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Chasewater Railway Museum June 2023 Newsletter

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Posted on May 31, 2023 by in Newsletters

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148 – Chasewater Railway Museum Bits and Pieces

Posted on May 28, 2023 by | Leave a comment

The Museum will be open on Sunday 28th and Monday 29th May 2023

148 – Chasewater Railway Museum Bits & Pieces

From Chasewater News Autumn 1992 – Part 1

Editorial – Nigel Canning

Work on the railway is still progressing well and the number of volunteers has increased to the extent that even on our busiest day, Transport Scene, there were still people working on the new extension, and on carriage restoration.  As if to reflect the amount of work going on, even this issue of the magazine contains a few extra pages.  If all goes well, the Railway Inspector will be asked to pass off the line for passenger running to the causeway early next year.  If YOU would like to help on the track or in any other department on the railway, please come along – you will be most welcome.

Locomotive News

No.4 Asbestos – This loco is almost ready to return to traffic on a regular basis.  A couple of steam tests have been carried out, and a number of minor leaks corrected.  A small amount of finishing off is now required, such as fitting of the new saddle tank balance pipe and the extension of the buzzer wiring to the front buffer beam.

No.5 Sentinel – This has remained the only steam loco in service and has run well.  The problem of rust from the superheater blocking valves has been kept under control by regular inspections and cleaning.  The loco will need to be taken out of service before Christmas for its 5 yearly major boiler examination.

No.2 Lion 

This loco has passed its hydraulic test, and boiler fittings and pipework are now being fitted.  The boiler has been lagged, the cladding sheets fitted and the tank lowered into position.  Work is now being carried out to align the tank mounting brackets.

S100 – Work is continuing on the hornguides, and new fitted bolts have been made to secure them to the frames following machining.  The boiler has been unloaded from the flat wagon and is now in the loco shed yard where the shell has been cleaned and painted.The boiler from S100 is lowered into its new position in the loco shed yard.

Fowler – This loco is still running well and is in regular use.  Work has now begun on machining the various parts required to fit the loco for working the vacuum brakes on our passenger stock.

DL7 – Work is in progress on cleaning the cylinder heads and re-seating their valves ready for the engine rebuild.

No.21 Diesel – Work has concentrated on the two spare engines for this loco, the best of which may shortly be refitted to the frames

Smith Rodley Crane – This vehicle has remained out of use.

Bass Community Award – Keith Day

In the early part of this year, a poster appeared on the notice board at work saying ‘Bass Community Awards’ open to employees who are involved with a charitable organisation.  Now being a volunteer on the permanent way gang at Chasewater, and an employee of Bass, Mitchells & Butlers, both conditions were met, so I applied for an application form and sent it to the address stated on the poster.

A week later the application form appeared on my bench at work, and, after a lot of thought, I filled it in and with it wrote a potted history of the CLR.

In it I told briefly of the construction of the railway in 1860, and of how Chasewater Light Railway has been at Chasewater for 25 years, and of our plans to relay the track across the causeway and around the far side of the lake.  To do this we need money to buy materials to replace badly rotted sleepers, and rail which has staggered joints or had been criminally taken away for scrap.  I also wrote of what had already been achieved – the re-laying of the track to extend the running line, the repairs to Willow Vale bridge handrails to allow passenger trains to run over it, and finally, the passing of the extension by the Railway Inspectorate for passenger carrying trains.  The application was posted and almost forgotten about, until, on 24th April, a letter came through the door. I opened it up and read:

‘Bass Community Awards’

‘Further to your recent application for consideration under the above scheme, I am pleased to advise you that your organisation, Chasewater Light Railway & Museum Co. has been successful and has been awarded £300.  Could you please contact me on the above telephone number in order that we can discuss details of the cheque presentation.’

I telephoned the said number and arranged a date for the presentation at 7.00pm on Wednesday 27th May.  After a lot of thought and discussion, it was decided to use the £300 award to pay for the transport of redundant track materials from Hams Hall Power Station on 26th May.

