VICTORIA TO BATH AT CHRISTMAS - TORNADO STEAM RAILTOUR - TUESDAY 30th NOVEMBER 2021

Might be November still but there are plenty of Christmas trips being organised and markets, shopping in full swing with the festive season fast approaching, what better way to give yourself (and a loved one perhaps) an early present with a steam tour to one of England's stunning locations - Bath. 

London Victoria to Bath at Christmas(*)

Departure Date:

Tuesday 30th November 2021

(*) yes I know it's November still, and Christmas is some way off. 

Departing from, with approximate departure times:

London Victoria (d 08:45), Staines (d 09:30), Woking (d 10:10)
>> Arrival at Bath Spa due 13:05.

Travel to the stunning roman city of Bath and explore its many museums and places of interest. It has some of the very finest architectural sights in Europe including the Roman Baths and Pump Room, Pulteney Bridge, the Abbey and Royal Crescent.

BATH CHRISTMAS MARKET

We are aware that the official Bath Christmas Market will not be going ahead this year in its usual format. However, there are still plenty of ways to enjoy the festive period in one of the UK's most iconic Christmas cities. Some of the wonderful activities on offer will include a Christmas light trail taking you on a journey to some of Bath's most iconic architecture, Bath's artisan makers showcasing their crafts around Bath Abbey Quarter and Queen Square, and Luke Jerram's global phenomenon, Museum of the Moon, will be the centrepiece of Bath Abbey. 

Bath’s biggest independent market returns this Christmas! After a break of nearly two years, Bath’s biggest and favourite independent artisan market is back and running every day from the 20th November to the 19th December. Put your skates on and have go on the Ice at the Royal Victoria Park. 

The Ice Rink is back and, with 1000 square metres of smooth ice, it’s bigger than ever! Glowing in an array of atmospheric lights, it’s the ideal spot to practice those skating skills and simultaneously the perfect stage for avid skaters to show off their moves. With music to set the wintery scene, a cozy bar area and seasonal drinks you will be transported to a dreamy winter wonderland!

Or how about a round of 'Glow Golf' located next door to the Ice rink. Bath’s popular adventure golf course will be decked out with its very own fairy light installations. Playing golf at night with glow-in-the-dark balls adds a whole new layer of excitement to the classic daytime experience.

Steam Hauled by A1 Class Pacific '60163 Tornado'
60163 Tornado is the newest steam engine on the national network (at time of writing). The original Peppercorn A1 series were ordered by the LNER, but the 49 locomotives were built at Doncaster and Darlington for British Railways (BR) in 1948–49, after the nationalisation of the railways in the United Kingdom. Following the modernisation and dieselisation plans of the 1950s, the A1 Peppercorn class was eventually scrapped at a comparatively early age of just 15 years.

The original Peppercorn A1s were designed to cope with the heaviest regular post-war East Coast trains. First steamed in 2008, after a 19 year project to fund and build the locomotive, Tornado was built to be not a replica, but the 50th A1. The original 49 A1s were built for the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) between 1948 and 1949. Sadly after the withdrawal of steam in 1968 none of the LNER A1 class engines were saved from the scrapper's torch. In 1990 a group of enthusiasts founded a trust (A1 Steam Locomotive Trust) to return this missing link.

Tornado moved under its own power for the first time on 29th July 2008 at Darlington, and then spent two months at the Great Central Railway in Loughborough, where it was tested up to 60 mph (97 km/h) and operated its first passenger train. Tornado then moved to the National Railway Museum (NRM) in York for three test runs on the main line up to 75 mph (121 km/h). After repainting from works grey into LNER Apple Green, Tornado was approved for mainline passenger operation. On 31st January 2009 Tornado hauled its first passenger trip on the main line, The Peppercorn Pioneer, from York to Newcastle and back. By hauling various A1 Trust railtours, charters and other activities, Tornado will begin to recoup the estimated £800,000 debt from the project, which cost around £3 million.

Tornado has 3 cylinders, 6 driving wheels and a firebox of 50sq.ft. Tornado is a regular locomotive for Steam Dreams, often seen on trips along the East Coast Mainline to York. Whilst limited to 75 mph today, A1s are capable of achieving speeds in excess of 100mph. During its short life Tornado has twice hauled the Royal Train.

