived so we stopped for lunch.
Loco News
Three locomotives made it out onto the railway today and were:- Scott Line Royal Scot 6109 and Brunel. Bob enjoyed himself driving Scot line and did several trips around the railway I don't think I have ever seen Bob drive so much maybe he can be converted!!! Another major milestone was the steaming of Brunel after possibly three or four years of no running. Brunel was steamed by Cliff and driven by Cliff and Alan A. Naturally a few teething problems but as can be seen in the picture below Alan A cleaned the wheels to assist with rail adhesion. The loco then did several trips around the railway towing one coach. Paul has recently purchased a new ride on wagon to be used as a driving truck. Paul tested the wagon for clearance through Baytree and Dingly and I believe there are no clearance issues however the signallers were surprised when their track circuits lit up and knowing that there was not a train due.
S&T News
With a very wet start to the day there was no shortage of volunteer signallers although the weather improved so they could come out of the signal box. The pictures above show the start of the running when only Scott line was running and therefore the signallers had a lot of down time. Mick had time to read a magazine whilst David D read the rulebook.
The signal boxes were manned as follows:-Spinney - Peter / Richard / Robin then Adrian after tea Dingly - Bob / Adrian then Peter after tea Baytree - Mick then Robin after tea and Old Oak David D.
Picture above shows three signallers at Spinney signal box and were briefly joined by Heather and myself. During this time there was a category 'D' SPaD. Richard noticed a track circuit light up and all the signals that were cleared in the opposite direction correctly returned to danger - a good signalling test. Problem traced to Scott line whose parking brake failed and the train rolled towards the Spinney headshunt with no one on board passing S8 signal at danger. Adrian refreshed himself in Dingly and soon noticed that his crib sheet is out of date due to all the changes that have been made recently and also noticed that it was possible to set up a conflicting move so this will need to be added to the project list.
And finally.....
This picture has been added as June said this was very rare event - Alan cleaning. We obviously can't believe that.
Next time we have visitors from LUL and David G is not allowed out due to birthdays so will not be able to show them around.
6th July 2019
A summer's day good running and guests. As usual many e mails starting from the controller Jamie to enquire who was attending. Jamie need not have worried as everything ran smoothly. Sixteen friends:- Alan A June Andrew and Hayden plus Tim Heather Scott Bob Robin David D Alan S David G Peter Laura Richard Cliff Dave MB Jamie Paul and friend Dave. E mails received from Adrian and Tom to say they had better things to do. Over the past few news items I have tried to capture every one and this time there was so much to record that it has led to a greater number of pictures than usual. I unfortunately did not capture the guests driving and nor did anyone else.
The day started as per usual with a site tidy up. I had an appointment and emailed to say I would not be there until 12.00 BC (Before Cliff) however I managed to get there earlier so Cliff had no chance. David G made a brief appearance with his better half Eileen and at first we did not recognise him as he was wearing clean clothes however it was pointed out to us that there was a mark on the back of his shirt then we knew it was David G. It was good to see Eileen at the railway a rare visit. June invited some guests from work and they were all surprised by the scale of the railway and enjoyed themselves riding on the railway and driving steam and electric locomotives. The day ended with another fine BBQ where I counted at least sixteen people including the guests a good turnout. Thanks to June for the teas and cakes.
Loco News
Seven locomotives made it out onto the railway today and were:- L94 Scott Line Karen King Jack LMS 7163 Kate whilst Spinney electric number 1 and 1470 only made it as far as the Loco yard exit road. LMS 7163 made rare outing found it hard work made a squeak and returned back to depot very quickly. To correct my humour Jamie cleaned both clacks and lubricator pipe and re-fitted that afternoon. It squeaked once as it first moved. However oil was flowing very well and no steam/water made its way into the oil. It ran very well used some oil as expected. Brunel was also spotted outside the shed receiving a clean and oiling. Paul said his 1407 locomotive required repairs and was also getting used to the locomotives characteristics. The seven locomotives on the track all had a good run.
S&T News
Richard did the usual signalling tests prior to running. Old Oak number 7B points were failing to operate correctly and this was due to expansion of the rail in the glorious sun. Robin was able to file away the offending rail flange and allow the point to function. Baytree number 4 points was expected to give rise for concern but actually operated flawlessly. The signal boxes were manned as follows:-Spinney - Cliff / Richard Dingly - Bob / Laura / David D Baytree - Robin / Bob and Old Oak David D / Peter changing over after tea. Robin left at teatime which meant a reshuffle of signallers. It was unusual to see Bob and David D out of their usual homes. Cliff learnt how to be a signalman by showing us many red signals. The following text is from Cliff:-
Robin obligingly swapped boxes with me (Cliff) at my request so I could have a go at Spinney on a quiet day. It was my intention to do this for an hour or so at the most but events kind of took over. I suspect that few trains did the full trip and some locos had long layovers but I was overwhelmed at times and appreciated the silent "interference" of Richard who appeared at key moments when he would spot what I had not done and did a few branch transactions literally behind my back while I worked on making mistakes at the panel. I am now practised at making mistakes. Forgetting I had accepted a train forgetting to send TOS (Train Out of Section) to Baytree forgetting to clear SY6 while I had "Line Clear" from Baytree so that the train sits there instead of passing (Sorry Tim) putting signals back before the train had passed them requesting impossible tasks from the interlocking sending the wrong train description when offering the train being late with the token not holding the token instrument while the Old Oak signaller extracts the token at Old Oak etc. etc. As for answering SPT's which needs an apprenticeship level skill on its own - no chance!
