'Lindow' stretches her wheels on the Wigan track today.

The last time I ran 'Lindow' (my Ride-On-Railways Hercules electric locomotive) was at Wrexham track several weeks ago. Today was the first Sunday since then with a favorable weather forecast when I have not been otherwise engaged, so I decided that instead of just visiting my home track, Urmston, I would venture a bit further afield and have a run around Wigan club's track in Haigh Hall Park.

I arrived fairly early to a warm welcome from Wigan club members, and was the first (of only two!) locos to run, and was soon hauling passengers around this delightful track. It winds its way through woodland and it takes a while to work out the shape of the track so many are the curves and glimpses of other parts of the track through the trees.

Here's a video I took of 'Lindow' doing a complete circuit of the track. Apologies for the camera sometimes pointing up into the trees; that's because 'Lindow' requires two hands to drive (one to hold the controller while keeping the 'dead man's button' depressed - if I release that, the engine will stop, and the other to operated the speed control knob). Lacking a third hand, the 'control knob' hand has the primary task of speed control, and the secondary task of holding the camera.

click on this link for the video

 'Lindow' about to couple up to her train. Rigging a coupling first time at a strange track can be challenging. In this case, a length of chain between the pin on the truck and the shackle on 'Lindow' did the trick.

 Off into the woods...

 A glimpse through the trees of another part of the track

 A sunny glade (it rained later!)

 Where does the track go now?

Low autumn sun

 The track is not without its straight sections....

 ...But is also delightfully curvy

'Lindow' in the station to pick up passengers. By now a second train is also in service, in front of us. 

Is it a 747 or an A380? Lee and another Wigan member acting as station staff doing a bit of 'plane spotting!

I ran the loco all morning before deciding to call in at Urmston club on the way home. Just after I'd stowed 'Lindow' away in the car, it began to rain!

Thank you to all at Wigan club for a lovely morning.

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Churnet Valley Railway extension to Leek

This morning the first section of the extension of the Churnet Valley Railway to Leek was celebrated. A train, topped and tailed by an S160 steam loco and a class 33 diesel ventured onto the newly-laid track north of Leekbrook Junction.

There is a lot of work to do yet, and funds to be raised, but the intention is to restore the line northwards as far as the town of Leek.

Well done to all who have worked hard to achieve this.

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