Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Autumn Gala 2015 with Ffestiniog Railway's BLANCHE

• Report rights infringement
• published: 09 Oct 2015
• views: 5618

On her first holiday in 122 years, the Ffestioniog Railway's "Blanche Hunslet" as she's known on the FR, travelled to North Devon and visited the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway for our Autumn Gala. She didn't get homesick as the mountains of Welsh Wales were visible across the Bristol Channel some 20 miles away. Built by the Hunslet Engine company in 1893 for the Penrhyn Quarry Railway in North Wales, one of the oldest narrow gauge railways in the world, opening in 1801 as a horse drawn tramway. The six mile route conveyed slate from Lord Penrhyn's quarry to a sea harbour at Bangor and thence the world. Conversion to steam haulage started in 1875. Blanche worked all her life on the railway right up to 1962 when the quarry closed and was purchased by the nearby Ffestiniog Railway shortly after. She's very powerful and made short work of our 1 in 50 gradient. A half hourly service operated with Blanche alternating with our two Bagnal locos, Charles W(h)ytock on Saturday and Isaac on Sunday. Freight demonstration trains were sandwiched inbetween showing off our newly acquired wagons recently delivered from South Africa. These will be useful during construction work of our planned 4.5 mile extension to Blackmoor. All along the 19 mile route from Barnstaple to Lynton things are happening and it was announced on Saturday that Exmoor Associates had purchased a further 1105 yards of trackbed near Chelfham. The station there is already a delight and fantastic restoration work is going on, you can visit every Sunday to see progress, or see reports on the website. Great work is also going on at Snapper Halt, not far out from Barnstaple. There's also a useful map showing current ownership of the trackbed on the website www.lynton-rail.co.uk The next and fifth carriage now being constructed is appropriately number five. Containing four third class compartments and two first. Construction is just starting in the workshop in Great Yeldham, Essex. Previous grant money given towards these carriages has now been spent so please consider making a donation via the website, you can specify your donation goes to the heritage carriage project. Next Year (2016) will hopefully be very exciting with the arrival of our new build replica Baldwin loco 762 "LYN". The project is now moving towards the assembly stage. It's not too late to sponsor a component or join as a member, check out the latest news at www.762club.com The last train both days is traditionally reserved for all the volunteers and exhibitors who rarely get a chance to enjoy the railway. These trips were top 'n' tailed with Blanche and a Bagnall, the file ends with the Saturday trip. If you're newly interested in the L&B; and would like to get and idea of what the railway was like have a look at the 1987 BBC documentary "The Little Train to Lynton" it's in two parts and is on YouTube PART 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95_ojCmEOCA PART 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9ammK2AIEE Many thanks go to Andrew Wood for sharing his super drone footage for me to use. I hope you enjoy watching my film. UPDATE: October 2015. Exmoor Associates announce a further 407 yards of track bed purchased north of Snapper Halt, between bridges 18 (Collard Bridge) and 19 (Northleigh bridge) UPDATE: 1st November 2015 The L&B; is twinned with the Walhalla Goldfields Railway in Victoria, Australia. We have lots in common with the aim of reopening a long closed railway as well as a connection with Baldwin locos in our history. www.walhallarail.com.au UPDATE NOVEMBER 2015: Share issue launched to raise £1.75 million to purchase Blackmoor station currently operating as "The Old Station Inn" See website for details of how to help in this vital piece of the railway's expansion. Offer closes 17th May 2016. As the narration asks in the "Little train to Lynton" "Will the spirit of Sir George Newnes wave his chequebook over the Old Station Inn, and turn it back into Blackmoor station?". It seems so!! If you shop online, renew insurance or book holidays, don't forget easyfundraising.org.co.uk Clicking through to a retailer from this website will raise money for the railway at no cost to you.