Chris Chivers, Andy Clegg, Chris Hatton, Adrian Hall and myself, with ‘DJ’ Geoff running a shuttle service in his van were the crew who went to Hams Hall to load the trackwork, while Steve Organ, Arthur Edwards and others stayed at Chasewater to receive and unload the lorries.  Unfortunately, things did not run to plan, and what was supposed to be the first load at 9.00am departure from Hams Hall was in fact 6.30pm.  The second load arrived late afternoon on the 27th – the day of the presentation.

As it happened, this worked in our favour as Janice Clarke, PR Officer for Bass, and her photographer were able to take a picture  of the last load, unloaded with Yours Truly presenting the cheque to Chris Chivers, while Steve, Arthur and Chris Hatton posed in the background.  (Working for Bass is just like working at Chasewater – if you want anything done, you have to do it yourself!).  The picture and story were released to the press and appeared in the ‘Express and Star’ on 15th June.What we recovered from Hams Hall were: 4 sets of points, a rail drilling machine, 1 buffer stop complete, a number of point timbers, 2 point levers, some sleepers, rail, chairs and numerous other materials.

A small buffet was given at Brownhills West on the occasion, and I would like to thank Bass personally for their award of £300, and also everyone who took time to turn up on the 27th.

The Bass awards are an annual event, so if anyone has a suggestion for next year, please let me know.

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Not Museum this time – The Sidings Tea Room News

Posted on May 27, 2023 by | Leave a comment

The Sidings Tea Room

We’ve got some fantastic news to share with you all.

We have made the shortlist and we are a finalist in the Midlands Food Drink & Hospitality awards category ‘Afternoon Tea Establishment of the Year’.

We are absolutely overjoyed and are so proud to have reached the final stages along with some other wonderful businesses.

I just want to say a massive thank you firstly to my girls in the tea room who work tirelessly to help our business. Without them we wouldn’t be where we are today.

We can’t thank our customers enough, we have such a wonderful customer base and we thank you for your continued support. Hospitality isn’t an easy business and the last 12 months have been difficult with the rise in the cost of living. This is where we need your help and support, could we kindly ask you to take the time to vote for us? If you use the following link – https://www.mfdhawards.co.uk/vote-now/ and under the first category ‘Afternoon Tea Establishment of the year’ you will see we are number 10. If you could click on this and then enter your details to vote for us we would really appreciate it. It will only take a few minutes of your time, there are lots of categories with some fantastic businesses who would also appreciate your support but you can just vote in the one category if you are short of time.

Please share to help us! We can’t wait to attend the awards ceremony 💕

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147 – Chasewater Railway Museum Bits and Pieces

Posted on May 21, 2023 by | 1 comment

147 – Chasewater Railway Museum Bits & Pieces – From Chasewater News Spring 1992 – Part 3

Mission Impossible – Rob Duffill

This is my first report after being elected to the post of Commercial Manager in December, and I now have the honour of trying to maximise our income at Chasewater, both on and off site.  This is the job in a nutshell, and make no mistake, without an increase in income we cannot achieve our goals in other areas, however desirable, well planned or good value for money.  The task is difficult, but the successful outcome very rewarding and I am afraid it will mean asking members to help out on occasions and do jobs they do not fully enjoy.  Please remember if you spend a couple of hours for example, collecting entry fees at the gate, how much more you can enjoy the rest of the time because we can afford another project that really does interest you.I joined the group in 1968 and was elected to the Committee of the then Society in 1971.  Following a split up of ideas and members, I did not re-stand in 1974.  I have, over 23 years, seen the ups and downs and plodding alongs at Chasewater and like to think that all this gives me an insight into what is needed as we are definitely on the up, and have been for several years.

As we get bigger and better we will need to change practices to cope with demand and the present working members at Chasewater seem to me quite capable of really making great strides forward.  As I look around me I see the track extension (you now need good eyesight!) and the general improvement to stock and site.  The shop and buffet raise large and regular income and will need your occasional support as the regulars need a change from time to time.

