Back from the World Tour of the British Isles

Lots of Loverly Locos to be restored!

I have spent the last two weeks travelling the British Isles (mainly on family business) trying to find locos that were older or in a worse state than No.27.

I popped into the Strathspey Railway where they were running the same loco as I saw exactly 12 months earlier! It was the Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0 as seen in the picture below.  Unfortunately I did not have chance to ride on the railway or to look at the locos etc at Boat of Garten, so this is the only view I had. This loco was newer and in better condition than 27!


46512 leaving Aviemore on the 10:30 train to Broomhill (Photo: Clive Emsley)

The only other encounters with Heritage trains was at Beamish and Locomotion both in County Durham.  At Beamish I encountered an excellent locomotive that would fit in beautifully for a "Gnats of Steam" weekend, the loco known as "Steam Elephant" a replica of an 1830s loco that worked in the area. Blooming Marvellous! This doesn't count as an older loco as it is a replica, and it is in better condition!

Steam Elephant at the Beamish Museum (Photo: Clive Emsley)

My quest to find a loco that is older and in a worse state than 27 was completed when I went on a walking tour of the historic part of the NRM "Locomotion" museum at Shildon where the group was shown a locomotive in the Soho Loco Shed, known as "Nelson". This loco was found at a colliery and rightly saved for the nation.  It is my considered belief that it is unlikely ever to steam again! It will make a great exhibit when the current re-jigging of the museum is complete.



Locomotive "Nelson" in Soho Shed Shildon (Photo: Clive Emsley)

The trip was rounded off with a steam related day out in Lincoln on Sunday when Claire and I attended the International Steampunk Festival! A great day out looking at many weird and whacky machines and costumes, now there is an idea for a day on the Bluebell! (for steampunk think Caractcus Potts or Willy Wonker or Heath Robinson, or even the bloke on Scrapheap Challenge! a sort of steam powered Victorian or wild west/science fiction - I might well add a couple of pictures of some of the people later!

Thanks must go to Brian Spurle who has consumed 24 bottles of Harvey's ales so that he could donate the empty bottles to the funds!  All I need to do now is to pop over to Lewes to take them back to the brewery, claim the reward - and try not to buy more!

I will update this blog once I have found out from the restoration team what has been happening whilst I have been away.