LCLR Photocharter

Short version:
Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway ‘WWI Stock Photo Charter’, Friday 13 September 2013, 10:30 – 4:00 Participation by advance booking only. Price £10. For further details email jraby@waitrose.com or phone 01507 442151. Booking by cheque payable to Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway Historic Vehicles Trust to John Raby, Marigold Cottage, 77 Church Lane, Sutton-on-Sea, Lincs LN12 2JA refundable only if event does not proceed. The railway is located inside the Skegness Water Leisure Park near Skegness, Lincolnshire

Long Version

A date with the past for narrow gauge and WWI light railway photographers on Friday, 13 September 2013 – The Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway’s First Photo Charter
The 60cm gauge Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway, situated on the Skegness Water Leisure Park at Ingoldmells near Skegness, is home to a collection of historically important World War 1 trench railway vehicles. Having opened to the public at Skegness in 2009 it now plans to offer its first 'photo and video charter' on Friday 13 September 2013.
The line, which has a length of just under a half a mile, runs in the shape of a figure 7 from a storage shed to the passenger station, and from the passenger station to a run round loop, situated in a typically remote Lincolnshire fen countryside location, amongst the flat but pleasant scenery of grassland and arable farmland, with young tree plantations along the way. Our normal operation involves running the loco round its train at the passenger station and the end of the line. This event will give unique access to the whole running line for lineside photography including areas, at the south end of the line, that are normally off-limits to visitors (due to the grass airstrip that runs alongside the line).
The event will include posed and moving trains on all stretches of the line. Our aim is to listen to the requests of those interested in attending in order to make as many wishes as possible come true on the day.

Locos available for use are Simplex 4 wheel diesel locos, two of which date from the 1920’s and are bow frame 20hp types. One loco is restored to its 1926 condition which would have been identical to the loco’s which went to the front. With a Class D wagon we can recreate a scene from 1917. The coaching and wagon stock includes WWI survivors such as the only example in the UK of a restored bogie ambulance van, a class D bogie drop side wagon, a class D bogie flat wagon and a class P ration wagon. Our aim for this first photo charter is to offer a train of WWI vehicles with two Simplex locos which can be used singly or together.

The plan is to have two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon with a lunch break at the Barn pub and restaurant on site (at your own expense) or bring your own packed lunch. Participants are invited to come early to see us preparing for the day (starting one Simplex loco and possibly jump starting the second) and to stay on to see everything put to bed at the end of the day.
The event will be limited to around 20 participants and a minimum of 10 persons are required to confirm this event is on. (As this is a one-off event, we will allow a few more than 20 if there is the demand.) Participation will only be by advance booking. There will be no admission on the date to those who have not booked a place. The advance payment will be fully refundable if the event doesn't reach the required number to run but will otherwise be non-refundable. The event will run whatever the weather although, of course, we all hope for a sunny, windless day. The price for this event is £10 per person (lunch at your own expense) which will support the work of the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway Historic Vehicles Trust.

Our plans for the day are:
09:30 - 10:30 Preparing for the day – shed area (you are welcome to observe the preparations)
10:30 – 12:30 Morning photography session
12:30 – 14:00 Lunch break (we expect the Barn pub and restaurant on site will be open for food and drink –to be confirmed – 5-10 minutes walk)
14:00 – 16:00 Afternoon photography session
16:00 – 16:30 Packing up – shed area (you are welcome to observe the packing up)
Participants will need to bring their own hi-visibilty jacket to wear while lineside. Apart from your booking which should be made by post with a cheque for £10 payable to Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway Historic Vehicles Trust enclosed, acknowledgment and further contact will be by email or phone. Please provide contact details. Should the event be cancelled, your cheque can be returned (or destroyed) as you request. Please send your cheque to: John Raby, Marigold Cottage, 77 Church Lane, Sutton-on-Sea, Lincs, LN12 2JA (but made out as above). You can contact John at jraby@waitrose.com or on 01507 442151.

Access is possible by public transport (trains to Skegness and local buses to the main road turn to the site) but private transport will avoid the walk from the main road and the walk to the lunch venue. You can even arrive by light aircraft at the landing strip on site if you prefer. The event will take place at the Skegness Water Leisure Park PE25 1JF (Google Maps).
To find out more about the railway, please see:
Welcome to Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway
DAVES RAILPICS OF LINCOLNSHIRE
Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
UK & Ireland Heritage Railways - Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway
Revised Draft 15 April 2013
Captions for Photos (Photos copyright David Enefer and appear on the webpage LCLR50 - 50 years of Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway
LCLR no 6, Motor Rail Simplex of 1956, rounds the curve with a demonstration WD train consisting of restored 
class D bogie wagon (built 1917) fitted with stretchers for casualties, and the only example of a WW1 ambulance van in UK. 
This ambulance van was built in 1918 and restored in East Yorkshire in the 1970s. Sept 2011.
LCLR No 6 with two class D bogies, ambulance van and 1920`s bow framed Simplex "Paul" at rear.