What plans do we have?  In the short term we can only expand what we did last year.  We will be a success if we raise more income at each event and we all have a critical role:  It’s down to the members.  We will succeed if we pull together and remember that we need the public to pay for our enjoyment of our hobby.

I hope to highlight certain aspects of the commercial side in future magazines, for example, plans for a mobile sales stand.

If anyone has any suggestions for raising money or showing the flag (publicity) please contact me, as we must, as cheaply as possible, raise the awareness of the public that we exist, are different and that they ought to visit, and, having visited, come again because they liked it so much.  Mission Impossible perhaps – but we’ll see at the next AGM in 12 months time.

Stop Press

Pic – Nigel Canning

One of our members, Mike Wood, has bought an ex-Great Western Railway ‘Fruit D’ van from British Rail, and at the end of March it was delivered to Chasewater.  The Van, which is vacuum braked and steam heated, was run on April 11th as part of a demonstration goods train fro the Industrial Railway Society.

16 Ton Mineral Wagon – Arthur Edwards

Steve Forrest and I bought this item of rolling stock from the CLR Co. on the understanding that it will remain on CLR metals.Arthur and Steve pause briefly whilst shovelling coal dust and slack out of the wagon prior to chipping rust from the bodywork. – Nigel Canning

The underframes have already been doused with old engine oil to help with their preservation, and the bodywork is in exceptionally good condition considering its age, built in 1957 I think.  At present it is in British Coal green, but we aim to re-paint it into the classic colours of grey and black with white sloping stripe down one corner.

 The idea behind obtaining this and the 21 tonner was to help in the rebuilding of the causeway, but the 16 tonner has been put on our line backwards, that is, the end opening door  is at the wrong end.

Over the next few Saturdays we, that is, possibly Tony and I and maybe Dave and young Chris, aim to release the jammed side doors and the one end door followed possibly by the re-paint in the coming months.

Maybe one day there will be the Maunsell brake van, our 16 tonner, followed by the wooden bodied coal truck, possibly the Midland crane, and the Great Western Toad hauled by a loco not seen in steam for many a year, ‘Colin McAndrew’.  Our own freight train!

Moving Pictures

The slide and film show held at Chasewater during January was well attended and a great success.  The subject was ‘Chasewater in the Early 1970s’ and featured a variety of films and colour slides by Andrew Louch and Rob Duffill.

All of our departments were left drooling by some of the photos which stand as a great tribute to the pioneer members at Chasewater.  For a variety of reasons the early promise of success came to nothing, and much of the progress made was lost during the 1980s.  While certain aspects of Chasewater have still to reach the level attained in the early days, it is pleasing to see that real progress is once again being made, and on a far more professional level than ever before.

The opening shots of the first film saw diesels 20 and 21 shunting some delightful wooden wagons at what is now Brownhills West Station.  Although some of those wagons have now gone, it is great to know that No.21 is undergoing restoration in the shed and will one day burst into life once more.  No.20, which is nominally in working order, is on loan to the Bass Museum, Burton-on-Trent, although it may one day return to Chasewater.

Another item of nostalgia was a wonderful film of our trains at the far end of the line across the causeway and round near the old workshops.  This provoked much discussion, and we have now approached British Coal who own these now disused buildings with a view to acquiring them for our own use.  First signs are encouraging and we may have some good news to report soon.

The late lamented ‘Norton Branch’ also featured in the cine film show.  This ‘Norton Branch’ ran from our current line, before the causeway (from Brownhills West) in between the bungalows and the Swag pool round to Norton East Road, and ultimately into Conduit No.3 Pit (Jerome’s).  The loss of this section of the line was a sad blow, but it is interesting to note that we do still lease the track bed.  Who knows?  Perhaps we may one day rebuild that line.