It was nice to see friends taking on different roles and learning new tasks which invariable means mistakes / errors are sometimes made (not too serious ones) until proficient learning by repetition. It also means we have more cross cover when there is a shortage of friends able to operate the railway. However I nearly stopped at Spinney signal box when I received a green signal when leaving the tunnel I did not know the green bulb was working!!!
Visitors
As mentioned June invited work colleagues for an afternoon at the railway and the pictures capture some of them taking an interest in the signalling with Robin explaining how it all works. Mick and Andrew ran passenger trains then along with Scott Line King Jack and Kate were used for driver experience allowing the visitors to drive around the railway. It is a shame I did not manage to get any photos of them driving.
It was good to see many of the guests stay for the BBQ and a chat.
Son and Daughter
Peter brought along his daughter Laura who took charge of Dingly Dell signal box under the instruction from Bob it wasn't long before Laura got the hang of it. At one point it sounded like signalling by numbers I.E. Bob called out the number whilst Laura operated the associated lever. Laura was also seen driving Kate. Our son Scott returned after many years absence (University) and can be seen driving L94 but said he prefers driving Scott Line which as he said it was easier and less to do. Hope they both make return visits however our son took a lot of persuading but joined in when he got there.
Next time
No controller has yet been appointed so if you wish to volunteer please let us know. Hopefully another good running day.
22nd June 2019
A really good summer's day good weather good running and a very enjoyable relaxing day. Usual start to the day involved clearing debris from the line lunch then running trains with Adrian at the helm as the controller for the day. Twelve friends:- Alan A June plus Tim Heather Bob Robin Alan S David G Peter Adrian Richard Rob Cliff Jamie and Henry. E mails received from Dave MB who is not well David D Mick (on another holiday) and Paul stating their absence.
Adrian was controller and initially had doubts as to whether we would have enough signallers and locomotives to run the railway and therefore started early by e mailing everyone to rally up support. He need not have worried as there were enough signallers and locomotives to run trains for Cliffs' guests. Adrian did such a good job we managed to run trains at 13.45 not done for a long while. As he did so well I suggested he take the mantra of being the default controller which Robin did not object to but Adrian for some reason declined!!! Alan S reattached the Old Oak water crane slab to the base which had come loose and also the edging coping stones which are next to the loading ramp after Heather took a tumble.
Loco News
As can be seen in the adjoining pictures we ran six locomotives:-L94 Scott Line Jesse Karen and Eileen Grant and I have managed to get a picture of each whilst Spinney electric number 1 did a circuit. Cliff had guests who can beat Bob for distance to travel home coming from Ontario Canada. They had been reading the Spinney web site so had a good idea what to expect and with the good sunshine and atmosphere they thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Guests were observed riding trains and taking an interest in the signal boxes.
We ran a mixture of freight passenger trains and light locomotives to add variety to the railway operations.
S&T News
The signal boxes were manned as follows:-Spinney - Robin / Adrian Dingly - Bob Baytree - Rob / Robin and Old Oak Jamie and Peter changing over after tea. On one occasion Spinney signals 17 and 18 (signals can be viewed on the track maps) converging junction before the level crossing when travelling towards Spinney both showed a proceed indication. Adrian investigated and found on number 18 signal the rod from the solenoid to the signal arm had become detached and thus the lower quadrant signal arm dropped giving a false indication. Adrian said that this was one of the draw backs of lower quadrant signals and one contributing reason to get rid of them even though some do still exist on the main line railway (GWR - enough said). Baytree point number 4 gave reason for concern as it failed to operate on a number of occasions. This will need further investigation and I believe the motor securing bolts are working loose I will have a look next time. Bob has glued the new stop boards on the locomotive shed roads and were covered by wood and clamps however they will be in operation next time. Richard also checked all the signals prior to running.
End of the day
To end the relaxing and enjoyable day June set up the first BBQ of the year with eleven of us around the table. As usual plenty of chat and banter. Thanks to June for the tea cakes and BBQ.
Next time
Jamie has been volunteered to be controller next time and hopefully (weather permitting) we have another enjoyable day running trains.
