Vertical Boilered weekend at Leighton Buzzard - 14th/15th May 2011

The Leighton Buzzard Railway will be hosting a gathering of vertical boilered locomotives over the weekend of the 14th/15th May next year.
The weekend will also see the launch of the new De Winton book by Alf & David Fisher.

Keep an eye on the LBR website for further info.


Charlie

 

This sounds a interesting event as does the book launch

 

Further info on the event can now be found here (.pdf file).

 

There is a fantastic 7 1/4" gauge version of Chaloner somewhere which I nearly bought...regret it getting away to be honest...

 

Thanks for the update. Just a pity that Saturday is going to be the best chance for seeing the VBTs on "main line" workings as I will be working. Any Sunday diagrams for them at all?

 

Hi
Short answer is no, but this is due to the, perceived requirement for more people carrying on the Sunday, but if people only want to come if they can ride behind a coffee pot and you mail the person at the bottom poster to tell him it might change

 

I see the line up has now been announced as Chaloner, Taffy, Paddy, Iowerth, Leary, Perseverance and John Forshaws machine, but that only Chaloner and Paddy will actually be available to ride behind and then only on Saturday. The other engines will be taking part in working demonstrations at Stonehenge.

With a line up of such engines (Iowerth has appeared at Ffestiniog but hasn't worked any trains, Leary has never been away from Ffestiniog and has done very little there, Perserverance isn't exactly common and Forshaw has I beleive never appeared in public at a railway) this seems like a completely missed opportunity. I know of a fair number of people who like to travel behind engines rather than pay to see them sitting in a yard pottering about who were looking forward to this weekend (I was one of them) who now will make other plans for this weekend.

Shame!

 

Completely agree with that. If they were all rostered to work passenger trains on the same day, I'd be rounding up a posse to head there. As it is, it's just not worth my while.

 

I have forwarded this back to people at the railway that may have some influence, but as stated before mail the organiser, to tell him.

 

It's probably because many of the locos aren't powerfull enough to pull passenger trains.

 

Double or even triple head the trains then. Been done before on the Leighton Buzzard. Last time I rode behind Chaloner it was double heading with PC Allen. To get double headed coffee pots would be excellent and well worth visiting the railway for. To see and hear these locos at work is a rarity and I hope the railway comes round to allowing them out and about on both days.

 

When Chaloner visited Wicksteed Park a couple of years ago it was paired with Taffy all day - and there's a stiff climb on the final part of the circuit - probably steeper than the LBR have got.

If an engines a bit dodgy for hauling a full train then top and tail one coach in the station limits - its not much but better than nothing! The LBR is one of the few railways I know where a lack of brakes isn't an issue, so if you can't get these engines here then your going to be struggling elsewhere.

 

"a lack of brakes isn't an issue"

Try telling HMRI that.

 

Six 'coffeepots' are coming to Leighton Buzzard. Four are brilliant home made creations which were not intended to haul trains, otherwise I'm sure they'd have done so at Porthmadog. The other two will be running. So perhaps some of these critics would like to come over and spend a few weekends fitting them up with airbrakes so they could work one coach trains at a very leisurely pace and then tell us how Leighton Buzzard recoups the considerable money spent in bringing them over in the first place. Stop carping and enjoy the spectacle.

 

The lack of need for brakes comment is based on the Leighton Buzzards ongoing use of non airbraked locos on passenger trains with either a suitably fitted loco on the inside or useing their new brake tender which was built specifically to allow the smaller unbraked locos more use on passenger workings. There is therefore no need to fit airbrakes for this weekend.

Whilst I did not visit the Ffestiniogs Quirks and Curiosities (I was doing steam in Germany that weekend), I understand that the only VB loco present that did not work a passenger train was Iowerth which was not yet complete, but on display. The pasenger runs were short trips around Porthmadog much as I have suggested for around LBR station limits.

'tell us how Leighton Buzzard recoups the considerable money spent in bringing them over in the first place. Stop carping and enjoy the spectacle'

My point Blastpipe is that there are a number of parties out there who would be quite prepared to pay the Leighton Buzzard for day rover tickets thus helping the railway recoup their investment if only they could travel behind some of the visiting locos. Most do not have the inclination to travel a considerable distance to attend and 'enjoy the spectacle' from behind a fence where they cannot get involved.

 

If I recall correctly Leighton Buzzard only has 8 carriages - sufficient for 2 sets of 4. Presumably those planning the event would prefer to maximise capacity on the mainline passenger trains rather than have one carriage shuffling about at Pages Park.

At least all the coffee pots are being gathered together and will be in steam - enough to make me travel up from the depths of the West Country for the weekend.

Charlie

 

This weekend I believe.

 

I'm going on Sunday, looking forward to it.

 

Yes the Great Coffee Pot Fest weekend is this weekend at Leighton Buzzard.

We expect to have no fewer than seven 2ft gauge vertical-boiler locomotives at work, as follows:

Chaloner (De Winton) now back from its trip to Maldegem over the May Day Weekend.
Taffy (A Keef)
Paddy (D Potter)
Leary (Ffestiniog volunteers)
Perseverance (C Parmenter)
Iowerth (A Barber)
Forshaw (J Forshaw)

Of these, the last two have never operated in public before. There should also be well over 30 scale model and miniature vertical-boiler locos working at Stonehenge Works station (to which the only access is by train from Page's Park.) Dual-gauge miniature track is being laid, and rides will be given thoughout the weekend.

Paddy will be based at Page's Park on both days, giving rides in the 4-wheel coach that has accompanied it. Chaloner and Taffy will double-head one of the sets of coaches on Saturday, possibly giving Paddy a run out as well. The second set on Saturday, and all trains on Sunday, will be hauled by conventional locos, with Chaloner and Taffy at Stonehenge Works on Sunday.

I intend to be at Stonehenge both days. If anyone wants to say hello, ask for "William".

 

I'm going Saturday and meeting a friend, who is new to VBs, there. (Pity we won't meet, Anthony). I'm really looking forward to it.

Ian