Snibston Colliery Photo Charter

Last Friday evening I went on a photo charter at Snibston Colliery in Coalville, Leicestershire. A most fascinating venue and our Bagnall 0-4-0ST 'Linda' provided a great evening's entertainment. The good folk at Snibston were most helpful and a big thanks to all of them.
My photos can be seen on my fotopic site. http://paulgildersleve.fotopic.net/

Cheers,

Paul

 

Paul,

Nice set of shots and must have been stood next to you on more than one occasion. I had better get round to processing my pics..

Great evening and how enthusiastic are the lads from Chasewater. Nice to see they have lost the desire to pretend to be a BR set up and are going back to their industrial roots. I am just looking forward to S100....

Cheers,

 

There aren't many places where you can photograph trains against background of coalmine headgear. This site looks really worthwhile.

 

Only four working deep mines left now...

Think Snibstone, Foxfield and Blaenavon are the only places on operational preserved railways with colliery head gear. Lucky to have three! Snibstone is probably the most authentic with it left just as the pit closed.

 

Cheers, guys. It is the sort of place you could wander around for hours as it is full of relics of days gone by. Well worth a visit if the opportunity arises.

Cheers,


Paul

 

That's a nice set of pics on your site! I went along on Sunday but didn't really get anything worthwhile, a pity they didn't run any freight demonstration trains over the weekend, but I suppose they'd rather have 'Linda' earning some money working the passenger trains.

 

Andy,

Just looked at your wordpress site. Some lovely industrial pictures and Scunthorpe ones are great. You would have loved the Snibston charter as we had access all areas - bet you wouldn't have pointed your camera at Linda! You should try the Foxfield gala as plenty of gritty shots to be had there as well around the shed and colliery.

I also recently discovered All Trains to Stop. Without doubt one of the best railway books ever published. Probably not as popular as Gifford as there are too many industrials and foreign engines for many but for me it is just perfect!

Best regards,

David

 

Well Done Paul,
Nice set....Is the 0-4-0 the original colliery loco?

Cheers
Jon.

 

No. It lives at Chasewater. Snibston was all diesel by 1964, though Cadley Hill No.1 is a local engine and I always wanted to resteam it...

Superb photos, thank you. The first time there's been steam at Snibby and I've not been there to see it...

 

Anthony,

I was recently informed the colliery had some nice nice MWs in the 60s. I would also love to see Cadley Hill No.1 in steam and as one of the last steam engines built (1962) it deserves a bit better. My understanding is the boiler is fairly shot though ? Last time I saw it was as a young lad sat outside Cadley Hill shed. Another disappointing colliery visit when steam was not in use. Mind you Anthony the NRM also have their own your austerity that deserves some TLC!

Linda was used as the planned engine (the Barclay at Chasewater) was not available. The engine was painted for the visit and although not authenthic looked superb. It was even a little grubby by the night shot.

I have attached a few pics which hopefully show some different angles. Better process a few more...

Regards,

David

 

Ah David, watch and wait for our Austerity...

There are rumours about Cadley's boiler, but nothing that couldn't be repaired.Back in 2000, it was costed at 30k to have been overhauled and it was planned to happen in 2002, however, times move on and money is hard to get. At least she is complete, in care and under cover. The boiler isn't her 1962 original, it's off a 1945 engine if I remember rightly. It's now 9 years since I left Snibby, but it was a wonderful full size model industrial railway to play with and Linda looks well at home.

Snibston ran two Mannings at the end, Snibston II and Ellen, as well as an 0-6-0 Peckett - no Austerities oddly.

For the record, the steam at Snib in preservation has been:

1998 Cockerill "Yvonne"
1999 Robert Heath No.6
2000 "Singapore" & "Rocket" replica
2000-2002 "Yvonne (semi-resident)
2001 Y7 "NCB No.4 Area" (aka 68088)
2003 "Dora"
2007 "Wimblebury"
2010 "Linda"

Cheers
Anthony

 

A few nice shots there David.

Cheers,

Paul

 

Thanks Paul.

Anthony glad to hear you have plans for the austerity. She certainly looks very sad at the momement and hopefully plans by the previous management to leave it that way have now been abandonned! Also thanks for the list of visitors to Snibston - didn't realise there had been so many. Wimblebury was in 2007 though as I missed it as I was in South Africa on Honeymoon. Bit miffed at the time but Friday night helped me get over it!

Few more pics attached.

Cheers,

 

Thanks David, glad you like the sites. I've got my eyes on the Foxfield Gala, only thing is my wife is due to give birth in early August so I'm slightly nervous about straying too far away from home! Still, there'll be plenty more to go to in the future.