WORKINGTON MODEL RAILWAY EXHIBITION 2021 - SATURDAY 20th + SUNDAY 21st NOVEMBER

Workington Model Railway Exhibition

Saturday 20th - Sunday 21st November 2021

Location:
Energus Building, Blackwood Road, Lillyhall,

Workington, Cumbria   CA14 4JW

Opening Times:

Saturday 10am-5pm   Sunday 10am-4pm

Admission:
Adults £5.00  Concessions £5.00 
  Accompanied children are admitted FREE

Solrail Ltd a not for profit company holds the Workington Exhibition in the Energus building at Lillyhall, between Whitehaven and Workington and will be there again this year. It has to be seen to be believed! Light and airy with lots of natural lighting it makes for a pleasant experience. There is a bus service on the Saturday that stops outside the door from both Workington and Whitehaven. Easy to park. Easy to access and all on one level! Fresh meals available. Excellent toilet facilities.

Please be aware this event will run subject to Covid restrictions in place at the time. This means that we may have to cancel at short notice. If you are not well or have been told to isolate you should NOT attend.

Covid 19 saw the 2020 exhibition cancelled. Fortunately most of the exhibitors have agreed to attend this year with a couple coming next year instead. We hope you will make the effort to attend as so many of us have missed seeing you and showing you what we have been doing. Another very successful event was held in 2019 so we have decided to do it all again. The list is just about sorted, subject to something happening. Already the initial layout list has been amended a number of times but we have an excellent selection again. Nearly all are new to Workington so local people can expect to see some wonderful models. Port Solway in S4 will be making a special visit for the very first time. It features Maryport & Carlisle Railway stock alongside North Eastern ones. There is also a model based on Cockermouth and one on Maryport. Those of you that travel from a distance can expect a warm welcome and the café will be open for bacon butties to start the day then a full lunchtime menu with hot and cold meals available. Something for everyone is our mantra and we think we have done it again.

The Workington model railway exhibition is very much a family show. We try hard to encourage family visitors and particularly young modellers of the future which is why we do not charge an entry fee for accompanied children.

List of Layouts Attending:

Upper Cwmmywych (N Gauge) - 4' x 1'6 - Les Nehrlich returns with another of his superb layouts which is a small depot for emergency servicing and refuelling of diesel locos.

Maryport (N Gauge) - 8' x 3' - Solrail member William Moon brings his interpretation as to what Maryport could have looked like, inspired by childhood memories of train watching around Netherton!

Wulstanton Road (N Gauge) - 8' x 2'6 - Terry Tasker from Southport Model Railway Club makes another visit with a small but busy British N Scale layout is roughly only 8ft in length and is a perfect example of what you can make do with limited space, with a small commuter terminus station serving a large metropolis.

Port Solway (S4) - 31' x 5' - Newcastle MRC - Nearly all scratch built. (pictured above) Newcastle Model Railway club exhibiting their portrayal of what might have been if the North Eastern Railway had united with the Maryport and Carlisle Railway early in the 20th Century.

Cockermouth [Covid 19] (OO Gauge) - Andrew Holland - 12'6 x 2' - Shortly before closure with a few goods trains to add interest, built during lockdown with a lot of recycling from older layouts.

South Galleons (OO Gauge) - 7'x1' - Solrail member Ian Blenkinsop, having provided the club with demonstrations for several years he has decided to bring one of his layouts for you to enjoy. A pastiche of Deptford in the 1950s this is a superbly detailed compact industrial layout. (pictured right)

Franklin Falls (HO Gauge American) - 4' x 1' - Ray O'Neill the layout is based on the former Boston & Maine (Ex Tilton & Franklin RR) branch line to Franklin Falls NH, now operated by New England Southern RR, featuring sound equipped, heritage diesel power.

Ellasweet Beet Factory (OO Gauge) - 7' x 2' - Graham Morfoot - Sugar beet production facility the processing factory is situated in south Lincolnshire in the heart of the beet growing area. (pictured left) A representation of a sugar beet factory in East Anglia around 1960. With an eclectic mix of industrial steam and diesel locomotives linking the factory to the local British Railways network. Graham depicts wagon loads of limestone, coal, materials and sugar beet (modelled in a very innovative way).

Scratchy Bottom (O Gauge) - 22' x 2' Marc Dobson - Yes the name is correct and it does exist. Ask for an explanation!

Garden railways - Brian Irwin - Carlisle 

- A little bit of what you fancy.

