Statfold Barn Railway - Events Past and Upcoming

Seeing as Statfold Barn Railway and Museum is missing from this forum thought I would add it. My plan is to post about upcoming events and some of my photos from past event feel free to post you own. Here is just one of mine from the just gone Coronation Weekend Steam In Miniature Event, SBR No: 1 "Harrogate" (my loco on this day) pauses outside the Signal Box at Statfold Junction awaiting a train to take over.

 

Harrogate? I first encountered this delightful loco many years ago (early '80s?) on the M25 (on a low loader!) It was being delivered to BWLR for restoration. I saw it in action there several times in the following years, although it did struggle with the steep curve just outside Warren Station

 

I would love to see this given a longer run, as I understand it she couldn't do the tight curves on the FR

 

She derailed on a gauging run while still undergoing restoration in the 1980's on the start of the spiral at Dduallt. However, whilst still not suitable for the FR, it did manage to negotiate the curves and reach Blaenau Ffestiniog during a visit in 2012.

 

Thanks for that, it is good that it happened, I am not sure just how effective she would be with a heavy load, but it would be nice to find out on the L&B at some point in the future.

 

The issue was more to do with the track at Dduallt at the time which was very heavy second hand rail. The top end loop points in particular had no give in them whatsoever. So the loco happily negotiated the tightest curve on the line which was laid in bullhead, but then fell off on the reasonably generous start of the spiral. It probably just pushed the curves to suit the loco on the more flexible track.

Really it was not that suitable because it is quite powerfull but has a very small firebox. It would most likely have to have been rebuilt as a 2-6-0 or a 2-6-2 with a tender and a bigger firebox to make it useful. Peckett did actually make some similar locos like that. When it came back it did successfully run to Bleanau but not with any sort of load. Then it ran on the bottom end of a Tan-y-grisiau shuttle which is probably even less arduous than a trip around Statfold Barn.

Ultimately it was redundant because building a third double engine seemed like a better solution. It would actually take until 2005 for there to actually be three in service at once though.

 

Events At Statfold For The Rest Of The Year

May:
5 Day a week running Wednesday through to Sunday
May Half Term - Schools Half Term Event the launch of the Fellumpa characters, a childrens characters that live in the woodland around the site (If you have visited since August last year you have already seen the villiage has appeared inside the Balloon Loop

June:
5 Day a week running Wednesday through to Sunday
Sunday 4th June - Cars in Strawberry Park, our annual classic car event
10th and 11th June - Statfold Barn Railway presents Summer Spectical Of Steam with: Surprise visiting locomotive(s?); Demonstration Goods Trains; Hunselt Archive Tours and much more

July:
5 Day a week running Wednesday through to Sunday
26th July through to 3rd September - Summer at Statfold Running Daily

August:
Summer at Statfold Running Continues Daily
19th August - Statfold hosts the Midland Fireworks Festival (Yes I know a fireworks festival in August seems strange to me too)
26th and 27th August - Party In The Park, our music festival returns for a second year

September:
Summer at Statfold comes to an end
9th and 10th September - Road Rail and Ale, our annual event returns and being the largest event on our calender it promises to be one of the most spectacular events on the calender
24th September - Statfold hosts a Bus Rally

October:
28th October through to 03rd November - Halloween Spooktacular trains

November:
Last 3 days of Halloween Spooktacular
25th and 26th November - 1st weekend of Statfold's Magical Santa Express

December:
1st through to 23rd December - Statfold's Magical Santa Express - between 1st and 10th December the railway runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from Friday 15th December the railway runs everyday of the week right up till Saturday 23rd December

 

Statfold Barn Railway will be the beneficiary of most exhibits.. There will be more to see and enjoy.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-68590855

 

If the L&BR had been a lot more advanced this would have been a great attraction along side of the railway.

 

With respect Colin, that would be a massive distraction from the job of rebuilding and running the L&B, in terms of finance, volunteers and scarce usable land.

 

I was very sad to learn that Dingles is closing down; I used to volunteer there and have many happy memories.
To those who live in the West Country and have never visited, I suggest you experience Dingles while there’s still time, and for those who live in the Staffordshire region there will be even more to enjoy at Statfold Barn in the future.

 

Hi Keith that is why I suggested that we are not big enough to take something like this on yet

 

We visited the Statfold Barn on a Friday a couple of weeks ago. We knew in advance that steam would not be running but we were encouraged by the advertising of "three gauges of railway".
Our admission cost was £25. Carer plus disabled.
We arrived at around 11am and were wary because they huge carpark was almost completely empty. There a large building claiming to be a transport museum,but it's doors were firmly shut.
Went up to the miniature railway, this again was shut, apparently because there was a dog show going on in the adjacent exhibition field. Ok, so let's see the 2ft gauge. Wandered through the exhibition space and to the station. Was disappointed to see a timetable of only 4 trains, two of which had already departed and the fourth labelled as only running if enough passengers. That left one possible train ride at 2pm. The place was totally dead. Obviously everybody knew nothing was happening.
I asked to see the manager and after a brief discussion, he agreed to refund our £25. Bonus marks to him for that, he was gracious and apologetic.
I never got to find the third gauge of railway.
The display space of narrow gauge engines was nice, but not worth £25.
We were very disappointed. I guess our fault for visiting on a Friday mid-term, but nothing on the website to indicate that it was generally closed that day.
Probably won't go back unless we are certain that things are actually running.

 

The three gauges are nominally the 2' gauge field railway, the 12 1/4" Mease Valley Railway and the 3' gauge tramway (which is also 18" gauge and standard gauge depending on which rails you look at).

I believe the tram is OOU currently for repairs, and the last time I was there the tramway was being used by Carnegie, ex Bicton Woodland and Woolwich Arsenal, but that loco has no stock to haul.

John

 

Hi there yes it was the 12 1/4 that was closed because of the dog show.
Never found the tramway.
The 2ft was the only thing running. And that for only 4 trips at 2 hourly (?) intervals.

 

I visited last Sunday 21st July for the Rails to Victory ,1940s weekend.4 loco's working on the 2ft gauge ,Trangkil No 4 (HE 3902/1971 ),Isibuta (WB 2820/1945),a 4-4-0T well worth going just to see this.No1 (Davenport 1586/1917 ),11 Fiji (HC 972 /1918 ).The last two tender engines. On the 12 1/4 ins gauge ,Mease Valley Railway, Carol Ann (Exmoor 750/2024) was working. I had some difficulty finding this line .It is just over the back of Oak Tree halt,and the museum ,no signs were seen. After leaving the platform of Oak Tree halt there are large steel double doors on the left ,which are lettered GOODS YARD, a small door in the middle needs to be opened .Walk down the yard and the line is visible the other side of a car park. Plans are to run the line into Oak Tree Halt station, In fact there is a set of points and a small stretch of line already laid,20/30yards from the current station. There was a gate that I spotted on my return, which was locked, that opened out on to the end of Oak Tree station. The tramway was worked by a Wickham trolley, the line runs down to Oak Tree with the other lines. The driver of the Wickham would show the Burton Tram ,which was outside its shed, to any one interested .Two photo's attached ,Mease Valley Rly Carol Ann and ,No 1 with 11 at Oak Tree Halt.