The Carriage & Wagon department also had a lot to think about.  Film of a beautifully restored Maryport, and the MSL caused quite a stir.  The now derelict ‘slum’ and Midland crane also brought gasps from a few people.  There was also a message for those who cared to read it.  Two coaches, the LNWR TPO and the SECR ‘birdcage brake’ also appeared on the film.. Both of these fine carriages left Chasewater many years ago because it was felt that they would stand a better chance of restoration elsewhere.  They are, in fact, both still derelict.  So all those who want to dispose of our old coaches, take note!

Another fine vehicle was the E1, sold to Cranmore in the 1970s.  This loco has had something like £40,000 spent on it and has yet to enter service on the east Somerset line.  (It has steamed since that, but if it had stayed at Chasewater there was no £40,000 to spend on it!).

Other engines seen working included ‘Invicta’ and the venerable Neilson ‘Alfred Paget’.  Once again our loco department is making progress, and these engines may one day receive the attention they require. – P.Aldridge

 (Invicta has long since left, and poor Alfred is still waiting!) (Alfred Paget being worked on, May 2023)

Video – Wimblebury and Peckett 2000 Double Headed leaving Brownhills West.

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144 – Chasewater Railway Museum Bits & Pieces – From Chasewater News December 1991 – Part 3

Posted on April 26, 2023 by | Leave a comment

The Museum will be open on Sunday and Monday for the next two weekends –

April 30th and May 1st, and May 7th and 8th 2023

144 – Chasewater Railway Museum Bits & Pieces – From Chasewater News December 1991 – Part 3

General News from the Line

Bric a Brac Stall – The stall is still running and making money for the railway.  Suitable items are always needed to maintain the stock, so if you can help please bring your donations to Brownhills West Station.

Station Buffet – The new buffet is still a great success, to the extent that Walsall Council would now like us to apply for planning permission for it.  The CLR Company will no doubt point out that this is a temporary building which we intend to dismantle as soon as we have made a fortune out of feeding the construction workers on the new M6 Toll motorway which will be built around it at some time in the future!Advertising – This year the railway has benefited from a bit of extra advertising.  The photos show the electronic scoreboard at Walsall FC’s Bescot Stadium.  One of our members, Dave Bathurst, has access to the control panel of this machine and regularly manages to advertise our events on the day before they happen.  Ours could well be the only preserved railway in the country to benefit in this way!!

Steve Organ has also been busy publicising the railway by being interviewed on local radio just before the October Transport Rally.  With this sort of coverage, our events can only become better attended, with the resultant upturn in CLR finances.

The New Platform – Arthur Edwards

The delivery of the new platform has been on the books at Chasewater since January, but through illness and the like had to be put off until September 28th, which was a Saturday.

So there I was going towards Frank Harvey’s house at 5.30 in the morning to be at the SVR at around 7.15am.  Frank picked me up at 5.40am and off we went towards Guymer’s to pick up a trailer and two drivers, Bullet and Ken.

After a cup of coffee we set off.  Bullet and Ken took the two trailers which had been loaded the previous day back to the CLR, whilst Frank and I waited for the SVR crane driver to appear.  We also had Frank’s son Francis and daughter Ruth with us, and while we waited, Flying Scotsman rolled in.  Frank and Francis got on the footplate to have a gander while Scotsman watered up and saw City of Truro which was also there.

The SVR crane driver was a policeman on night shift, so it was only fair that he had some sleep before he came.  It took some 2½ hours to load up, and in the meantime down came the rain.  By the time we were loaded we were both soaked to the skin.

We finally arrived back on CLR territory at 6.55pm to the welcome sight of the mobile crane waiting for us.

I though it wise to include a credit list of those who helped us, so here goes:  Paul Whittaker, his son Kane, and brother-in-law Barry, who was the instigator in us getting a Hy-Ab.  Credit must also go to our own lorry driver, Frank Harvey, who borrowed the original Hy-Ab from a workmate.

Thanks must go to Guymer’s Transport, especially their manager, Mr.S.Ashton, for whose help we are most indebted.

Finally to everyone who helped, even in the pouring rain and to Dave Borthwick for a lift home.

