RailAdvent | Heritage – Narrow Gauge | Activity

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: After putting Emmet's plugs back in and refilling […]

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 11:37:13 +0100

After putting Emmet’s plugs back in and refilling her boiler last Tuesday, I met up with our head of steam first thing Saturday morning and checked all round for leaks. All the washout plugs were dry, as was the fusible plug in the crown plate of the firebox, so we were looking good to put a fire in—a wood fire in this case to warm her up…

clive BRretired joined the group Heritage - Narrow Gauge

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 07:58:01 +0000

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: Later than usual with my update this week […]

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 22:08:26 +0000

Later than usual with my update this week because, unusually, I was at the railway on a Tuesday for this year’s first visit of the boiler inspector. Our head of steam and myself had stripped down 0-4-0T Emmet previously, removing the plugs and washing out the boiler in preparation so all that remained to do when we arrived at the railway…

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: How time flies! It doesn't seem two minutes since we […]

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:33:46 +0000

How time flies! It doesn’t seem two minutes since we put our locos away after the Christmas specials, and the running season is upon us again. Our opening weekend coincided with our host museum’s annual tractor rally, an event I enjoyed even before I started working on the railway, and I was rostered as a guard (in training) both days.

A…

Sarah James joined the group Heritage - Narrow Gauge

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 13:23:07 +0000

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: Wasn't expecting to spend last weekend working on […]

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 13:15:11 +0000

Wasn’t expecting to spend last weekend working on the railway but, as is often the case, plans changed. The Museum was closed on Saturday for a training day and several of my railway colleagues were participating, but myself and our head of steam excused ourselves and spent the day in the workshop instead, continuing our work to put the…

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: We're seeing signs of spring around Tilford now, and […]

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 14:02:19 +0000

We’re seeing signs of spring around Tilford now, and I spotted a little rabbit sitting by a pile of sleepers in the Old Kiln yard when I arrived. The peace and quiet didn’t last long: I got a colleague to fire up the arc welder and weld together the pieces of the Annett’s key I made last weekend. After some cleaning up of the welds with an…

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: Much like the weather, my weekend at the Old Kiln was […]

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 12:43:23 +0000

Much like the weather, my weekend at the Old Kiln was rather varied. To start with on Saturday, I joined our head of steam to take apart the left-hand steam injector valve on O&K 9998 Elouise which had been reported as not closing properly. I lapped in the valve with fine carborundum followed by Brasso, and inspected the resulting surfaces.…

Matt T joined the group Heritage - Narrow Gauge

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 23:31:13 +0000

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: Saturday started well; the museum with whom our […]

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:21:06 +0000

Saturday started well; the museum with whom our railway shares the site held an open day to attract new volunteers so the place felt more alive than usual at this time of year with a good few people around. I managed to catch up with a couple of my colleagues who I’d not seen for a while. Then, fortified with a lovely mug of strong tea myself…

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: Not a lot to report in this week's update from the […]

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 12:31:55 +0000

Not a lot to report in this week’s update from the Old Kiln. With Emmet sitting ready for her boiler inspection our attention turned back to the brake blocks. Unfortunately we had a couple of hurdles to clear first: our elderly diesel generator blew a gasket in its oil cooler last week so the first order of the day was to unbolt the…

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: Saturday saw me climbing up on top of Emmet's boiler […]

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 11:19:46 +0000

Saturday saw me climbing up on top of Emmet’s boiler to remove her whistle and the fibreglass dome cover before unscrewing the nuts securing the cover plate of her steam dome. After a little persuasion with a hammer and cold chisel the seal on the gasket came loose and I was able to lift the plate with its two safety valves clear, and got my…

Richard Stone joined the group Heritage - Narrow Gauge

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 11:09:41 +0000

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: The weather cooperated this weekend, being mild and […]

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 10:58:36 +0000

The weather cooperated this weekend, being mild and (mostly) dry so first thing Saturday I shunted Emmet out of the shed for her boiler washout. Because we were unable to run steam traction for several weeks last spring/summer due to the dry spell Emmet only had nine days in steam, so her boiler hadn’t accumulated too much scale and…

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: After my brief spell with the P-way track gang last […]

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 11:18:48 +0000

After my brief spell with the P-way track gang last week, Saturday saw me returning to my apprenticeship with the steam department to work on O&K 9998 “Elouise”. The first task was to cut some angle iron and drill it to bolt underneath the running plate to reinforce the mounting for the Westinghouse air pump. Because Elouise is a well tank, we…

Jack Rumsey joined the group Heritage - Narrow Gauge

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 21:12:47 +0000

Lynda Carter joined the group Heritage - Narrow Gauge

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 15:04:07 +0000

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: After a break for New Year's Day we were back at work […]

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 12:13:39 +0000

After a break for New Year’s Day we were back at work in the yard on Friday. A new sleeper was installed to better support the crossing of the adjacent set of points. I need a bit more practice hammering in dog spikes as half my blows with the maul went a little wide of the mark but we got it spiked and tamped the ballast under it.

