Foxfield Gala 18th & 19th July 2009

Can I qualify with a text on Radio Stoke some months ago? "I've just seen a small, bare peacock, it's not very strong and it keeps slipping!"?

 

Fosters? That's rather a long way to go just to drink horse pee. Surely the products of the Titanic Brewery would the sensible
choice.

 

Evening all,

One more sleep to go!

In a similar vain to Spamcan's request does anyone know what time the freight is leaving Blythe Bridge tomorrow am? We were planning to get up for eight thirty but do I need to be there earlier? Maybe bunker first but uphill all the way!

Good luck to all the campers tonight - my regret at not being there is some what eased by the rain!

Thanks

 

I *THINK* it's due to leave Caverswall Road at 9, but I haven't seen a WTT so can't confirm this.

 

Well i'm sitting in an audi on a wet A1 en-route and now as we speak we have just stopped due to Traffic...we might not be there till late please make sure the bar is open till late please!!!!

 

You can always pick up some Fosters enroute......

Thanks for the gen George - look forward to seeing you tomorrow!

 

Should be able to pop in tomorrow, Sat, en-route to Oulton Park. Expecting lots of thrash and likely I will not be dissappointed. :smt041 :smt038

 

Sky clearing - hope it stays that way !.

 

If you have not visited yet we have No47 on the 18 wagons Sun afternoon - dont miss it, this engine sounds fantastic. Some very good runs today.

Classic Foxfield !

 

I will be there with my sound gear so looking forward to the noise.

 

No. 47 was impressively loud this morning, even on only 6 16 tonners plus brake van, and with Wimblebury tucked inside too! Somehow nothing else seemed to match it for noise. A very good day, well worth nearly 5 hours of driving to get there and back. My photos will be up soon, early next week at the latest.

 

Just a quick note to record my thanks for a very interesting day today. It was my first visit to Foxfield and I really liked the friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Also the way the industrial atmosphere is preserved, not just at the colliery site but along the line where it blends into the landscape.

The weather could have been better, but so what - the exhaust shows up better in cold wet air.

Cheers, Neil

 

we had an absolutely fantastic day today at Foxfield, a really big well done and thanks for a great effort, everyone was really friendly and helpful, at £12 for an all day rover it was excellent value, if I had to be critical though I feel the breakfast may need appraising, I hope this is taken constructively and do appreaciate the hard work that goes into these events.

 

Brilliant day guys, well done we were there untilt he bitter end watching the loco's come back to shed. The atmosphere, loco's and the beer was fantastic, cant wait til next year! I echo the comments about 47 it was great leaving the colliery this morning!

The Foxfield bank really is your star attraction.

Probrably saw us or heard us, the nutty welsh crowd shouting like idiots!

Brilliant Fantastic day guys and well done to all who helped to make it a success. =D>

Alex

 

Just like to add my comments also

had a great day out yesterday and to those who didnt go - you missed a treat !!

well done foxfields

Just posted a few pictures from yesterday at the usual place
( just click the link below)
John

 

Well done all another great day at Foxfield as we have all come to expect.

Highlights:

Walking the cinder path into the shed to find the four big 0-6-0s in a row - pure NCB!

No.47 - what a beast! Looks great and sounds even better. I am hoping it might have inspired some of the Tanfield lads as what should follow Twizell through Marley Hill!

The roar from Wimblebury at the top of the field on the second run - shades of Maesteg! It has never sounded so good and drowned out No.47 for a few too short moments.

The blue pair looked just right together.

The buzz around the colliery

Watching the all line freight from the hill by Dilhorne village. Listening to the three engines slipping on the wet rails was great. Hopefully next time there might not be so much wind and just maybe some sun

Great all day breakfast oatcakes at £1.30 each - had to have two!

Friendly welcome

Florence is certainly maturing into a bit of a beast as it pushing the 18 and the old ladies up the bank proved!

Meeting up with lots of familar faces on the bank (but unfortunately not the bar this year)

A very full car park and plenty of new faces

Picking up a copy of the long sought after and rare Hunslet Engine Works book from the IRS

Slight downsides:

Wimblebury and 47 only having two runs up the bank on Sat whilst everything else got three

The last freight up the bank being just a brakevan - it would have been far easier to have done the shunt at the colliery and not disappointed the gallery that waited for the advertised 'extra'.

The weather

All the thrash yesterday put me off going to see Tornado whisper past this am. Oh well got Ollie on Dainton next weekend to get me back into mainline stuff!

Well done all - just a shame I can not be there today for the grand finale..

 

Rather dull here so far. A couple of short sunny spells but neither when their
was a freight climbing the bank of course. Some good sounds to compensate
for the lack of sun. Hopefully the forecast heavy showers won't be around
for the "big one" at the end of the day.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

 

Thanks for the update Ian.

I will have to go to the pub otherwise come one o clock I will be jumping in the car for the run up the M5 for the 'blue uns'!

Just spent this morning going through my pics from yesterday. I am very pleased with some of the them, especially those in the shed but I am using lots of 'turn to B&W'!

Hope the weather picks up!

Cheers,

 

Has been throwing it down for
the past twent minutes. Sky is brightening so
hopefully the rain will stop soon.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

 

As promised, I made my first ever visit to the railway yesterday. Not having been before, all I knew about the line was that there was a bloomin' big hill at the colliery end of the line.
What I failed to realise was that without the car I would have to catch the bus to find the hill. Having arrived by train at Blythe Bridge and walking up the road I found the railway, bought my ticket and headed for the 11:30 departure. Knowing the hill was at the other end of the line I thought the move would be to catch the train to Dilhorne Park and walk from there (like many others also on the 11:30). The TTI on the train told us all to follow the paths in the woods to find the colliery. However, after an elderly lady had come a cropper in the muddy woods and the path, on exiting the woods, headed up a hill in completely the opposite direction to the railway, I smelt a rat. I returned to the station, having now been told about the bus, with the intention of catching the 13:30 bus to the colliery. Once back at Caverswall Road at 12:55 I thought there was time to get something to eat. I ordered my food and waited, quickly scoffed it down and missed the full up bus at 13:30. When the bus returned, the driver seemed to realise that an hourly service was not sufficient on a gala day so he promptly set off at 14:15 with another full load. We arrived at the colliery just in time to see the 14:24 passing the crossing and heading up this outrageous hill away from the colliery.
I spent the next 2 hours in the area photographing and had a great time. I was slightly disappointed that it had taken me half a day to realise that I could only get there by bus but the colliery end of the line has left a good enough impression for a return visit at the next gala.
The railway seemed to me to be split in two. One end for the serious people and one end for the train riders and the people who are casual visitors or just happy to poodle about. I can see a bright future for the railway when their plans come to fruition.
All things considered a very worthwhile visit.
My photos from the day can be seen on my fotopic site.

Regards,

Paul