3/2/24
Another revisit to a railway, this time the Battlefield Line in Nuneaton, from Shackerstone, to Shenton via Market Bosworth. This was for the Winter Warmer Gala, with 3 steam locomotives in operation aswell as an 08 acting as shunter at Market Bosworth.
In operation were;
Home Fleet:
. Class 08 No. 08 701
(Doing shunting duties aswell as Driver for a Fiver)
Visiting Locomotives:
. GWR Large Prairie No. 4144
(Courtesy of Didcot Railway Centre)
. GWR Large Prairie No. 5199
(Courtesy of West Somerset Railway, currently on hire to Battlefield)
. BR Standard 2MT No. 78018
(Courtesy of Great Central Railway, last minute replacement for 6880 Betton Grange)
The lineup was surprisingly nice for this gala, two Large Prairies, lovely looking locomotives aswell as being very loud! Especially 4144! The Double Header seen later on in the video proves that putting two loud locomotives in a double header equals a tremendous sight! The departure from Market Bosworth was deafening!
Equally of interest to me, was BR Standard 2 78018, a last minute replacement for the GWR Grange 6880 'Betton Grange', which wasn't able to be completed in time. It's claim to fame being Blea Moor stuck in a snowdrift. Given that I had not seen a Standard 2 in operation much, I'd not much experience with the sound of this class, but I could hear a lot of people remarking on its loud exhaust and bark, something I'd later find out to be very true, an equally loud engine! Standard 2s gradually going up my list of favourites!
I was greeted by the unusual sight of a working Class 08 at Market Bosworth with no connecting rods, I'd later learn that this was doing a Driver for a Fiver, I just simply had to have a go! It became my seventh locomotive I have driven and my second Class 08. I've always liked the layout of the 08, very easy to drive and can see why these are so popular with drivers.
Also at Market Bosworth was a Gauge 1 Model Railway, which had a few live steam locomotives running around, my favourites included the 72xx, a sight yet to be seen in preservation on the full size, aswell as the prototype pairing of the LNER V2 and BR Standard 5 on the Green Mk1s.
8 сен 2024