A dull day at the WDSME with rain on-and-off. But as eager as ever, Chris was the first on the track with his LNER O4 despite the fact he had only arrived on site 40 minutes earlier! He was later accompanied by Paul with his GWR 4560 2-6-2 who bravely battled the afternoon's rain showers. When Tim arrived on the track with his GER 0-6-0 Simplex locomotive, Chris retired to the station loop to let the tank engines run the show. To finish the afternoon off, Tim & Paul joined forces to double head a train of 3 coaches with Chris hot on their tail! All in all, a good day. Well, so it was until approximately 3:50pm when the heavens opened just as it was time to pack away. If that didn't put a dampener on the day I do not know what (If you'll pardon the pun)
Today saw another lovely day at the track. Chris started running with his LNER O4 at about 10:45am and before twelve noon, our official opening time, we had already had about 24 passengers. The nice weather certainly brought them out early and steadily until 4 o’clock when we managed to force the entrance gates closed.
During the day we had Joe with his lovely J4 loco, the newest to his fleet. Being closely followed by Adam driving the debut appearance, into traffic, of Geoff Birch’s Sweet Pea Loco, after a few laps to get used to loco he was then soon commandeered into carrying passengers.
We then again saw Tim with his Simplex (better known as the Timplex) taking his turn at conveying our many passengers.
While all this was going on we had a visit from two guys, who seemed to be quite professional, armed with video cameras tripods and all sorts of photographic wizardry. They proceeded to take shots and films from every conceivable position including actually inside our signal box, being given strict instructions not to pull any levers or push any buttons while the trains were running.
Today saw an almighty 6 runners; Paul Malin with his 5" GWR Prairie; Stephen Nott with his 5" Simplex; Joe Holdsworth with his 5" Class 08 Shunter; David Howard with his 5" GWR Prairie; Chris Newton with his 5" LNER Robinson O4; Tim Hines with the Club's 5" Class 47.
The weather was fantastic today, very sunny, but not too hot or not too cold. Everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy today, especially the passengers!
Full of eagerness as always, Tim hauled the first train of the day with the club's 5" Gauge Class 47. The 47 was then joined by Joe Holdsworth's fantastic Class 08 Shunter which he recently completed. The 08 and 47 then successfully ran passenger trains until they were joined by Stephen Nott with his 5" Gauge BR Liveried Simplex, no. 47281. The 47 then came off for a well deserved rest before lunch, just as Paul Malin came on the track with his 5" GWR Prairie, no. 4560, which ran brilliantly as always! For the first time in a while, we had three trains on the track at once, not something which happens very often - super speedy service!
Lunchtime saw Joe return to the shed with his 08 shunter, and a surprise visit from Chris Newton with his superb 5" LNER O4. It certainly runs as good as it looks, and Chris very generously let Tim and Adam drive the O4 later on that afternoon! Dave Howard came and joined the fun with his 5" Gauge GWR Prairie, no 5541 and coupled up to the front of Paul's Prairie. They then successfully double-headed for the entire afternoon, and both Chris, Paul and Dave stayed on until around 16:30.
Hopefully everyone had a great day!
Paul and David's GWR Prairies (4560 and 5541) Double Headed
Chris Newton's Superb LNER O4 on Shed this Afternoon
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A Video of the Double Headed Locos Performing Well!
Article, Pictures and Video by Adam Hodson (WDSME)
Well,on Sunday last the weather was kind to us which allowed one of the top link locos of the LMS (6159 The Royal Air Force) to perform to its usual high standard.There were other locomotives in attendance Chris's LNER O4 and Tim's GER 060 which, whilst having put in valiant performances,could not quite match that of 6159.However,it was a good day with many happy passengers leaving with memories from the past ..."I remember ........"!And ,what is more,the loco drivers had a great time !
After braving the torrential rain on the journey to Manchester, myself, Dave Wilson and his running foreman Hillary arrived at the Urmston track. As the rain was still coming down we sheltered and had a welcoming brew in the enginemen's cabin. As this was only the second public run with the 04 I braved the last of the showers and went out on to the mainline with two of their carriages. The aluminium rail is not best suited to rain and proved to be very slippery. Dave came out next with his pride of the fleet 'City of Carlisle' as always it performed excellently and ran for around three hours. The 04 ran for about four hours and was still steaming quite well. The guys at Urmston were really good at looking after us providing tea and sandwiches, nothing was too much trouble. Despite the weather there was a good turnout of locomotives about eight all taking their turn on the track. From Dave and myself I would like to say a big thank-you to the guys at Urmston. They are hosting IMLEC this year, it should be a great day!
Here is a Fantastic Video by Jason Pattinson of Sale Area M.E.S of Chris Newton's 5" Gauge Great Central 2-8-0 O4 Loco Running Around the Urmston & District M.E.S Track
Once Again, a Huge Thanks to All the Members of the Urmston & District M.E.S Who Have Made This Wonderful Weekend Event Possible!