Next we…

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: Myself and two other hardy souls braved the freezing […]

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 09:14:42 +0000

Myself and two other hardy souls braved the freezing fog Wednesday morning to begin work on one of the sets of points in our yard. The other two had made a start on unbolting the fishplates when I arrived, and we soon had them off, although a couple of bolts needed persuading with a disc cutter and a cold chisel.

We jacked up the panel and…

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: Not a top 10 by any means, but here are some of the […]

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 14:42:01 +0000

Not a top 10 by any means, but here are some of the 2-foot gauge steam locos I saw over the past year. Visits to the SVR, Welshpool & Llanfair, Amberley, Hollycombe, the Greatest Gathering, Golden Valley Light Railway, and of course the Old Kiln are represented in this selection of photos. It’s only looking back now that I realise just how…

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: Another long weekend working at the Old Kiln, and we […]

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 11:34:02 +0000

Another long weekend working at the Old Kiln, and we started with gorgeous blue skies on the Friday. I was guarding on the afternoon shift, a quieter shift than last weekend’s as the local schools hadn’t all finished for Christmas yet. Got some more practice with the bardic lamp as we ran the last couple of trains after the sun had gone down.…

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: Seasonal steam for our first weekend of Santa Specials. […]

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 11:55:06 +0000

Seasonal steam for our first weekend of Santa Specials. I started on Friday, cleaning the firebox and smoke box, and emptying the ash pan of O&K 9998 Elouise before laying a wood fire to get her warmed up so the crew on Saturday morning would be able to get started raising steam. Meanwhile her mechanical bits were being inspected and she…

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: The head of steam and I turned up early yesterday to make […]

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 11:48:53 +0000

The head of steam and I turned up early yesterday to make a start preparing to put O&K No. 9998 Elouise in steam and test our recent work. We started by checking the gauge glasses and the boiler water level before I was shown how to lay a fire. I shovelled a thin layer of coal onto the grate, just enough to cover the firebars. The bunker…

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: Sunday was railway day again. Back down to the Old Kiln […]

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 15:33:19 +0000

Sunday was railway day again. Back down to the Old Kiln for another day working on our two operational steam locos: O&K No. 9998 “Elouise”, and 0-4-0T Emmet. To start with I was taught how to check inside the firebox to make sure there are no bulges in the walls, no leaks from the stays or tubeplate, and that the fusible plug is intact. A bulge…

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: Back to the Old Kiln steam department yesterday to […]

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 12:32:44 +0000

Back to the Old Kiln steam department yesterday to continue my apprenticeship by working on O&K 9998 “Elouise”. We’d lapped in the steam manifold valve the last time I was in the machine shop and that’s now back in place in the cab. Next job involved climbing up on top of the boiler to take apart the whistle valve and lap it in. Needed a tea…

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: Joined the Old Kiln Light Railway permanent way work […]

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 19:01:22 +0000

Joined the Old Kiln Light Railway permanent way work gang yesterday to do some closed-season maintenance up at our Mills Wood loop. Two of our wagons (ex-RAF C104 and C50) that we used to haul the ballast up from the other end of the line: empty here, standing ready to be hauled back down to the yard. There’s another flat bed wagon behind…

Andrew Smith joined the group Heritage - Narrow Gauge

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 08:03:36 +0000

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: My volunteering adventures at the Old Kiln Light […]

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 14:08:54 +0000

My volunteering adventures at the Old Kiln Light Railway continued last weekend as I got the job of cleaning out the grates and smoke boxes of our two steam locos, Emmet and Elouise. Looking at me afterwards you’d have thought I just shovelled all the soot onto myself! I can understand why one would have started as a cleaner back in the day:…

George posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: A photograph I took of the Bredgar & Wormshill […]

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 16:32:15 +0000

A photograph I took of the Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway’s No. 6 ‘Eigiau’ preparing in the winter morning’s sun for their New Year Steam up, taken on the 25th January 2025.

