'Scene' today, August 3rd 2013 in Ripley and Derby

For those who may not know. Ripley is where I live and it sits astride the B 6179, (the old A 61) about 10 miles North of Derby.

It has been rumoured that 'trentbarton' (tb) are to refresh the Wright Solar Urban bodied Scania L94UB's working on 'the sixes' services. This is to include more comfortable seats, wifi, a general refurbishment inside and out and also a fresh coat of paint. 

This particular one  FJ55 BZT (seen in Ripley) has been in service for a couple of days this week and seems to give a foretaste of what is to come. The most obvious difference is the brighter and richer of shade of yellow being used. (See below for comparison).

I understand that there another 9 buses to be so treated.

I look forward then to seeing the finished article, fully vinyled in service sometime in the near future.  

 

Also 'Scene' in Derby today is Optare Solo YJ11 EKU working on the 'Harlequin' service via Littleover to Heatherton.This must be one of (tb)'s least known routes because its city terminus is tucked away on Gower Street just off Babbington Lane

 

 

Further buses 'Scene' in Derby today may be seen here Flickr 

 

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Whilst one of the purposes of the line was for the movement of freight, there is little freight stock around. I suppose that with the line having become more fare paying passenger orientated, that this is inevitable.

 

The freight stock visible on the day is all shown here.

Parked in the bay at Welshpool is this van. I suspect having seen others like it that it originated with the Royal Navy.

 

This four plank open goods wagon displayed in 

 

Great Western freight grey is used as a signpost to the display shed where the two out of service steam loco’s referred to earlier are stored.

 

Approximately half way along the line is a halt at Sylfaen where a siding holds the three wagons seen here.

 

This tiny flat wagon draws attention to the excellent tea room located at Llanfair Caereinion.

 

 

 

While the two bogie hopper wagons which presumably are used for carrying track ballast.

 

Both I believe came from Romania. 

In conclusion then. 

 

An interesting day out with sufficient to keep both the enthusiast and casual visitor interested. The staff were welcoming, friendly and knowledgeable.

Try to pick a day when there are two loco's in steam.

 

Recommended !

 

THE WELSHPOOL AND LLANFAIR LIGHT RAILWAY (WLLR) Part 7 of 8

Another import from the ZB was this newer steel bodied coach again built by WMFAG at Graz in 1925.

 

A 4 wheel second open, It was built for the Salzkammergut Lokalbahn (SKGLB). in Austria and is finished in SKGLB livery as its No. C569.

 

Initially running on the WLLR in the ZB livery of red and cream and numbered B24.

THE WELSHPOOL AND LLANFAIR LIGHT RAILWAY (WLLR) Part 6 of 8

Other coaching stock in evidence on the day were.

These two former 4 wheel ZB Brake Third open coaches numbered B14 and B16.

These wooden bodied vehicles were built in Graz (Austria) by Waggon und Maschinen Fabrik A.G. (WMFAG) in 1901/2 and came to the WLLR in 1968.

Further imports were 2 bogie coaches from Hungary.

 

 

Built by and for The Hungarian State Railways (MAV) in 1958 at Debrecen.

THE WELSHPOOL AND LLANFAIR LIGHT RAILWAY (WLLR) Part 5 of 8

When the line opened, the coaching stock was built by  R.Y. Pickering of Wishaw near Glasgow.

 

These are long gone having been scrapped when the passenger service terminated in 1931. 

Fortunately the WLLR was able to commission the building of three replica coaches.

 

These came from the Boston Lodge works of the Ffestiniog Railway earlier this century and are finished in GWR coaching stock livery.

 

There are two First/ Thirds, numbers 6466 and 6338 and a Full Third number 4154.

The standard of finish on these coaches is superb and I can say that in many years of railway interest, they are the best I have ever seen.

THE WELSHPOOL AND LLANFAIR LIGHT RAILWAY (WLLR) Part 4 of 8

There are two other steam loco’s that are available for public inspection and these reside in a display shed just west of Welshpool station.

Unfortunately, such are the constraints of the shed that I found it impossible to take reasonable image’s of them so I am grateful to Andrew Charman, the Press Officer on the WLLR for the use of both the images seen here.

 

First is No.6, a ’Mallet’ 0-4-4-0T articulated locomotive named ‘Monarch’.

 

Built in 1953 by  W.G. Bagnall, it arrived on the WLLR in 1966. It came from Sittingbourne and at one time went to the Ffestiniog Railway before being returned to the WLLR.

 

Listed as ‘static at Welshpool’ and ‘being cosmetically restored’. I think it unlikely that it will be seen in service any time soon!

The other shed resident is a loco that saw service during the Second World War. Built by the Société Anglo Franco-Belge des Ateliers de la Croyère at Raisemes  in France. It was delivered to the German army in 1944 and captured in a stores depot by the Americans.

 

Sold in 1946 to the Styrian Government Railways in Austria and then on to The Zillertalbahn (ZB) again in Austria from where it arrived on the WLLR in 1969.

 

Originally a tender loco, It was converted to a tank loco in 1957 and It is now an 0-8-0T and was given the name of ‘Sir Drefaldwyn’ (translated as ‘Montgomeryshire’) by the WLLR.  

 

Again like Monarch, it might be some time before it is seen in service again.

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There is a small fleet of diesel’s that support the steam fleet.

 No.7 ‘Chattenden’ an 0-6-0 DM with jackshaft drive was built in 1947 by E.E Baguley Ltd. for the Drewry Car Company and at one time worked for the Admiralty. It was sold to the Chattenden and Upnor Railway before coming to the WLLR in 1968. 

It has recently been re-built to a new dual braked standard.

 

 

No. 17. another 0-6-0DM was built by the Diepholzer Maschinenfabrik (Diema) in 1979 for the Taiwan Sugar Corporation. It arrived on the WLLR in 2004

 

 

No 11 named ‘Ferret’ was built by The Hunslet Engine Company as works number 2251 in 1940.

Again it saw service with the Admiralty before coming to the WLLR in 1971. It currently wears lined GWR green loco livery.