Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Autumn Gala 2015 with Ffestiniog Railway's BLANCHE
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- Опубликовано: 8 окт 2015
- On her first holiday in 122 years, the Ffestioniog and Welsh Highland Railway's "BLANCHE" travelled to North Devon for our Autumn Gala. She didn't get homesick as the mountains of welsh Wales were visible across the Bristol Channel some 20 miles away. Built by the Hunslet Engine company in 1893 for the Penrhyn Quarry Railway in North Wales, one of the oldest narrow gauge railways in the world, opening in 1801 as a horse drawn tramway. The six mile route conveyed slate from Lord Penrhyn's quarry to a sea harbour at Bangor and thence the world. Conversion to steam haulage commenced in 1875. Blanche worked all her life on the railway right up to 1962 when the quarry closed and was purchased by the nearby Ffestiniog Railway shortly after. She's very powerful and made short work of our 1 in 50 gradient.
A half hourly service operated with Blanche alternating with our two Bagnal locos, Charles W(h)ytock on Saturday and Isaac on Sunday.
Freight demonstration trains were sandwiched in between showing off our newly acquired wagons recently delivered from South Africa. These will be useful during construction work of our planned 4.5 mile extension to Blackmoor. All along the 19 mile route from Barnstaple to Lynton things are happening and it was announced on Saturday that Exmoor Associates had purchased a further 1105 yards of track bed near Chelfham. The station there is already a delight and suberb restoration work is going on, you can visit every Sunday to see progress. Great work is also going on at Snapper Halt, not far out from Barnstaple. There's also a useful map showing current ownership of the track bed on the website www.lynton-rail.co.uk
The next and fifth carriage now being constructed is appropriately number five. Containing four third class compartments and two first. Construction is just starting in the workshop in Great Yeldham, Essex. Previous grant money given towards these carriages has now been spent so please consider making a donation via the website, you can specify your donation goes to the "Heritage Carriage Project".
Next Year (2016) will hopefully be very exciting with the arrival of our new build replica Baldwin loco 762 "LYN". The project is now moving towards the assembly stage. It's not too late to sponsor a component or join as a member, check out the latest news at www.762club.com
The last train both days is traditionally reserved for all the volunteers and exhibitors who rarely get a chance to enjoy the railway. These trips were top 'n' tailed with Blanche and a Bagnall, the film ends with the Saturday trip.
If you're newly interested in the L&B and would like to get and idea of what the original railway was like, have a look at the 1987 BBC documentary "The Little Train to Lynton" it's in two parts and is on RUclips
Many thanks go to Andrew Wood for sharing his super drone footage for me to use. I hope you enjoy watching my film.
UPDATE: October 2015.
Exmoor Associates announce a further 407 yards of track bed purchased north of Snapper Halt, between bridges 18 (Collard Bridge) and 19 (Northleigh bridge)
UPDATE: 1st November 2015
The L&B is twinned with the Walhalla Goldfields Railway in Victoria, Australia. We have lots in common with the aim of reopening a long closed railway as well as a connection with Baldwin locos in our history. www.walhallarail.com.au
UPDATE NOVEMBER 2015: Share issue launched to raise £1.75 million to purchase Blackmoor station currently operating as "The Old Station Inn" See website for details of how to help in this vital piece of the railway's expansion.
As the narration asks in the "Little train to Lynton" when any hope of opening the railway was seen as very unlikely,
"Will the spirit of Sir George Newnes wave his chequebook over the Old Station Inn, and turn it back into Blackmoor station?". Now it seems so!!
UPDATE: MID FEBRUARY 2016. The seven sections of the planning application go public
If you shop online, renew insurance or book holidays, don't forget easyfundraising.org.co.uk Clicking through to a retailer from this website will raise money for the railway at no cost to you.
Lovely film! Very nicely shot and edited.
Well done - a really well produced video.
Stunning footage. Superb photography and great publicity. Thank you very much for sharing this gem.
My apologies-- I forgot to add this in my previous Comment: THANK YOU TRAINDRIVER35 for a very Well Done & Pleasurable Video!!!!
I enjoy watching your videos they are so well done and this little railway is my all time favourite.
Watched this on full screen and it's like being back in England on a summer's day, and with the bonus of beautiful locos. What a fantastic film. Homesickness both satisfied and frustrated! :D Thanks for this.I can't wait to visit...
+Adrian Rosenlund So glad you enjoyed it, we had beautiful weather. Today, some of the seven planning applications were published. Have a look, hopefully the railway will be longer when you visit. www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/planning/planning-searches/application-search-results?app_query=railway+&planning-search-agree=0
absolutely beautiful video. Stunning shots and wonderful, patient editing. The production is so much higher than we see on commercial tv today. thank you
As "They" say: "Bettah late than Nevah" to offer my "Two-Pennies Worth"..... The always lovely & impressive "Blanche", finally made a visit away from home environs, what a Special & Exciting Journey!! I had the distinct honour & privilege of a steamy & exhilarating Footplate Ride on "Blanche" on 7 Sep Y2K on the FR, unforgettable!! Ahh!.... the glorious L&BR-- making very impressive strides in Re-construction since it's "Re-Awakening", a most desirable & laudable enterprise & incredible effort of all involved!! Although the L&BR has the same NG "Footprint" as it's older 'Sisters' across the Bristol Channel in magnificent Wales-- the L&BR is a "Pudding" of a wholly different & exciting "Flavour" & "Character", Eh??! Godspeed & Good Fortune to ALL who are blessed to either participate in the Re-Juvenation of, the 'Steamy' Operation of, or to Ride upon the L&BR Rails!!
great production - well worth all the obvious effort that you put in. Thank you for posting and sorry it's taken so long for me to watch!
Top marks on producing such a great video which captures every part of the railway really well. I wasn't able to attend this years gala so seeing this video has made up for that. Well done!
Loving your video
Blanche looks at home at the head of the Lynton and Barnstable coaches
James, an epic and probably your best yet. Have you invested in a drone or a hot-air balloon? Well done
18:33 St Bernard
The real fun no doubt begins where the rail formation has been converted into a bye- way somewhere well in the middle of nowhere.
It will be a fairly simple request:- Can we have our trackbed back, please?
The railway was there long before you idiot..! If you had done your homework properly and any sense you wouldn't buy a property by a railway knowing there is significant worldwide support for it. You are the selfish one! And yes otters and voles will survive around the line as they did before your ignorant petty views and appearance . Grow up or move!
Let's just sweep aside all the effort, sweat blood toil and financial input and listen to a one sided view as to why extending the L&B is obviously so 'very disruptive' to the current environment and the bats, voles, otters and other fauna.And keep strongly in the forefront how the value of my property will come a tumbling! Not to mention a steam loco whistling! How scandalous!Selfish or what?Any counter arguments?
Alistair.Floreat vapor!
train goes choo-choo, dont care for much else