Another rainy Sunday at the WDSME. First out on patrol was Steve Nott with his Simplex locomotive shortly followed by the Class 47 with Matt at the helm. As the rain got heavier, Mr Malin decided it was his turn to come on. The Class 47 was swapped for Paul with his GWR Small Prairie. The two steam locomotives entertained the passengers throughout the afternoon. Not a minute went by without our North British representative asking "Can I Come Off Yet?!" After Steve suffered steaming problems, he retired to the bay and on came the almighty Class 47.
Word also has it that Mr Wilson has been converted to diesel locos. At first, the club did not believe that the most LMS man to ever walk this earth could ever be converted! The only way we proved it was through this picture...
Mr Wilson Driving the Club Class 47 Locomotive
Despite the weather, all the passengers who visited us today still enjoyed their train rides (even though it looked as if they had taken a short-cut through the flash!)
Today, George & Matt visited the Urmston & District MES May Bank Holiday Open Weekend. Raincoats at the ready we bravely left the car and headed for the entrance. When we first arrived, there were two fine examples of British Rail diesel locomotives. A Class 37 parked on the siding and a Class 47 running around the track. The next two on the track were Jason from Sale Area MES's LMS 6233 "Duchess of Sutherland" and a magnificent model of a GWR King 6015 "King Richard III". With the rain on and off the site was quite quiet but non the less, the locos were still going strong. As the afternoon went on we saw an 0-4-0 Polly locomotive, a Simplex, 70038 "Robin Hood" and "The Beast" (Urmston's Beast, Arthur Eve - Not Our Class 33!) It was great to see all the models today glistening in the sun (when it did eventually decide to shine). A great day out had by both me and Matt and we look forward to visiting again in the future!
A big thanks to all the members of the Urmston & District MES for organising and hosting this hugely enjoyable event. I'm sure all the other visitors enjoyed it as much as we did! Thank-you!
Monday Nights are "Talking Night" at the WDSME where we talk about nearly everything and anything apart from railways!
But! Tonight was different! Eagle-Eyed Matthew Smith noticed an unusual movement on real time trains from Crewe H.S to Shrewsbury running as the 534J. After a quick Googling it was found to be a loaded test run for Southern Railway Re-Built Battle of Britain Class "Braunton". So at 09:29 1/2 prompt we left the club site for Wrexham General Station. As we arrived, we were welcomed by some late running tug thrash as the delayed 19:05 Carlisle to Chirk Kronospan log train passed at speed with Colas Rail Class 60 60096 leading the show. Shortly after, the trusty hippo Arriva Trains Wales Class 175 175110 arrived on the scene with the 22:14 service to Holyhead from Cardiff Central.
Action Stations! At 22:17 on the dot, the moment we were waiting for arrived! Braunton crept through platform 1 disguised as "Lord Dowding" for the summer rail tours season. As the loco moved closer to the signal, it was given the off and off with a cloud of smoke (well... Steam) it was off! And one for the Diesel Lovers out there. Braunton was tailed by a fine example of Canadian craftsmanship in the form of DB Schenker Class 66 66099.
Colas Rail 60096 on the Carlisle to Chirk Kronospan Log Train
Arriva Trains Wales 175110 with the 22:14 Cardiff Central to Holyhead Service
Southern Railways Battle of Britain "Braunton" on the Crewe H.S to Shrewsbury
After our busy day yesterday, today couldn't have started any more differently. Chris Newton came on at 10:45am with his LNER O4 but unfortunately suffered unforeseen regulator issues and had to come off when Paul came on. Mr Malin proceeded with the ceremonies until the station started to fill up. From 2:30pm, you couldn't move for passengers! In this case, the trusty and ever-ready for anything Class 47 had to spring into action to help the not so ready GWR/NBR express. Trains then continued to run non-stop until the last passengers left through the gate at 4:10pm! A great day had by all who visited!
Two of Today's Runners
(Left: Paul Malin's GWR 4500 Prairie Tank, Right: WDSME BR Class 47)
Today we ran two locomotives on our portable track in Queen's Square, Wrexham Town Centre. Trains started running at 09:30am with the BR Class 33 electric locomotive which was suffering motor troubles! Nevertheless, the loco completed its hour long shift whilst we were waiting for Tim to steam up the Timplex (Tim's Simplex). Tim came on the track at about 10:30am and carried on taking passengers right through until the 4pm finish! Matt particularly enjoyed the two ice-creams from the ice-cream van.
Also, Don't forget! Trains will be running this Sunday as normal from 12pm until 4pm. So if you couldn't make it down to Queen's Square today, there's always tomorrow at our permanent site in Gresford.
A good day was had by all who visited. A Huge thanks to Tim for organising the whole event!
Hopefully you will see our portable track out-and-about over this summer at various events around the county!
Setting Up the Station
BR Class 33 Locomotive Ready for the Morning Passengers
Matthew Welcoming the Passengers As Well as Enjoying the Trains & Ice-Cream!
