The Foxfield Steam Gala, 17/18th July 2010.

Just had a call from "my brother Jake" and he said he'll be coming too. He threw some coins into a "wishing well" and wished for some "California girls" to add some glamour to the event. We may be "living in the past" but you just can't beat a visit to a steam railway. "Dont let me be misunderstood," I like all aspects of railways but steam is "simply the best." If in the future a visit from a working Sir William Francis could be arranged I'd be there "like a bat out of Hell." Almost time to order a curry. Think I'll have a chicken "Kashmir" for a change.
"Now's the time to say goodbye" and maybe take the "road to nowhere" as it could be a "once in a lifetime" chance to " run away, run, run, run, run away."

 

On reflction "if I could turn back time" I wouldn't have started this but "there's the rub."

 

I know you wont sleep tonight unless I post the result.

Ahm.

The winner is.. after the adverts

Advert :-

Foxfield Summer gala, dont forget to pencil in the dates on your new calenders !.

Welcome back

The winner is .......

Pause

Spamcan81

Great effort, never gave in despite strong contenders.

So there we have it, preservation can be fun !, a free pint awaits Ian.

 

Well played, congratulations!

Oh, and just one more mention...


Ladynanladynanladynanladynanladynanladynan!

 

"Oh happy day" I've won a beer. Blooming long way to go for a free pint though and on Gala days I spend all my time between the pit and Bank Top so heaven knows when I'll find the time to claim my prize.
On a more serious note, is there any chance of ever getting the Kitson long boiler pannier to the Foxfield?

 

As indicated our track record with both Gateshead ( No22 ) and Bristol ( Portbury ) put us in a good position with municipal railways. I am sure that something will happen in the long run.

Dug out "Relayer" during our spot of fun, have it on at the moment - wow. Reminds me of my first concert, Yes backed by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band !!.

Same time that we "did" Scotland - 33 "pugs" found, some in the works, a good number in steam. Got kicked out of Bedley ( after we saw what we wanted ! ) - Tubular Bells on tape. Happy days.

 

Watched a bit of the 2009 Gala on Utube last night ( how green everwhere looked ) and had a thought...

What would it take to get a rope back onto the headgear in time for Gala ?.

We all know that it would look great but with no budget it wolud be a challenge to say the least. Thinking out aloud we would need to aquire said rope, design & make two clamp & anchor points and no doubt check that the winding house is strong enough for it ( I am sure that it is ). We would then need a rather large crane etc etc.

Hard to say what it would cost - but well into the thousands I think.

So Nat Pres is there anyone out there who would like to help out, either cash or physical effort ?. There is more that goes on behind this banter than you would think. A number of contacts have been made over the years via this forum so how about it !.

PS there are more people reading this stuff than would admit !!.

 

Obviously the Kitson needs an overhaul but it would be great to see it working hard on a coal train. I only did Scotland at the end of industrial steam. Asked nicely at Bedlay and got the run of the place for the day but sadly at Comrie steam was only used in emergencies. They did tow out their pale blue and primrose Austerity for a phot though. Horrible colours. For some reason we didn't do Whiflett Foundry and their Sentinels. Too late to go back now.

 

Get some costs and then ask us charter operators to appeal to our lists of supporters for donations. Anything that makes the pithead area more like a "real" mine would be welcomed I'm sure.

 

Or maybe John Howe, which might look a bit less dodgy paired with Bellerophon?

 

Glenalmond borrowed my phone today to photograph the progress being made by apprentices on "dubs"

Working on the regulator rod


The front tube plate with all the tubes aligned ready for expanding and beading, with the regulator valve fitted

 

Took a look at the railway's website, very good, very good indeed. One thing though, isn't the suffix 'The Cranford Line' a little over the top?

On another Foxfield thread I posted a question of whether 'Foxfield Colliery' was originally 'Godleybrook Colliery' as a map in a 1948 issue of the 'Railway Magazine' has it. I know that there were PO wagons marked 'Foxfield', but I'm unsure whether these came from the present 'Foxfield' or another site.

Does the railway have a resident historian who could answer the question?

Regards

 

As far as I know the colliery was never called GodleyBrook, but there may well have been an earlier working that was known as such in the area. The Foxfield Colliery was in fact in an area known as Godleybrook rather than Dilhorne but which has since generally become known as part of Dilhorne (although locals still call it Godleybrook). There is a brief history of the colliery here http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/robertburden/collieries/foxfield.htm

 

Thanks a lot

Regards

 

Glad to see the correct answer, I have never seen the 1948 RM in question - what was the subject ?.

 

Do you think that you can raise £3k ?

 

In the greater scheme of things £3K isn't much. A few years back we raised £2.5K to repaint 34081 but I'll be the first to admit that a livery change and pit head ropes are different matters entirely.
We can but ask our supporters.

 

Word on the street has it that the boiler of Bagnall 2842 ( never steamed before in 35 years of preservation ) is about ready for hydraulic and steam tests. It could be back in around a month or so....

Not sure when this engine last steamed - 40 years ago ?.

 

Spoke to two of the owners tonight, it is belived that 2842 last steamed 45 years ago. They also told me that the super heater tubes were being fitted at the moment, I think that on this second point they were just being silly !.