Nearest Railway Stations:

Harrington [1.73 miles]

Workington [2.63 miles]

Parton [3.78 miles]

Whitehaven [4.9 miles]

MAP

SECOND HAND / REPAIRED OO GAUGE MODELS #1 - LIMA CLASS 33 [D6506]

Lima Class 33 - D6506. Came to me as a non runner. Has had a good service and now runs nicely in both directions. It had already received a lot of detail and love from it's previous owner, beginning life as a simple Lima RTR model they have added some bogie and buffer beam details and darkened the vents and all in all I think this is a nice loco for it's age.

For a relatively simple, early Lima model I think it's been very nicely detailed and fits well with my BR/60-70s period. Head code added to the drivers end 6A and there are red codes showing at the other end. Much easier to examine these OO Gauge locomotives, having spent the last ten years or so working with N Gauge, and clearly my poor eyes are suffering. Taken this apart with the body easing off with a little care, then unscrew the bogies so you can examine things. Checked all connections are good which they were and removed some grease which might have been clogging things up a little. Apply small amount of current and things begin to light up, put the chassis back together on only my test track ensure that there is some life present. After then reassembling the body too, gave it a 20 min run at slow speed to not overdo things. Only noted at the end that this has slightly different buffers, larger at the rear end compared with standard smaller 'round' at the running end. Doesn't bother me much it's still a lovely model and suits my general era perfectly.

CLASS 33 BACKGROUND

The British Rail Class 33, also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton, is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives, ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962.

They were produced as a more powerful Type 3 (1,550 bhp) development of the 1,160 bhp Type 2 Class 26. This was achieved, quite simply, by removing the steam heating boiler and fitting a larger 8 cylinder version of the previous 6 cylinder engine. This was possible because of the traffic requirements of the Southern Region: locomotive-hauled passenger traffic depended on seasonal tourist traffic and was heavier in the summer, when carriage heating was not needed. In the winter, their expected use was to be for freight. Thus, they became the most powerful BR Bo-Bo diesel locomotive. The perennially unreliable steam heating boiler could also be avoided.

A total of 98 were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company (BRCW) and they were known as "Cromptons" after the Crompton Parkinson electrical equipment installed in them. Like their lower-powered BRCW sisters, the Class 26 and Class 27 locomotives, their bodywork and cab ends were of all steel construction. They were very similar in appearance to Class 26 locos, but carried Southern Region two-digit headcode blinds between the cab windows.

Would regularly be seen on the Southern Region covering the Fawley Oil refinery services, also based at Hither Green they would operate freight services down to Dover and the Night Ferry service too. Most famously they provided the motive power for the then unelectrified section between Bournemouth and Weymouth, traversing down the roads and parked cars to reach Weymouth Quayside. Sadly that route is now a thing of the past. 

CLASS 33 IN PRESERVATION

Twenty-nine locomotives have been preserved, probably makes it one of the largest preserved class in existence?

There are two locomotives that carry the same name, Eastleigh, 33 008 and 33 021, I have the latter in N Gauge which carries a red livery. There are plenty which still serve the southern region Heritage Railways such as the Bluebell and Swanage railways, but they can also be found far and wide including the East Lancashire Railway, Carnforth, and the Mid Norfolk Railway which demonstrates the versatility of this class and probably why it continues to have gathered plenty of mileage even into 'retirement' from official mail line service. 

THE WHITBY JET RAILTOUR - FRIDAY 12th NOVEMBER 2021

THE WHITBY JET RAILTOUR

  Friday 12th November 2021

Departing From;

FINSBURY PARK,  HERTFORD NORTH,  STEVENAGE,  LETCHWORTH GARDEN CITY,  ROYSTON,  CAMBRIDGE,  ELY,  MARCH,  PETERBOROUGH,  GRANTHAM.

This specially preserved HST set run by Midland Pullman are pleased to offer this incredibly special tour as we travel through the Vale of York, then along the East Coast route to Middlesbrough, and into the vast open moorland.  We meander through the magnificent forests and dales of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park with its picturesque villages of honey sandstone, embattled castles & historic abbeys to the ancient fishing town of Whitby, where around two hours will be available at your leisure.

The Esk Valley line is widely considered to be one of the hidden gems of the railway network.  It offers a succession of stunning views along its 36 miles from Middlesbrough to the traditional fishing port of Whitby. Leaving urban life behind we journey into the North Yorkshire Moors National Park passing isolated communities and beside the River Esk to the beautiful fishing port of Whitby with its narrow-cobbled streets, bustling harbour, and intriguing curio shops. 

During your stay consider enjoying the best fish n chips in Britain and walk it off by climbing the 199 steps that lead from the old town up to the ruins of St Hilda’s Abbey which dominates the skyline and inspired Bram Stoker to write his novel, Dracula.