After following the ‘New Platform Saga’ for a number of magazines, and searching for pictures of it, sadly I found that it was never erected at Chasewater.  I am not sure what happened to it but one theory is that it ended up at Titley Junction.

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Chasewater Railway Museum News

Posted on April 22, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Update from Museum with regard to the Industrial Railway Society AGM Day. No steam loco  but the participants didn’t seem bothered. From the Museum viewpoint the day went well. Adrian Hall did a massive job with the tidy and clean up beforehand, just left Barry Bull to add the finishing touches. One of the Industrial Railway Society members who attended the AGM was David Kitching who had previously supplied details and photographs for some of our display of bricks. I hadn’t realised before that the photos supplied were actually of bricks in our collection photographed on a previous visit David made. Long standing member of both the Industrial Railway Society and Chasewater,  Pete Stamper,  accepted the loan of nameplate Rother Vale No 7 on behalf of the Museum.

A further search of the Alastair Grieve slide collection has revealed some good quality ones from when Asbestos and the 16 ton GWR brake van went to Bromford  Tube Works for the benefit of photographers over a weekend in March 1994 not long before the works closed.

Fifty slides from Alastair’s collection taken during a charter with GWR 813 at Bristol Docks have been presented to  Paddy Goss of the 813 Preservation Society.

Port Talbot 0-6-0ST No. 26 (GWR 813)

A welcome visiting loco to Chasewater

This locomotive is a six-coupled 0-6-0ST Saddle Tank No.813 under the Great Western Railway numbering system but was built for the Port Talbot Railway & Docks in 1901. The Port Talbot Railway & Docks Company was formed in 1894 to work the docks of the town. The Railway opened several branches especially those to the Llynfi & Garw valleys. This attracted a heavy coal traffic, which was dealt with at Duffryn Yard.

In 1901 the PTR ordered a number of small 0-6-0 saddle tank locomotives (six in all) from Hudswell Clark of Leeds & was given the works No. 555/01 & on delivery it became PTR No.26. In this guise it was put to work in Duffryn Yard & served in this capacity until 1908 when the PTR was absorbed into the GWR system. However, no changes were made to the loco at this time until the grouping which brought changes to No.26 in that it was first Westernised & given the GWR number 813.

The GWR decided later however that the older absorbed locos should be sold off out of service & No.813 fund itself on that list in 1934. It was sold to a Backworth Colliery, Northumberland where it was again renumbered as No.12 & remained there for the next 33 years. The No.12 did not stay for long though, as when the colliery was absorbed in to the National Coal Board when it was formed in 1947 it became NCB No.11

In 1950 it was fitted with a new boiler & firebox. However the original GWR boiler fittings were retained. As steam working was nearly at an end hastened by the closing of collieries, older locos were withdrawn in the late 1950’s & early 60’s with 813 lasting until the summer of 1967.

The loco was duly discovered by Mr. Paddy Goss & attempts to preserve it were ultimately successful for he was able, after a great struggle to raise funds as is ever the case in the preservation scene, to purchase the loco. The loco arrived at the Severn Valley Railway in November 1967 with sufficient finance available to pay for the removal charges.  Since then much loving care & a great deal of money has been spent keeping 813 in its present condition.

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Chasewater Railway Museum April 2023 Newsetter

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Posted on April 1, 2023 by in Newsletters

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139 – 137 Chasewater Railway Museum Bits and Pieces

Posted on March 29, 2023 by | Leave a comment

139 – Chasewater Railway Museum Bits & Pieces

From Chasewater News Autumn 1991 – Part 2

How it was, how it is and the 1st Burntwood Scouts

 Initially we started the track attack around Jan/Feb 1990, but an accumulation of other, more pressing jobs needed our attention.  As a result, it was decided to leave the planned track extension until a later date, which was more or less twelve months later.

How it was.

After laying 50 odd concrete sleepers between two of us, just Pete and I, we came to the conclusion that the rails were out of true, that is, they were not in uniform lengths.