1st June 2019
Glorious weather some work and some running of trains first this year and a new locomotive arrives. Fifteen friends:- Alan A June plus Tim Heather Bob Robin Nick Alan S Mick David G Peter Adrian Richard Rob Cliff Paul and friend Dave. Robin was the default controller. Dave MB David D unable to attend as other events clashed. A good day.
I arrived after Cliff so will take the flack for calling lunch. Morning work included an earth spike installed at the carriage shed and this means that the carriage shed and Old Oak signal box are now correctly earthed. Work completed by Peter. Alan S cut and cemented the water crane base at Old Oak and we all predicted that one individual would stand on it during the afternoon. Glad to say there were no reports of this and the cement was allowed to set. Clearance test using the Spinney wagons also proved successful. Mick lead a team to check the vacuum brakes on the Cromer coaches and the coaches can be seen upturned on Baytree platform receiving attention. One coach has a vacuum problem and this will need more time to fully investigate. We had visitors today some have been before and they had plenty of trains to observe and managed a ride around the railway.
Loco News
Five locomotives on track today and were Scott Line Scot 6109. Jesse Charlie 33029 and Kate. Nick pulled a freight train and performed shunt moves at Old Oak Dingly and Baytree which added interest to the railway operations. With Scott Line I helped the shunt move at Baytree which involved shunting two wagons from the up line to the down line platform and sit and wait for Nick to finish his manoeuvres. During this time Cliff accidentally passed number 7 signal and we sat there looking at each other not ideal. Another rarity was Robin at the controls of a locomotive and as evidence I took the picture of him shunting wagons at Old Oak. Not sure what Robin is pointing to or whether he is indicating where he wants to go. Paul bought along his new 14xx locomotive and 1470 can be seen being propelled by Scott Line to Dingly then to the Yard where it was boiler tested.
Mixture of passenger and freight trains made it an interesting day and in addition David G could be heard anywhere on the railway giving instructions to a learner who drove the royal Scot 6109. Picture shows the trainee passing Mick in what should have been a photo stop.
S&T News
The signal boxes were manned as follows:-Spinney - Richard and Robin Dingly - Bob Baytree - Adrian and Old Oak Rob and Peter who were finding their feet with the procedures and getting the token out of the machine. Bob now has a stop board sign but could not find his black paint for the post so this will not be installed until next time. No issues were reported other than mentioned above.
Next time
The trench for the water feed to the water crane needs completing and I am now unable to lift or dig (hopefully short term) so help required for that please. The faulty Cromer coach braking system needs some more investigation then run trains. Adrian has been volunteered to be controller next time.
11th May 2019
Temperamental weather 14 friends and regarding running trains the bucket of enthusiasm was left at home - in other words a slow news day however a lot of progress made around the site. Those that attended were Tim Heather Robin Alan S Mick Bob Richard Adrian Rob Jamie Henry Dave MB David D and Andrew. David G reported sick (probably caught Bob's cold) Peter not available and Cliff stated he would not attend so we had to remember to have lunch without our usual reminder.
Jamie Henry and Dave MB continued their usual task of clearing the site of debris whilst David D collected a bucket full of pine cones they are everywhere or were. I have dug a trench round the carriage shed which will be for the water pipe that will connect the new water container to the Old Oak platform water crane. The trench was difficult to dig as there was plenty of rubble buried and some wire. The trench requires approximately another 8 feet to be dug to complete - nows the time to think if anything else needs to be buried around the carriage shed and any volunteers!. Heather cleaned Spinney signal box and gave the coaches a wipe over so as to be presentable next time when we have quests. Picture above shows Robin sitting down on the job - the signal post ground fixing had become detached from the wall so Robin made a temporary repair. Thanks to June for the teas and cakes.
The pictures above show the progress on the carriage shed project today where Alan S and Mick mixed cement and fixed the coping stones to the roof edge. Andrew did some wiring inside the carriage shed and this is for the pump which will push the water up from the new water container at Old Oak to the water crane which will soon be erected at the turntable end of Old Oak platform.
With a severe lack of train movements Richard Adrian and Rob after testing the signals from all the signal boxes decided it would be a good time to investigate why Spinney 9B points failed last year. Fortunately they failed in the reverse direction so we were able to run trains over them. It turned out to be a mechanical problem and not electrical and after tweaking and adjusting the point is now fully working. It was good to see Bob back again after his illness and he continued to work in Dingly signal box where he was investigating a track circuit problem again fortunately no trains so he could work uninterrupted. We hope the track circuit problem has been fixed or will not affect the running of trains for next time.
Scott Line locomotive was the only locomotive to venture out and was used to shunt the rolling stock in and out of the tunnels plus a trip round the main line with Henry and Haden taking it in turns to drive and even that was not much. No steam locomotives were steamed due to rain at lunchtime and a shower in the afternoon. The picture shows Dave MB trying out his new driving truck.
Next time
We have visitors so we need to run some trains and it will be half way through the year.