George joined the group Heritage - Narrow Gauge

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 16:02:07 +0000

Michael Holden posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: Rheidol Tank No. 9 Prince of Wales stands at Devils […]

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 14:47:07 +0000

Rheidol Tank No. 9 Prince of Wales stands at Devils Bridge during the Vale of Rheidol Railway Steam Festival 2025. Note the original BR Devils Bridge sign to match the new BR Blue livery that was debuted at the gala.

PAUL SMITH joined the group Heritage - Narrow Gauge

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 13:17:55 +0000

James Adams posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: Last week at Corris Railway.

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 15:13:51 +0000

Last week at Corris Railway.

Cameron Owen Norman joined the group Heritage - Narrow Gauge

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 07:40:20 +0100

robw joined the group Heritage - Narrow Gauge

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 09:59:33 +0100

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: Returned to the Old Kiln Light Railway yesterday for […]

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 14:23:21 +0100

Returned to the Old Kiln Light Railway yesterday for my first full day as a volunteer. Spent the day training as a Guard which meant I got some hands-on experience (under supervision, naturally) with several aspects of train operation, including coupling and uncoupling the loco, operating ground frames, giving signals to the driver, etc.

rahatkhan joined the group Heritage - Narrow Gauge

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 09:54:35 +0100

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: After my visit to the Old Kiln Light Railway in Tilford […]

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 20:25:24 +0100

After my visit to the Old Kiln Light Railway in Tilford last weekend I emailed them about volunteering and got invited to go along and see them on Saturday (13/9/2025). Met everyone who was around that day, got a behind the scenes tour and a footplate ride on 0-4-0T Emmet, and started the process of becoming a full-fledged volunteer. Exciting times!

baywick posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: Some scenes from the photo-charter at the Richmond […]

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 21:07:24 +0100

Some scenes from the photo-charter at the Richmond Light Rly. last Friday 5th September. Locos ‘Pixie’ and ‘Elin’. Please note this is a PRIVATE SITE and casual visitors will not be welcome. If you want to visit, please contact the railway first. #feature

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baywick joined the group Heritage - Narrow Gauge

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 20:50:28 +0100

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: Probably the last steam day of the year at my […]

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 16:58:59 +0100

Probably the last steam day of the year at my closest railway, the Old Kiln Light Railway, with O&K No. 9998 “Elouise” and “Emmet” both in operation. Double-headers to start and finish, and alternating in-between. Rode on eight of the ten trains and had such a great time I may have been talked into volunteering with them. (7/9/2025)

Alex Mck joined the group Heritage - Narrow Gauge

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 13:51:54 +0100

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: Some photos from this morning (30/8/2025) at the Welshpool […]

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 18:54:44 +0100

Some photos from this morning (30/8/2025) at the Welshpool & LLanfair Light Railway’s Steam Gala. Before the rain started. Didn’t damp our spirits at all (such a cliché – sorry) but I did put the camera away and just enjoyed the ride through the beautiful Welsh valley.

James Adams posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: Corris railway running day 18th August 2025

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 11:01:28 +0100

Corris railway running day 18th August 2025

James Adams joined the group Heritage - Narrow Gauge

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 10:51:38 +0100

Emma Holden joined the group Heritage - Narrow Gauge

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 14:53:37 +0100

Kirsten Gill joined the group Heritage - Narrow Gauge

Sat, 09 Aug 2025 07:16:59 +0100

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: Ffestiniog Railway's Prince with Statfold Barn […]

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 12:08:10 +0100

Ffestiniog Railway’s Prince with Statfold Barn Railway’s Trangkil No. 4 topping and tailing to operate passenger rides on the temporary 2′ track at the Greatest Gathering on Sunday (3/8/2025).

alexf posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: Motor Rail 60SD364 "Campbells" in its original […]

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 12:03:35 +0100

Motor Rail 60SD364 “Campbells” in its original striking yellow Campbell’s Brick Works livery, running on the Golden Valley Light Railway on Saturday 2/8/2025. It’s a beautiful line running from Butterley Park (Swanwick Junction) through Jubilee Wood, down to Newlands Inn. Well worth seeing on a visit to the Midland Railway – Butterley.

Michael Holden posted an update in the group Heritage – Narrow Gauge: David Lloyd George arrives into Tan-y-Bwlch today with […]

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 12:30:25 +0100

David Lloyd George arrives into Tan-y-Bwlch today with the down Mountain Spirit service. Note the unusual formation, with no observation carriage on the front of the train