Where was the big nose today?

[chris from nailsea]

Yes, I should have gone for 2. Whitecroft: I was rather more sure of that one. 

[bignosemac]

2. Whitecroft. Correct. grahame. On the approach heading back to Lydney with a great view. I wish we could still have forward views on the network's rolling stock.

[chris from nailsea]

Sometimes, though, you wouldn't want to ... even teddy could be traumatised.

[grahame]

Hi, BNM - I was noticing that the stock in the picture at Norchard, and the track, looked rather better than when  visited a couple of years back and worried at the stock rotting away and the lack of upcoming volunteers - http://www.wellho.net/mouth/1757_Preserved-railways-struggling-to-the-future-.html - are you able to report on good progress in the right direction?

Last week, at Tywyn Wharf, I was chatting with some folks about the source of more volunteers at it sounds as if on that railway, they're onto their second or third generation of volunteers from the same family, and not finding any shortage - "but it's a different matter with some of the broad gauge lines where a group has bought an old coach and finds that it degrades quicker that they can raise money to restore it".

[bignosemac]

One staff member I spoke with said they were struggling a bit this year because visitor numbers were down. I didn't chat to anyone about the state of the rolling stock but did notice there was lots of stuff at various points between Lydney Junction and Parkend that appeared to be, as you say, rotting away. They are certainly not short of rolling stock, at Lydney Junction there are sidings filled with diesel locomotives and freight stock, whilst at Norchard Low Level there is plenty of passenger stock. Some appears, externally, to be in good nick.

I did note though that the Class 108 that was being used yesterday, whilst looking great from the outside, was a bit tired internally. In fact my seat at the front was broken. The seat cushion kept slipping from the frame every time I got up or sat down. That said I do remember this happening when these DMUs were still in use on the national network, I used to muck around on the Class 108s when they were in the bay platform at Taunton. Perhaps the DFR are just recreating the atmosphere of British Railways/BR/early privatisation!

Some more pictures to come and a links to a couple of short video clips once I've uploaded to hosting site and youtube....

[bignosemac]

As promised, more photos from the Dean Forest Railway:

http://s598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/Dean%20Forest%20Railway%2030th%20May%202012/

And some video clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLFe7_Elfws
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLUMwoSZ9UU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1oBOk-ZNCk