Welshpool gala 5, 6 September- Statfold mallet visiting

I understand the railway is arranging a viewing area at Heniarth and trains will be stopping there.

G.

 

The railway is running special photographers trains stopping at Heniarth to drop off those who would like to see the Mallet pass.

 

I and some of the others of the Friends of Sierra Leone National Railway Museum will be at Welshpool all weekend, with our pop-up museum containing a few exhibits from and aboyt the Sierra Leone Government Railway and the Freetown museum itself. We'll be exhibiting alongside the ex Sierra Leone coaches, appropriately!

We are also going to be accompanied at some points by Ms Isatu Smith, Chair of the Sierra Leone Monuments and Relics Commission, who has flown over to the UK to see how railway heritage can help create jobs and fuel an economy. You'll have read that Sierra Leone is on the cusp of being declared Ebola-free: this is an exciting time for us all and the green shots of economic growth are starting to show. The National Railway Museum of Sierra Leone (founded by Colonel Steve Davies who was serving in the army there at the time and who of course later came to be director of the UK NRM) is a key part of the tourism strategy for Sierra Leone and we're proud to be able to help them out.

We'll be there all weekend, so do pop over to the pop-up to see photos of the museum, hear about our plans or maybe buy one of our books and mugs or even join us as we embark on an incredible journey to help rebuild a nation with narrow gauge railways.

See you there!

(BTW attached a couple of interesting Ransom-Wallis collection of SLR Hunslets, like the one still in Freetown and the W&L-owned one currently on display at the NRM Shildon - all from the Science Museum pic library)

 

Finally got my photos from the gala sorted and uploaded, never been to the W&LLR before and definitely want to visit again. Listening to Countess climb Golfa bank from the balcony of one of the Pickerings (6338 if I remember right) was an experience I'll remember for a good while.

Below is a sample of the full album I've put onto flickr

Joan by William Fisher-Jones, on Flickr

Pakis Baru 5 by William Fisher-Jones, on Flickr

Illumination by William Fisher-Jones, on Flickr


Countess by William Fisher-Jones, on Flickr

Dueling Whistles by William Fisher-Jones, on Flickr

https://www.flickr.com/photos/williamfj2/albums/72157658475475786