Blue Pullman, A brief history.

In July 1960 the Midland Pullman was relaunched as a luxury all-first-class service using two new Blue Pullman six-car diesel-electric units. The Blue Pullmans were luxury trains used from 1960 to 1973 by British Rail. They were the first Pullman diesel-electric multiple units, incorporating several novel features.

Named after their original Nanking blue livery, the trains were conceived under the 1955 Modernisation Plan to create luxury diesel express trains aimed at competing with the motor car and the emerging domestic air travel market. Although not entirely successful – they were seen as underpowered, and ultimately not economically viable – they demonstrated the possibility of fixed-formation multiple-unit inter-city train services, that a decade later was developed as the InterCity 125, which resembled them in having an integral power car at each end of the train. The sets were an advanced and luxurious design, befitting a Pullman train, although they did suffer some criticism particularly over a persistent ride quality problem. Over time it became costly to maintain such a small fleet of trains. By 1972, with the development of first-class accommodation in Mark 2 coaching stock, the surcharge for Blue Pullmans seemed uneconomical and unreliable to passengers and BR managers, and in 1973 the trains were withdrawn. None of them were preserved.

GRAVESEND RAILWAY ENTHUSIASTS SOCIETY - 6th/7th NOVEMBER 2021

Gravesend Railway Enthusiasts Society

  - GRES Model Railway Exhibition

Saturday 6th - Sunday 7th November 2021

LOCATION:
Northfleet School For Girls,
Hall Road, Northfleet, Kent  DA11 8AQ

OPENING TIMES: 
Saturday 10am - 5pm, Sunday 10am - 4pm
ADMISSION: 
Adults £5.00  [Accompanied children admitted Free]

The society is looking forward to belatedly celebrating their 50th anniversary (+1) this year by returning once more to the fantastic fully accessible venue to offer a great variety of interesting layouts, railway societies and a selection of quality trade support. Situated close to the A2, Ebbsfleet station and Bluewater, the venue has: Free on-Site parking, a regular bus service that stops outside, wheelchair access and the usual friendly atmosphere.

Members are happy to assist those who need assistance and answer enquiries about the Show or Society. Children (Under 16) accompanied by an adult will continue to join us for FREE. That means one adult can bring several children with them and only pay five pounds!

Subject to prevailing conditions, hope to offer an extensive range of hot and cold food and refreshments. Plus on Sunday we will aim to serve roast dinners with all the trimmings between 12-2pm; Beef, Turkey plus a vegetarian option.

How to find Northfleet School For Girls;

Ebbsfleet railway station is only 17 minutes from Central London, 10 minutes from Stratford International and Gravesend railway station is 11 minutes from Dartford. Northfleet School for Girls is about 2-3 minutes drive from the Northfleet turn-Off from the A2.

Bus routes 481 & 483 serve Gravesend town centre, Ebbsfleet station and Bluewater shopping centre and stop outside the school on both days. Other regular bus services stop near to Northfleet School for Girls. As last year, anyone who presents their Arriva bus ticket to the pay desk can obtain a free tea/coffee/cold drink.

List of Layouts Attending:
Batcombe - OO - Southern Railway BR / SR set in the 1950s/60s period. 
Gravesend West - OO - Southern Railway BR / SR during the period 1930s > 1950s
Medway Modellers - Various - Science Fiction, Gauge 1 Trains & Other Transport Projects
Harmer Central - OO
Hayling Island Branch - N - BR SR - 1950s/60s
Lancaster Lane - OO - BR SR
Mill Road/ffoord Felin - OO9
Oakloads - N - BR SR
Quevy - N - European
Recontre Des Voies - HOe - French

Rye & Camber Tramway - OO9 - Southern Railway
St Paddy - OO - BR
Stoneycroft Junction - OO - 2000s
Titanic ocean model - OO - 1912
Tramlink - OO - Suburban South London - 2000s
Wapping Wharf - 7mm - BR SR - 1950s/60s
Windmill Hill - OO - Children's Layout

List of Other Displays:
4dd Double Deck Group  
4sub Double Deck Group
Class 315 Preservation Group
Gravesend Model Marine Engineering Society
Gravesend Railway Enthusiasts Society (Gres)
Southern Electric Group (SEG) & Network South East (Nse)
Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway (SKLR)

Nearest Railway Stations:
Ebbsfleet International [1.29 miles]
Northfleet [1.4 miles]
Gravesend [1.43 miles]
Swanscombe [1.95 miles]