Steam Returns to Hayling 2!!! Weekends in June and September

Stop Press! due to on going boiler work, 'Wendy' will not be able to visit the Hayling Seaside Railway this June. But, we do have another steam loco to take 'Wendy's' place! See post No.5 below for more details!

After the success of last year’s event, steam is returning once again to haul passenger trains on Hayling Island, at the East Hayling Light Railway (aka the Hayling Seaside Railway). The Hampshire Narrow Gauge Railway Trusts Bagnall 'Wendy' has been booked for two longer period this year and will be in steam on the weekends of the 12th & 13th, 19th & 20th, 26th & 27th in June, and 11th & 12th, 18th & 19th, 25th & 26th in September.

Also two of the weekends, one in June and one in September (yet to be decided), it is hoped to be a gala weekend where the railways diesel fleet will be hauling goods trains alongside the steam passenger service. Also like last year, there is space on the lorry for a second loco (again, to be decided) which will be on goods trains.

For photography, the line is mostly unfenced allowing everyone the chance to do lineside photography. To see photos from last year’s event, see the thread [thread=19545]here[/thread].

For more infomation about the railway, see the website at www.haylingseasiderailway.com.

 

I am told that the gala weekends (where a goods train will run alongside the steam passenger service) is likely to be on the 19th & 20th of June and 18th & 19th of September. Also like last year, ticket prices for all six steam weekends will not go up because of the extra expense of a visiting steam loco! See the railways ticket prices here.

The story of the railways first adventure with steam in September 09 with the visit of the Hampshire Narrow Gauge Railway Trust Bagnall 'Wendy', has been written up in a special addition of the EHLR society magazine. Entitled 'Hayling Seaside Steam', fully illustrated, it tells the story of how the railway was modified for 'Wendy' to fit, to the 'steam and goods gala' and the second weekend when only 'Wendy' was in operation. It's available for sale in the railway shop at Beachlands Station, priced at £2.99.

Other recent news from the railway, it that the problems with erratic governing with 1940 built Ruston 'Alistair' (ex Ffestiniog and Gartell) has now been sorted. The work has involved the removal of the engine, just to get at the governor! 'Alistair' should now be more active during 2010, especially when I get it out the shed for a run!

 

Stop Press!! With the lorry coming from the Moors Valley Railway with Emmet, not from Amberley. There wont be a visiting diesel for the June Steam and Goods Gala. The Hayling diesel fleet will still be in action on the goods train during the Gala!

The first visiting diesel joining 'Wendy' in June on the lorry from Amberley, will be a Hudson Hunslet. We don't know which one yet, but it will be one of the ones listed at - www.amberleynarrowgauge.co.uk/our-locos.htm . The Hudson will be in action on goods trains, at the Steam and Goods Gala on the 19th & 20th of June.

The railway can now be seen on Google Street View! Just type 'Eastoke Corner' in the search box, which should lead you to the right place. A works train can be seen at Eastoke Corner with 'Edwin' our Ruston LBT, and 'Jack' can be seen half way down the line with the main passenger train.

 

The Hayling Seaside Railway (aka the East Hayling Light Railway) now has a new and very much improved website! Check it out here, at www.haylingseasiderailway.com.

 

Unfortunately, 'Wendy' will not be able visit the Hayling Seaside Railway for the Steam Returns to Hayling trains this June. After suffering leaking tubes a few months ago, the repairs to the boiler have proved more extensive than the Hampshire Narrow Gauge Railway Trust had originally thought. 'Wendy' is still book to visit the railway in September, and all the volunteers at the railway are looking forward to 'Wendy’s' return.

However, rather than cancel the event, we have managed to get another steam loco! Jim Haylock’s' 'Emmet' from the Moors Valley Railway (seen in the photo below at the Statfold Barn Railway), will be taking 'Wendy’s' place for the weekends in June.



The railway has great views over the Solent and the Isle of White, as the photo below shows! And yes that is Ryde in the back ground.

 

Well done on getting a replacement! This is such a friendly railway in a very English seaside setting. I'm really looking forward to more than one visit this Summer.
I recommend a visit! By the way, as a good North Walian, I'd love to see a Hunslet quarry tank there sometime!

