Barrington Light Railway steam (2) 2015-09-26--123
Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. Ltd. 0-4-0ST no. 2088 (built in 1940), masquerading as Barrington Light Railway no. 1 Vulcan (its real name is Sir Thomas Roydon), crosses Barrington Road level crossing at the Foxton end of the Barrington Light Railway. This was the return leg of the third afternoon trip to the Foxton Exchange Sidings.
Trains had returned to the Barrington Light Railway near Cambridge on 30th June 2015, part of the former quarry now being used as a landfill site for inert waste (from construction projects); Barrington Cement Works had closed in early 2009. The last trains to use the line had actually been in June 2005, when coal deliveries ceased as the kiln was now to be fuelled only by waste oils (cement was already going out by road). Previously, the mainline railway companies delivered wagons to and collected them from the exchange sidings at Foxton, but in preparation for the spoil traffic the line was completely relaid and upgraded for mainline locos, which included strengthening the River Cam Viaduct.
Owner of the site, Cemex, held a media event to mark the reopening on Friday 25th September 2015, and the following day there was a public open day, aimed at rail enthusiasts in the morning (from 9am until midday - in theory!) and then at locals in the afternoon (1pm until 5pm). Money was being raised for the East Anglia Air Ambulance; Barrington Cement Works had a history of regular charity open days, organised by former Works Manager John Drayton MBE, and often involving one or more steam locos working trains, and usually rides being available on the Light Railway. John had organised this event, which was expected to be the last ever - he had remained as site "caretaker" until it reopened as a landfill site.
The steam loco and two brakevans had been brought in from Rocks by Rail (the former Rutland Railway Museum). The plan for the morning was to run trains from the temporary platform just inside the works entrance along the new line to the Unloading Pad near the former quarry as well two or three trips on the Light Railway to Foxton and back. In the afternoon, only trips to the Unloading Pad were planned; running to Foxton meant three level crossings needed to be staffed, and I was told that the volunteers (Cemex employees) were not expecting to continue into the afternoon.
Having photographed Tornado on the ECML near St. Neots, I arrived at about 10am just as a trip was arriving back from Foxton. The "crossing keeper" told me there would be another in about an hour, so I had a ride (not my first journey on the line), and when we got back the staff said there would no more to Foxton. I then drove to Foxton station to pick up a friend who'd travelled from Basingstoke, and we both had a ride up to the Unloading Pad. But then a Rocks by Rail volunteers suggested there was to be a third run to Foxton and back, apparently because the person who'd designed the rebuilt line had not yet had his own ride... That set off at 12.30, half an hour after the lunch break should have started, with my friend and I (and some other friends) on board.
A group of us then went for lunch at the local pub, but, while sat in the garden, heard steam loco whistles which seemed to be coming from the Foxton direction... it appeared the locals were more interested in rides to Foxton than into the former quarry area, and I think five trains ran to Foxton during the afternoon (I heard one from the pub, and then saw and photographed four) as well as a few to the Unloading Pad.
To see my non-transport pictures, visit www.flickr.com/photos/137275498@N03/.
Barrington Light Railway steam (2) 2015-09-26--123
Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. Ltd. 0-4-0ST no. 2088 (built in 1940), masquerading as Barrington Light Railway no. 1 Vulcan (its real name is Sir Thomas Roydon), crosses Barrington Road level crossing at the Foxton end of the Barrington Light Railway. This was the return leg of the third afternoon trip to the Foxton Exchange Sidings.
Trains had returned to the Barrington Light Railway near Cambridge on 30th June 2015, part of the former quarry now being used as a landfill site for inert waste (from construction projects); Barrington Cement Works had closed in early 2009. The last trains to use the line had actually been in June 2005, when coal deliveries ceased as the kiln was now to be fuelled only by waste oils (cement was already going out by road). Previously, the mainline railway companies delivered wagons to and collected them from the exchange sidings at Foxton, but in preparation for the spoil traffic the line was completely relaid and upgraded for mainline locos, which included strengthening the River Cam Viaduct.
Owner of the site, Cemex, held a media event to mark the reopening on Friday 25th September 2015, and the following day there was a public open day, aimed at rail enthusiasts in the morning (from 9am until midday - in theory!) and then at locals in the afternoon (1pm until 5pm). Money was being raised for the East Anglia Air Ambulance; Barrington Cement Works had a history of regular charity open days, organised by former Works Manager John Drayton MBE, and often involving one or more steam locos working trains, and usually rides being available on the Light Railway. John had organised this event, which was expected to be the last ever - he had remained as site "caretaker" until it reopened as a landfill site.
The steam loco and two brakevans had been brought in from Rocks by Rail (the former Rutland Railway Museum). The plan for the morning was to run trains from the temporary platform just inside the works entrance along the new line to the Unloading Pad near the former quarry as well two or three trips on the Light Railway to Foxton and back. In the afternoon, only trips to the Unloading Pad were planned; running to Foxton meant three level crossings needed to be staffed, and I was told that the volunteers (Cemex employees) were not expecting to continue into the afternoon.
Having photographed Tornado on the ECML near St. Neots, I arrived at about 10am just as a trip was arriving back from Foxton. The "crossing keeper" told me there would be another in about an hour, so I had a ride (not my first journey on the line), and when we got back the staff said there would no more to Foxton. I then drove to Foxton station to pick up a friend who'd travelled from Basingstoke, and we both had a ride up to the Unloading Pad. But then a Rocks by Rail volunteers suggested there was to be a third run to Foxton and back, apparently because the person who'd designed the rebuilt line had not yet had his own ride... That set off at 12.30, half an hour after the lunch break should have started, with my friend and I (and some other friends) on board.
A group of us then went for lunch at the local pub, but, while sat in the garden, heard steam loco whistles which seemed to be coming from the Foxton direction... it appeared the locals were more interested in rides to Foxton than into the former quarry area, and I think five trains ran to Foxton during the afternoon (I heard one from the pub, and then saw and photographed four) as well as a few to the Unloading Pad.
To see my non-transport pictures, visit www.flickr.com/photos/137275498@N03/.