We concluded that it would take more than two of us to correct this problem so we decided to leave it until later in the year, and, as stated earlier, other jobs required more urgent attention.

Meanwhile, it had been decided that the various departments of our railway required better leadership, and as a result, Les Emery became our Permanent Way foreman.

Firstly, I suppose he felt like any other p-way ganger would, that trundling down 1,000 or so yards of track to nowhere specific causes enthusiasm to wane a little.  Secondly, he seems the kind of bloke who has the uncanny knack of proving the need for his actions, and if a job should crop up, would rather do it first than answer for it later.  Now the p-way gang get even the most tedious jobs done, whether it is weedkilling, tightening fishplate bolts, or even cutting back the grass banks or trees.  Using a shovel and sweat (unless some kind soul out there has got an old JCB to lend us?) quite a lot has already been achieved.How it is.

Things are coming on nicely thank you.  Since starting the ‘track attack’ in February, Les came up with a brilliant idea for moving 60 foot lengths of rail with only about three blokes, by the use of three small rollers onto which the rail can be jacked and then pushed along.

Our gallant leader believes that we could be at the bottom of the causeway bank by the end of October, others reckon spring 1993, and that id laying the track, ballasting and having it passed by the Railway Inspectorate.

Ur long term ambition is to relay the track as far as Anglesey Wharf, which is close to the bad canal bridge in Wharf Lane.  Mind you, that’s a long way off yet, but the way things are going, could be in the next ten years or so.

Our main concern will shortly be the causeway bank which has got to be braced and backfilled as the water has eroded the banks on either side.  The ‘spiky bridge’ also needs repair; I wonder if it will still be called the ‘spiky bridge’ once it is repaired?  We are fortunate to have no underbridges on this railway, just the two overbridges.

It is hoped to use the existing platform built years ago by the Manpower Services Scheme on the other side of the causeway.  This would be the end of our extended run until further rail and sleepers could be obtained.

Our track attacks take place once a month, with minor maintenance jobs done in between.  With our line getting ever longer, weedkilling by watering can is tending to become an all day job.  A big tank with a spray pipe at one end could be a solution to the problem.After the toe rags smashed the Willow Vale bridge handrails off completely, Dave, Keith and Paul fabricated new handrails using old bullhead rail so that should, I pray, be that job done.

I should mention the great help we had from the Burntwood Scouts during the May track attack – it was much appreciated – cheers.

Arthur Edwards

The 1st Burntwood Scouts and the May Track Bash

1st Burntwood scouts were one of the largest scout groups in the Lichfield District.  They had just under 200 members ranging from 7 year old Beavers through to 20 year old young men and women in the Venture section.

Whilst many of the activities have changed over the years, to meet the challenges of today’s society, one activity which is still central to scouting is that of helping others.  This can take many forms, but one in particular is that of becoming involved in the local environment.

When Dave Whittle mentioned that the Chasewater Light Railway hold regular sessions to clear and extend the running line, the Jupiter Troop of scouts thought that this would not only be a worthwhile environmental project to become involved in, but might also be good fun.

As it turned out the boys who came along all thoroughly enjoyed themselves, put a bit of work in as well, and went home both tired and wanting to return.  Now that we have made the contact, we will be bringing parties of scouts along to help out in any way that we can.

1st Burntwood Scouts.The scouts pose with the CLR track gang in front of the works train at the end of the May ‘track bash’.

137 – Chasewater Railway Museum Bits & Pieces

From Chasewater News April 1991 – Part 5

More Sid Browne Memories – Pete Aldridge

Flat Tyres

Whilst industriously playing cards one morning in the1960s at Bescot, Sid was summoned to the foreman’s office.