 

We have plans! With the great links we have with the Hampshire Narrow Gauge Railway Trust, we may one day see Cloister running along the Hayling seaside after its' next overhaul.

 

Wow! That would make my Bangor born heart beat a lot faster. Good luck to you! I'm really looking forward to this Summer's steam too!

 

Emmet has now arrived on the Hayling Seaside Railway! Emmet will also be staying on Hayling over the summer with extra steaming days being planned over the summer season! The dates are still being planned and I'll post them here when they have been decided. Also check out the website at www.haylingseasiderailway.com for updates.

Emmet has already had a couple of trial steaming and with crew training this weekend (no passenger trains will be hauled! And the training runs will be run alongside the normal passenger service), the Haying Seaside Railway is ready for the most regular steam trains on Hayling since the Hayling Billy closed in 1963! Steam Returns to Hayling, now less than two weeks away!!!

 

Steam Returns to Hayling!!! First passenger train this Saturday! Beachlands Station, 11am!



Timetables and Information for the first three weekends can found on the railway website at http://haylingseasiderailway.com/emmet.html. And details on how to find the railway is at http://haylingseasiderailway.com/location.html. If you are travelling by train to Havent Station, ask to add 'Plus Bus' covering Hayling Island to your ticket.

Emmet was in steam this past weekend for crew training and testing of the modifications required for Emmet to work with the railways coaches. With Emmet having an Westinghouse Air Pump, there won’t be a noisy generator/compressor coach that Wendy required! More photos from this past weekend can be found here at http://haylingseasiderailway.com/emmettrials.html.

 

Wow she really looks the part!!

 

Here's a few photos of 'Emmet' on the first weekend of steam haulage on Hayling this year.







It's Gala weekend on the Hayling Seaside Railway this weekend, with goods trains running alongside 'Emmet' on passenger trains. The railway diesel fleet will be sharing the goods trains and when waiting their next turn, they can be seen at Beachlands. The railway will be at its' most busiest with trains departing each end of the line every 20/25 minutes! Timetable for the event can be found here at http://haylingseasiderailway.com/emmet.html.

 

Emmet really seems to work on the HSR, should talk to Jim about basing her there, seems perfect!

 

Emmet really does fit in well with the size and look of the railway, and the Westinghouse Air Pump is a bonus. Emmet will at least stay on the railway over the summer, and currently there is no exact date of when Emmet will leave. When I last saw Jim, when Emmet was last at Statfold Barn, he said he liked the idea of Emmet at Hayling, as it's only an hour drive for him.

 

Yea thats what I thought, seems to work all round for everyone And it'll make my little Niece happy!!

 

Can I presume more running days will be planned then over the next couple of months?

 

I've been told that Emmet will be steamed occasionally over July and August. Dates are still being decided, with the most likely date being the Hayling Carnival on the 7th August. I'll post the dates on here once they have been released.

Here's a taster of the goods trains running tomorrow and Sunday. The photo shows visiting Schoma 'Jenny' from Amberley, at last Septembers' Steam and Goods Gala.

 

Here's a cab ride video on 'Emmet' over the full length of the Hayling Seaside Railway. And if you want to see 'Emmet' in steam for youself, come to Hayling this weekend!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHdGIsf7-Vs

 

It sounds as if the valve setting needs a bit of attention. This is a black art to the mathematically challenged such as myself!

Paul H.

 

Yes the valve setting does need a bit of attention, I'm told it's on the Moor Valley Railways to do list.

Below are a couple of photos from this past weekend’s Steam and Goods Gala. The cavalcade of the Hayling diesel fleet over the full length of the line was something I just had to do, whilst they are not in use working passenger trains!

Remember 'Emmet' will be in steam hauling passenger trains this weekend, and the timetable can be found here at http://haylingseasiderailway.com/emmet.html. If you couldn't come to this past weekend’s Gala, we are holding a second one on the 18th and 19th of September! Again with a steam loco on passenger trains, and a goods train running alongside.