Ken writes:

I've had a fantastic weekend! Below are a few of the 300 photos I took. Hope you enjoy them.

4 railway lines and a bus rally were visited using the BMMO C5 coach below on the August Bank Holiday weekend 28/29 August 2010. 2010 is the first year on the road for this vehicle since 1971 after a major rebuild and refurbishment to extremely high standards. Built for the then new motorway system we have visited the Appleby / Frodingham Railway, The Cleethorpes miniature railway, The South Tynedale Railway, The Tanfield Railway plus the bus rally at Seaburn. So plenty of pictures to look at! Here goes . . .

1. Our stylish and dependable transport for the weekend.

The Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society

The Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society is based at Scunthorpe in North Lincolnshire. The Society owns locomotives and rolling stock but not the railway it runs on. The name comes from the Appleby - Frodingham Steel Company, now simply known as Scunthorpe Works. The railway operates entirely within the Corus steelworks over the tracks normally used for moving iron, steel and materials around the works. The steelworks are now owned by Tata Group. Prior to Corus it was a British Steel Plant. I fully recommend a visit to this site. The best way is by doing a brake van tour where you see much more than the standard tour. We booked a private brake van tour in advance. The society also has BR shunters 07012 and 13000 [D3000] owned by individual members. They also offer really friendly service, let you drive an engine in the yard, and provide good value for money snacks and drinks.

2. Our train is seen approaching Frodingham station to pick us up. The locomotive is 0-4-0 saddle tank built by Peckett in 1916.

3. The standard tour utilises class 108 DMU 59245 and 54207 normally pulled by the Peckett.

4. The steelworks hires in two class 20s. Here we see Corus number 81.

5. Shunter 5 is a Baguley Drewery / GEC traction 0-4-0 from 1977 used in conjunction with coke / sinter car at the ironworks.

6. Shunter 92 is a Yorkshire "Janus" 0-60 from 1960. All diesels used by the traffic department are remote control, but a man rides on each to manually change points on this extensive rail network. He can also manually over ride the remote control and take charge of the engine - useful to know when you see one coming up behind you.

7. 66230 at the exchange sidings.

8. The exchange sidings are shunted by 08994 one of the cut down cab 08 from South Wales. When based there the 3 cut down shunters carried cast plates with names and numbers - but not any more.

9. Another view of shunter 92 and train, this time another locomotive has attached itself to the other end, in fact most trains we saw in the site were top and tailed.

10. Shunter 72 is Hunslet Bo-Bo locomotive from 1972.

11. Shunter 76 [built1973] and another Hunslet at rear of a passing train within the complex.

12. Class 20 number 82 in the recently painted Tata livery.

13. Yorkshire Engine Co 0-6-0 from 1958 on loan to society from East Coast Slag Co was available for us to drive [not on our own] within the preservation society yard.

The Cleethorpes Miniature Railway

Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway is a 1 ft 3 in (381 mm) railway built in 1948. It was originally built to a slightly smaller gauge.

It was operated by Cleethorpes Borough Council from 1959 to 1990, but is now owned by Chris Shaw. Under his ownership the railway has expanded at its westward end, with a bridge being built to take the line over the boating lake. A National Lottery grant enabled the railway to acquire stock from the long-dismantled Sutton Miniature Railway {SMR} that ran in Sutton Park in the West Midlands. Over the 2006/7 winter off-season, the Line was extended a further 900 yards (823 m) south-east to a new station at North Sea Lane, close to the Meridian Line car park. [taken from Wikipedia]

On the weekend we visited it was advertised as SMR running but one of the Sutton engines due to take part sprang a leak and needs repairs. However the other serviceable SMR engine and carriages did operate. More information on the light railway website HERE.

14. Sutton Belle originally built in 1933 stands outside the engine shed following a failure.

15. 2-8-0 6284 built 2009 in service deputising for Sutton Belle.

16. Two open top buses were in service despite the heavy showers. One passes the railway with no-one on upper deck despite the sun now shining.

17. 6284 blows it's whistle as pets and public still cross the line. Original SMR coach next to locomotive.

18. Sutton Flyer from 1950 in service.

19. SMR railcar number 4 in Griffin museum on station at former terminus before extension built.

20. SMR Mighty Atom from 1909 in museum.

21. 6284 arrives at former terminus from extension.

22. Sutton Flyer arriving at former terminus.

The South Tynedale Railway

3 pictures from the South Tynedale Railway. Only engine in steam was this ex Polish locomotive - rest hidden away in shed. More information about this locomotive on their website HERE.

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The Tanfield Railway

Here are photographs from the Tanfield Railway. More information on their website HERE.

26. Renishaw Ironworks No 6 dating from 1919 was one of the engines working passenger trains during my visit.

27. No 3 Twizell dating from 1891 was the other.

28. Behind the steam shed they have a vertical boiler feeding the drive to the line shaft to operate machinery such as lathes.

29. Inside the steam shed.

30. Plenty more locomotives outside to restore.

31. 69023 in steam in yard ready for evening special train.

32. 69023 waits at the station.

33. Twizell arrives at station with train. Note token being handed over which will then pass to 69023.

Pullman cars

We also attended the Seaburn Bus Rally but there are pictures of that elsewhere on this site (HERE).

Along the seafront at Seaburn you reach the Pullman Lodge Hotel - which appears to be more of a function room, although it does have hotel rooms at the side. Anyway I couldn't get into the building. It has 2 Pullman coaches and a third behind them. Around the back it has a MK 1 carriage built into the building and reception to the carriages was closed between 8am and 8pm and is made to look like a signal box.

No information anywhere about the carriages or on their website HERE. Ironically they have chosen not to name their Pullman cars but the MK 1 is named. Here's some pictures for you:

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