First turn at Nether Alderley Mill in 2018

The mill from the front

Nether Alderley Mill has opened for the 2018 season and this afternoon was my first turn there this year.

I have been a volunteer guide here since the Mill re-opened in 2013, after extensive restoration by the National Trust to the building and the mill machinery. In 2014 I qualified as a Miller after a course at Cann Mill, Dorset, and today enjoy carrying out both roles - Guide and Miller, at this delightful location.

The picturesque mill pond. The back wall of the mill forms part of the mill pond dam.

Today I was a Guide, together with Terry, and Bruce was the Miller. Last year the National Trust dropped the Thursday Afternoon openings (the other two open afternoons are Saturday and Sunday) but I'm pleased to say they have had a re-think and the 'Thursday 'A' team' is back together!

We were busy, too, Terry and I running our full quota of three tours each, with a total of well over 40 happy visitors.

The two sets of mill stones on the upper floor, with some visitors descending the narrow and steep stairs to view the Hurst Frame on the floor below.

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The 'Easter Sunday' effect at Urmston today

'Lindow' at home

After last week's run with 'The Wildfowler', I decided to let 'Lindow' stretch her wheels at Urmston today. No pictures as 'Jason the lens' wasn't there, just this one of 'Lindow' at home by me, and three of locos on the prep bays from the club site.

Malc and I arrived fairly early and by 10:30 'Lindow' was in revenue earning service (unlike a steam loco, an electric is out of the car and onto the track and ready to go).

It's perhaps as well I took the electric loco today as there were quite a few customers awaiting train rides and the only three steam locos in prep on the prep bays were there for steam and boiler tests. 'Lindow' and the club's electric loco 'Spirit of Urmston' were kept busy all morning on our 'all electric' railway giving rides. Easter Sunday; the usual regular owner / drivers were no doubt tied up with family arrangements.

Till Joseph arrived with his gorgeous 4" scale traction engine. It even had its own beach towel. To catch any oil drips (in case you were wondering about it reserving its place!).

Jim arrived about mid morning with his Black Five, which was in steam and out on the track by lunchtime, just as the usual 'lunchtime lull' in passenger numbers occurred. So I brought 'Lindow' off and parked her in the head shunt by the traverser (I was getting a bit cold anyway) while I retired to the clubhouse for lunch and to thaw out leaving the club electric and Jim's loco to handle the lunchtime passenger trade.

Usually we get very busy after lunch, but today trade didn't pick up at all in the afternoon. The 'Easter Sunday' effect again, I suppose.

 Aeron's newly acquired B1. He was hoping to get his boiler and and steam certificates done and then run his engine, but unfortunately there were no boiler testers at Urmston today. The Easter Sunday effect again!

Peter Flitcroft's 'Kingscale' Prairie Tank also required the attentions of a boiler tester to sign off its replacement safety valve to complete its steam certificate. The original safety valve failed to dissipate steam fast enough to keep the boiler pressure within its 90psi max with full blower on. The replacement works just fine (we steamed the engine to check).

The B1 and Trevor's Jubilee 'Trafalgar', just like my 'Warspite' (now returned to Kingscale in a deal to replace it with their BR Standard Class 4 Tank which should arrive late summer).
Trevor did run the Jubilee later in the day; it does have a lovely 3-cylinder beat.

Till Joseph's lovely 4" (1/3 scale) traction engine

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