Morris Minor Owners Club

Very nice.....!

I live very near to the dean forest railway, and every now and then, on a sunday, my boyfriend and I go and sit on the platform near his house to watch the steam train go past :3

I'm keen to have a run on the Dean Forest! They had an 'interesting' accident at a level crossing not so long ago - the investigation showed that many of the Rules were being 'bent' shall we say!

A rather unfortunate story. One hopes that lessons have been learned.

Trains are not toys.


http://www.raib.gov.uk/sites/raib/lates ... lydney.cfm

Yes - that's the one ! The raib reports all make 'good' reading.

ive been on the dean forest railway a few years ago with my scout group. we went from parkend right down to Lydney. great fun, as the scouts wouldnt stop talking about Harry Potter's train. Good variety of trains, some diesel and some steam.

The DFR has come of age since reopening to Parkend in 2006.

Compared with something like the Severn Valley Railway, it’s obvious that there isn’t the money behind it but the DFR is still a very nice day out and they are trying. At the moment they are raising money for a carriage shed but it all takes time. Once this is in place, they will be able to extend their engine shed. I haven’t noticed any mishaps with gates at any of their numerous level crossings but since most of my visits have been since August 2007, perhaps this is proof that lessons have been learned.

I took my parents down there recently. Unfortunately the fireman hadn’t turned in, so we had to ride on a diesel. All was not lost, as we had a fabulous meal at the Woodman Inn at Parkend (http://www.woodman-parkend.co.uk/).

With reference to the Harry Potter loco, this was on the GWR (http://www.gwsr.com/) earlier in the year.

bmcecosse wrote:I'm keen to have a run on the Dean Forest! They had an 'interesting' accident at a level crossing not so long ago - the investigation showed that many of the Rules were being 'bent' shall we say!

Haha! I remember that happening! We were in Lydney town at the time, just down the road from the crossing, and everyone was going "OOOH LOOK AT THAT." "Oh my!" "Oh dear." "Silly driver."
I must say I didn't get a decent look - grandma was far more interested in the charity shops than a "silly train."

The crossing certainly has been upgraded, and the trains do go slower towards it now, but It does still look a little shoddy.

" Unfortunately the fireman hadn’t turned in" - dear oh dear, what a shambles! I was at my railway from 6pm friday night to prep the engine and 'light up' - then stayed over in a railway carriage - and turned out at 6am to build up the fire and get steam up for first train at 11am !!
Asked a little lad at the (Bo'ness - Scotland) railway yesterday (they visit us on the footplate in the station - to look at the fire! ) - how old he thought the lump of coal in my hand was. He looked at, but no answer, so I prompted him by asking if he thought it was older than me - he looked at it again, looked at me - then said NO!
Huh.

Some fantastic pictures guys!!

For me it has to be steam.. I'm very much an LMS Stanier fan even though he stole all his ideas from Churchwood of the GWR. A great leader (where Fowler failed) managing to lead the former Midland and LSWR fierce rivalry into one strong company.

Anyway I love some of the pre group Midland engines that were born from the Johnson and Deeley era. The 3F's in particular.


On a side I would love someone to get the Mallard steamed up again and get that worlds fastest steam record for definite. Apparently there is always doubt according to articles that a German steam engine does in fact hold it....

I don't mind LMS or LNER. In fact - good chance Leander will be visiting us at Bo'ness this week-end, so chance of double heading with LMS and LNER together, and I'm Firing again this saturday - so fingers crossed!

Blimey! I never expected to see a railway crank thread on the MMOC board, even though I knew bmcecosse was a driver at the Bo'ness. - I had a very entertaining run with his steed Morayshire at the Llangollen a few months back, on the verandah of a LMS guards van.

I've got lots of different interests in the hobby, but there is no denying that when it comes to diesel locomotives there are Deltics and then there are the rest.....

