It's not really news (nor even particularly recent, come to
that) but I have some pictures which have been sitting about for some time taken
when father and I went to the Churnet Valley Railway en-route home from the big
bash at Crewe in 2005.
It was a slight detour from our schedule, made because
father had been waiting patiently for the LNWR Super D to be finished so that he
could hear it running. Sod's Law being what it is, the engine was finished in
time but, for reasons best known to either the NRM, Mr Waterman or both, it was
debuting in steam at the CVR on the same weekend, hence the visit.
I'd never been there before, it's one of the prettiest railway
about - very atmospheric, super tidy with none of the sidings full of scrap that
blight some concerns and very friendly staff who had plenty of time to stand and
talk (although this was possibly because all their regular weekend trade was
down the road at Crewe...).
Seeing their S160 out in the yard made the day for
me, I think they're great looking, in an austere, plumber's nightmare sort of a
way.