Even the Mascot from the British Heart Foundation Had to Have a Go!
A bright, frosty
morning with a sharp, northerly wind. Two of the usual locos were on
duty. There was the majestic LMS pacific “City of Carlisle” in
the care of Driver Wilson. As to be expected, this loco was in
immaculate, highly polished condition, though a speck of dust was
noticed on the boiler cladding. The second was the well-worn 4-4-0
from “o'er the border” with its less polished and more flaky
paintwork, North British No. 495. A surprise arrival was the
appearance of a completely new loco. This was Chris Newton's model of
a Great Central 2-8-0 heavy freight engine. Some of the paintwork was
so fresh that Chris had placed the loco next to his domestic log
burner the night before to speed up the drying process. The model
recreated perfectly the essence of a non-glamorous, unassuming
workhorse of the B.R. Period. The driver appeared to be justifiably
pleased with his new steed and can be very proud of his achievement.
The only hiccup in its performance was as a result of a blocked spark
arrestor, which impaired steaming until cleaned. A super loco indeed.
One little reminder for Chris: it's an O4 not an A4 !! The Duchess
performed faultlessly, as usual, which is more than can be said for
the Glen, which seemed to be suffering from five blocked spark
arrestors. Hopefully a good day was had by all.
Paul: "My Tender on the Atlantic Can Hold This Much Coal!"
Two of Today's Runners
Front: Chris Newton's LNER O4
Back: Dave Wilson's LMS Duchess "City of Carlisle"
On the 23rd April 2016, Some Members of the WDSME Will be Running Our Portable Track in Queen's Square in Wrexham with the Potential to Run a Few More Venues over the Summer Months!
So Make Sure you are in Wrexham and Come and Visit us Between 09:30am & 4:00pm in Queen's Square.
Running Will Continue as Normal on the Sunday so if you can't make the Saturday, Make Sure you come and Visit us on the Sunday at our Gresford Site!
Don't forget to check out our Website at www.wrexhamdistrictsme.co.uk
Today started well with the sun shining like last week.
Today’s runners were Paul Malin and Dave Wilson who were ready early to await
the public's arrival. Dave was first on track with his LMS Scot hauling a few
full 5 coach trains! Paul Malin then came on to calm the crowds with his W1,
whilst Dave had his lunch in the sun. It was busy in the morning and the
afternoon followed a similar pattern with large numbers of passengers, although
Paul found time for some sun bathing. Steam locos came off at around 4 pm and
were substituted till 5 pm by the clubs Class 47 for the last few passengers of
the day. All in all a good day was had by everyone who came down. We run every
Sunday. Why not come down and have a look next Sunday?
The sun was out and shining like a good 'un this morning and the Class 47 was out on early duty from 10:45am. Before the passengers started to arrive we had a driver training session for Jen, our LMS representative's granddaughter. Not only can she sell raffle tickets but now she can drive the 47! (Sorry Jen! - Ed). Tim was out testing a fix he had made last night to one of the sprockets on the axle of his petrol electric locomotive which did the job perfectly! Steve was next on the track with his BR liveried simplex taking every lap in his stride! As the afternoon passed, Tim came back on with his GER simplex to continue taking passengers around the track! Adam finished the day off with a few laps of honour with the Class 47. All in all, A good day's running!
On Saturday, George, Tim, Matt & Adam visited the S.A.M.E.S Diesel Day. Tim took his Petrol Electric shunting locomotive which unfortunately suffered gauging issues with the S.A.M.E.S track. But soon we were watching the Class 52 Petrol Mechanical "Western" locomotive and a Model of a Class 47 similar to our club locomotive take charge of the rails! As the day passed on we saw many spectacular models such as a radio controlled DRS 37 "Concrete Bob" and a model of 37401 "Mary Queen of Scots" run around the track at Walton Park. Just to finish the day off, A meal was all on order at the Mill House in Broughton!
I would just like to say a massive thank-you to all the people at the Sale Area MES who hosted the event and made it such an enjoyable day!
Here is a video showing our visit to the event - Enjoy!
Today we had 3 locos running from 12:00 until 15:30. The sun came in and out through out the day and stayed cool though we encountered the odd bit of drizzle. The best runner in my opinion was Norman's 3 1/2" Alco Mountaineer as I'm a fan of narrow gauge locomotives. We also had a look at a future diesel runner built by Tim Hines which did a few successful laps of the track
Norman's 3 1/2" Gauge Mountaineer Passing the Daffodils
The weather didn't really help the running today but the Class 47 sprung into action as soon as the first passengers came through the gate! Matthew took the first lot of passengers around which set a steady pace for the early afternoon period. Paul and Steve came on at about 1:30pm and the passengers disappeared and took the sun with them! In true North British style, Mr Malin fought off the rain and both Steve and Paul kept the trains running as the passengers arrived until we finished for the afternoon.
Alan Tries His Hand at Driving the Big Blue Bathtub!