‘Sid’ said the foreman, ‘There’s a special test train waiting at Wolverhampton.  They haven’t got a guard, so I’m sending you along.’Gateway to the high level railway station

This building is described thus on a blue plaque erected by the Wolverhampton Civic Society:
“The Queen’s Building. Gateway to the High Level Railway station. Erected 1849. Edward Banks, Architect.”
It is located a short walk away from the mainline station. The bus station is located beside it.   © Copyright Ruth Sharville and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Sure enough a taxi arrived and took Sid to Wolverhampton High Level.  The special train consisted of four brand new electric locomotives, two at each end of a test coach.  It all looked very impressive.  Alas, no-one had a key to open the doors on the coach, so Sid, a petite sixteen and a half stone, had to force his way in through the corridor connection.  The key was hanging up in a corner of the coach.

Eventually everyone got on board.  The driver of the electric loco was told ‘You’ve got a clear path through to Stafford.  Go as fast as you can from here and don’t stop no matter what we do with the brakes until we get to Stafford.

‘Hello!’ thought Sid ‘This should be fun.’

The train started off and rapidly picked up speed.  ‘Just a minute! called one of the inspectors, ‘The handbrake’s still on the coach!’

‘So take it off then’ chimed another inspector.

‘Could be tricky,’ said Sid ‘It’s external; there’s no way of getting at it from in here.’

The inspector applied the vacuum brake, but to no avail, the driver was carrying out hid instructions to the letter.

What a sight it must have been, four gleaming electric locos, pantographs sparking and flashing, with the tyres of the test vehicle flashing and sparking as well.  As it turned out, the driver did not get the clear run he had been promised, and the train stopped near Penkridge.  The inspectors hurriedly released the handbrake and climbed back onto the train.  The signals changed and the driver set off once more.

‘THUMP THUMP THUMP’ went the coach wheels, which had huge flats on their tyres.  The train accelerated up to Ninety miles an hour.  ‘THUBITY THUBITY THUBITY’ the coach shook and vibrated.   Things fell of shelves and out of cupboards.  This was unbearable.

At long last the train arrived at Stafford.  ‘Everything OK?’ asked the driver as he climbed down from his electric.  The test crew, plus Sid, were ashen faced and feeling far from well.

‘No, not really,’ replied the inspector, and was promptly sick!The first ‘Peak’ Diesel leaving Stafford on an Up express View NW, towards Crewe etc. on the WCML. By 1960 many WCML expresses had been handed over to Diesel haulage: here No. D1 ‘Scafell Pike’, the first BR/Sulzer ‘Peak’ 2,300hp Type 4 1-Co-Co-1 (later Class 44 No. 44.001), pulls the 08.30 Carlisle – Euston out of Stafford station.  © Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

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Chasewater Railway Volunteers

Posted on March 24, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Make new friends, learn new skills. Chasewater Railway is run by working members who are all Volunteers. If you find yourself with time on your hands, why not join our friendly team? With hours to suit, as little or as much time as you want to give, can make a real difference. With opportunities to work in different departments; Operations – footplate (steam & diesel) crews, Carriage and Wagon, Museum, Shops, Station Staff, Train Crews (Guard and Travelling Ticket Inspector), Maintenance and Restorations of Rolling Stock, Permanent Way (track), Narrow Gauge, Model Railway and Events. Previous experience is not necessary as full training will be provided, we are always looking to welcome new Volunteers.  Whatever your skills and experience, working, retired or studying, there’s something for you at Chasewater Railway

The Museum is open to visitors on most Sundays and at other times by prior arrangement.

The aim is to open on every running day but over the last few years our numbers have diminished due to members sadly passing away and illness.

We are really looking for mature members no longer able. perhaps , to do the heavy lifting associated with railways but still having a lot to offer, with local knowledge and railway matters in general.

There is a fair amount of paperwork involved, our catalogue is kept on a computer database, help would be appreciated.

There is an excellent video about the Chasewater Railway Volunteers in various departments on youtube,
unfortunately, I can’t put a llnk on here, the link has been disabled by the video owner.

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Chasewater Railway Museum News

Posted on March 14, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Trains are scheduled to run Saturday and Sunday, 18th and 19th March.

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