Avon Valley Railway Updates and Videos

The video highlights from the End of Season Gala are out! View them hear and hear that Manor roar!

 

Services tomorrow (Fri.1st Nov)) and Sunday (3rd) will be hauled by 7822 Foxcote Manor with a driver experience course on Saturday, 2nd. <BJ>

 

Just a reminder that 'Foxcote Manor' will haul service trains today at the Avon Valley Railway, near Bristol.
This is the final day that it will run before returning to Llangollen (expected to be on Tuesday). <BJ>

 

Filming Santa Specials today gave me the opportunity to try out a borrowed 'glidecam' - take a look and let me know what you think! I particularly like the shot of the Ruston heading toward Avon Riverside

 

Some of the glide cam effect is excellent - other bits are a bit weird - the bit where you walk/fly through the ticket office has a slightly seasick inducing rise and fall motion (which does reappear elsewhere but its most noticeable there). Having said that I'm no expert and its bound to be firstly a question of learning curve and secondly looking at what works and doesn't so overall it seems a different and interesting video.

 

Must admit it's a bit like being on the bow of a ship in rough seas, a pronounced up and down motion, started to feel queasy. The sections without that motion were never the less very good.

 

Cheers chaps - definitely a learning curve, like I say it was the first time I'd picked one up today and I think the better shots were toward the end of the day when I was getting more used to it, but a lot of the earlier shots had 'the right stuff' going on in front of the lens so it stayed in the edit
Part of it is in the setting up, a well balanced rig will have the least amount of sway possible, and you can get away with jerkier body movements. The other annoying thing is if you happen to catch it with your coat/sleeve then you can set up a pendulum type effect which I think happened in a couple of shots.
With the DSLR I used it is heaps better than shooting handheld, when most footage is so bouncy and unstable as to be unwatchable.
I think when set up well, and used in conjunction with other devices (Tripod etc.) it could serve as a very useful tool.
Practice makes prerfrect as they say!

 

For a first time using a glide cam, you appear to have done rather well. Like you say, there is a definite learning curve with using one of them, I've attempted it once or twice, with no great success. When using my DSLR for handheld stuff I've build a cheapo shoulder rig which works reasonably well, although still a few tweaks need to be made to it.

But equipment talk aside, another great video, you've captured what goes on during a santa special day very well. Look forward to seeing more as always!

 

Good day!

Here is the first in a series of videos about the Somerdale Sentinel Shunter, which worked at Fry's chocolate factory in Keynsham. Eric Miles led the effort to bring it back to Bristol, and recounts the history of the loco.
We are planning to release an episode every wednesday for the next few weeks, so stay tuned!

 

Episode 2 is now out! This goes into how Eric tracked down the loco, and where it had been all these years

 

It is Wednesday, which means another episode of the Somerdale Sentinel Story!
See how the loco was removed from it's hidden home and returned to Bristol...

 

Part 4 of the Somerdale Sentinel Story explains some of the key differences between a conventional steam loco and this one:

 

Very interesting. Be good to see it running one day.

 

Thanks!

Here is Part 5, the last in the current series of Somerdale Sentinel videos. Will hopefully be back with another update soon!

 

Ex GWR Small Prairie 2-6-2T No.5521 has arrived at the Avon Valley Railway. It is painted in London Transport red livery and numbered L.150. It is hauling service trains at Bitton today, Sunday, 31st August. Recently it has been a guest at the Bluebell Railway and then hauled a series of steam charters on the London Transport system. <BJ>

 

With RSH 7151 bowing out of service, and the TKh 4015 away at the flour mill getting its 10 year overhaul done, WD 'Earl David' has been running all steam services recently.
L150 should hopefully be with us for the rest of the season.
(photos from London Midland Society twitter and AVR Facebook)

 

Can you persuade the Avon Valley Rly to update their website, please? The latest article was written
on 31st January, 2014 and the previous article to that was on 13th August, 2013. <BJ>
http://www.avonvalleyrailway.org/news

 

If I get to speak to anyone responsible for it, I'll mention it

 

The Avon Valley's web presence is terrible and has been for a long time, it's social media presence however is excellent!

Any news on extension plans and the 4F?

 

The 4F has has a small shelter built around it to protect it from the elements, and the team are making great progress on the tender. The rear dragbox has been trial assembled - https://twitter.com/4123LMS/status/505842149800546305/photo/1

Extensions plans are in the works but in the meantime there has been a big effort to renew and repair the existing track which was in dire need of some TLC, as having to shut down in the middle of high season would have been disastrous.

The loan taken out for constructing the buffet has now nearly been paid off. It's been a tremendous success, open every day in a prime location on the cycle route.

The website is a bit tired, but it's one of those things where it is not common knowledge on how to update it (I suspect the back end UI is a bit old school). However many volunteers and staff can use the twitter, youtube and facebook, so we try and keep it updated.

At the coming 1940s weekend it is planned to launch the fundraising appeal to restore the Avonside 0-6-0ST 'Edwin Hulse' to steam, so watch this space...