the Dorking Garden Railway

[Andrew 121]

Thomas and the snow

Annie and Clarabel were delighted to see the snow, but Thomas wasn't so sure.  "I don't think we'll be able to get out of the carriage sidings" he said.

 

 

Even when they turned round to face the other way, the enormous depth of snow defeated them:

 

 

"If we try to move from here, we'll just get stuck!" said Thomas.

 

 

Annie and Clarabel were very sad.  "Isn't there anything you can do, Thomas?" they said.

So Thomas jumped everyone across to another track, but still the snow was too deep to risk.

 

 

"It's no good" said Thomas.  "There's too much snow today.  We'll just have to stay at home."  So he blew hot steam into Annie and Clarabel's pipes to keep them warm and cheer them up.

 

 

The Fat Controller told Thomas that the whole line was completely snowed-in, and even the girder bridge was impassable.  But as he said, things like that don't happen very often in Dorking, so we hope the trains will be running again soon.

 

[Andrew 121]

Spring Greens

After a month of cold and then wet, our weather hasn't been great until very recently.  So I needed to seize the moment in today's sunshine and decided it felt like a day for running Southern Region branch line trains, using the N Class and the BR Standard 2-6-4 tank.  Here are some of my many photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 1 by Andrew
edit

[mick 421]

It's so good to see members able to return to their garden layouts. Most days should be sunny like that.

Smashing photos Andrew - those Southern greens always look well in front of your bamboo. Keep the photos coming!

[Andrew 121]

Here's the 5 minute video from that last running session: Spring Greens!

 

Edited March 25 by Andrew
sorting video link

[Andrew 121]

An exciting day (part 1)

The day, which was to feature the first visiting locomotives this year, began with a sort of "Escape from Suez" commemorative intermodal train with the Class 66 and the slowly lengthening rake of container flats:

 

 

 

 

 

And then the first of our exciting visitors appeared:

 

Of which there will be more anon.

 

 

 

[Andrew 121]

An exciting day (part 2)

This was starting to look like a fantasy diesel gala:

 

 

Then "Western Harrier" took to the road:

 

 

 

 

 

[aussietmrail 142]

HI Andrew, that spring video was pure awesome to watch, I love  that tank loco and the Western Harrier, nice looking diesel, a loco I have heard of looks pretty good beside the 66 class.

 

Have a good Easter,  Tony 

[Andrew 121]

Western Harrier - the video

 

 

[mick 421]

Great little video Andrew that just goes to show you don't need DCC sound to create an enjoyable viewing experience. I really like it with a nice soothing soundtrack in the background - much better than some of the awful diesel sounds I've been fortunate enough to acquire!

I'd been thinking of doing something similar myself up in the attic and been searching for some complimentary music but it's not until you actually see what someone else has done that you appreciate just how pleasing it can be. The attic acoustics really distort and reverberate DCC sound to a point where it becomes overbearing even for me sitting up there but made even worse on video for everyone else.

[Andrew 121]

An exciting day (part 3)

We end with a couple of shots of Castle Class "Earl of St Germans" seen hauling a portion of a long distance express from the West:

 

 

 

 

[Andrew 121]

More of those Maroon Monsters

 

Why not?

 

 

 

 

[Andrew 121]

Take three girls...

 

 

 

First we'll follow Bessie the Black 5...

 

 

 

 

and then Julie the Jubilee (with three types of ex-LMS coaches):

 

 

 

 

and then Stella the BR Standard 4MT, here with Julian's ground signals and water column:

 

 

I couldn't resist another take of 'el classico':

 

 

Rounding off with another view of the girls together:

 

 

Edited April 19 by Andrew
names

[Andrew 121]

A garden railway faces many hazards

including grandchildren:

 

[ba14eagle 84]

12 hours ago, Andrew said:

A garden railway faces many hazards

including grandchildren:

 

Haha - I occasionally have the same problem with my Great Nephews! They particularly like filling empty open wagons with greenery.

[Andrew 121]

Southern Visitors

Several Southern visitors arrived today with David, but we couldn't persuade all of them to cooperate nor pose for the camera.  But here are some that did both of those things.

 

First it's King Arthur Class "Sir Meliagrance".  He was a rather disreputable knight who had a crush on King Arthur's queen Guinevere and kidnapped her, before meeting a very sticky end from the sword of Sir Launcelot.  But the loco runs well.

 

 

 

 

Here showing the Drummond tender with which the Eastleigh Arthurs began their careers:

 

 

Merchant Navy Class "Holland-Afrika Line":

 

 

 

 

And this member of the home team seems to get in everywhere:

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 1 by Andrew
amendment

[Andrew 121]

The short video is called  A bluebell railway (and it only shows the 4MT):

 

 

[Andrew 121]

Meanwhile on the real railway, things are looking up:

 

 

Edited May 7 by Andrew
layout