A couple of weeks ago, thanks to a contact from Garden Rail, I managed to get myself into Fawley Hill, the late Sir William McAlpine's estate. The place is amazing. Most railway enthusiasts managed to accumulate a bit of railwayana which they display randomly around the house. Imagine you have the budget, connections and space to aquire chunks of, or even complete, buildings. Then put then in your substantial garden. The place is littered with fascinating artifacts.
Almost as soon as I arrived, I found myself in the cab of an 03 diesel shunter for trip down the hill and along the line.
Now, I'm not one for blagging cab rides, but I've a soft spot for 03's and wasn't going be rude and complain. First impressions are just how roomy it is in there.
This particular loco is one with a cut down cab for operation on the Burry Port & Gwendrath Railway. Which is going to make building a model interesting - someone must have done this before, can anyone point me at an article? Yes, a cab ride means, I want a model. Those Canadian air horns are going to be a challenge too.
But, it's not the diesel that excited people, it's watching steam tackle the fearsome bank. You'll be pleased to know I recoreded a video of that.
Of course, there was cake, and very good cake too.
1 comment:
As good as it is to watch the steamie go at the hill, I join your enthusiasm for the 03. When you find the information you need for the model build, I shall eagerly follow along with it, regardless of the scale/gauge.
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