Life and Times – No.32
Life and Times – No.78 City of Gloucester
Life and Times – No.7 “The Wade”
Life and Times – No.50 The Deutz

Built by Deutz at their works near Cologne in Germany, No.50 was delivered new to the West Kent Main Drainage Board, Long Reach Sewage Works, Dartford, on 23 May 1931. This locomotive represents the very earliest applications of diesel engines to rail transport. It is fitted with a horizontal single cylinder diesel engine and is […]
Life and Times – No.71, Clayton 5843

Carrying on the Woodhead theme, we present fleet no.71 – Clayton 5843 of 1971. No. 71 was new to the National Grid Woodhead Tunnel, doubtless purchased in the wake of the Hudson debacle described last week. The main line railway tunnel at Woodhead, in the Pennines between Manchester and Sheffield, was one of the longest […]
Life and Times – the Hudson Mini Locos

Two for the price of one this week – the life and times of the Hudson MiniLocos. A long-standing agreement between Hudson and the Hunslet Engine Company mean that any sales made by Hudson of small narrow gauge diesels would be fulfilled by one of the chain-drive Hudson-Hunslet locos. By the late 1960s, this design […]
Life & Times – No.61, Motor Rail 1320
Christmas – almost but not quite cancelled

Sadly, we had to cancel all of our Santa Special trains due to the pandemic. This left us with a rather large pile of presents – mainly wrapped chocolate selection boxes. We have chosen to donate these to others in the community less fortunate; we have split the donation between the Salvation Army and the […]
Santa 2020 – CANCELLED
Site progress

Despite Lockdown2, some work has been progressing on the Apedale site; sadly, the site is currently closed for (almost) all volunteering activities, but the contractors working on two projects have made good progress.A Water Tower is being created at the south end of the line. This should add visual interest, and make servicing steam locos […]