Here's a picture for you bmc....

http://chrismorley.fotopic.net/p51733480.html

I'm just a poor Fireman Chris (and Guard and trainee diesel driver - 27001 is my regular machine) - although as Firemen we do get turns at Driving - provided the Driver is willing/able to swing the shovel - not all are! ! Thanks for the picture Chris! Royal Scots Grey is indeed an extremely impressive machine (I have 3 x Deltics in my Dublo collection) - although usually it's trailing an ominous plume of thick blue smoke these days - and new Deltic engines cost ~ £500,000, and it has two of them! The Deltic design is fascinating - with big-ends of one set running on the back of the connecting rods for another set ! And no cylinder heads or valves to worry about of course
Unfortunately - when they go wrong - they go wrong in a BIG way!
Great series of pictures there Chris - I note your comment on one picture re 'platform extension' at Birkhill - most of the mortar (and there was a LOT of it!) used for that was mixed by yours truly!
If you are planning another trip to Bo'ness - let me know. If I happen to be on the footplate - a footplate ride may be possible!

Thanks for the offer BMC, I'll certainly let you know the next time I'm up at Bo'ness - I've many great memories of the line, including getting very drunk on real ale with the diesel cranks at the October 1997 gala and riding behind one of the 27s (001 or 005) up the hill in total darkness at 10pm.

You might like some of these pics taken the previous day on the SRPS trip to Mallaig! http://chrismorley.fotopic.net/c1522811.html

bmcecosse wrote:" Unfortunately the fireman hadn’t turned in" - dear oh dear, what a shambles! I was at my railway from 6pm friday night to prep the engine and 'light up' - then stayed over in a railway carriage - and turned out at 6am to build up the fire and get steam up for first train at 11am !!

Next time I'm planning a visit to DFR, I'll let you know, so that you can come down and sort 'em out . Someone said that because it was mid week, they couldn't get another fireman at short notice. I wasn't overly impressed but I was relieved that it was not a fault with the loco 9681. I rather like 060 Pannier Tanks and I'm hoping to have a go driving it next year.

They do seem to have a few problems with the brakes on the coaches, which sometimes delays the first train of the day (Well at least this had happened during my previous 2 visits). They seem to fix them soon enough but I can't help feeling that a carriage shed will help them a great deal, so far as maintaining the coaches is concerned.

When I see what's involved, I shudder to think what it must cost to run any preserved railway. When I visit the Severn Valley Railway, I'm always a bit in awe of what they have achieved (Granted over 40 years).

I haven't been to many of these lines (West Somerset, Glos & Warwick, DFR, SVR & Strathspey near Aviemore, plus some narrow gauge lines). I would very much like to see the North Yorkshire Moors railway - infact I've never been to Yorkshire!!

[quote="bmcecosse"]I'm just a poor Fireman Chris (and Guard and trainee diesel driver - 27001 is my regular machine) - although as Firemen we do get turns at Driving - provided the Driver is willing/able to swing the shovel - not all are! ! Thanks for the picture Chris! Royal Scots Grey is indeed an extremely impressive machine (I have 3 x Deltics in my Dublo collection) - although usually it's trailing an ominous plume of thick blue smoke these days - and new Deltic engines cost ~ £500,000, and it has two of them! The Deltic design is fascinating - with big-ends of one set running on the back of the connecting rods for another set ! And no cylinder heads or valves to worry about of course
Unfortunately - when they go wrong - they go wrong in a BIG way!

27001 eh? Nice locos those are. Ive never driven one but have driven a 25 which has a similar engine, presumably the two classes have the same sort of performance. I found the 25s quite lively, they soon built the amps up, a very good design.

Deltics? What a fascinating, impressive machine. Exhilarating performance even now. 3300hp to go at, with an incredible sound.

Here is an animation showing how the engine works.....


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Napie ... _large.gif

The class 27 has an extra 100 bhp over the 25 - thanks to an intercooler after the turbo charger. Otherwise - pretty much the same basics, although lots of detail differences. I have driven class 25 and 26 - and D8020 which in a way is my favourite - mainly because at age 10 I rushed to the local 'Meccano' shop to buy the Dublo model on the day it came out!

Ah the little Class 20s I always remember those on the coal trains from the colliery that used to be behind my house, that whistling noise they made!

Yes - 'only' 1000 bhp - but it starts up very quickly and changing ends is so much easier!

A very well respected loco, the old hand drivers speak highly of the 20s. They nearly always ran about in pairs, I cant recall ever seeing one by itself, except on preserved lines.