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This page shouldn't have happened at all! The previous day, I should have been on a railtour, running from Shropshire stations to Carlisle, via Manchester and the Cumbrian Coast. At the last minute, it was cancelled - lack of drivers, apparently. Hence the need for a little railway entertainment the following day. I hadn't any very clear ideas, but on browsing the local railways' web sites, I realised that the Amerton Railway's "Isabel" was undergoing a boiler overhaul, and "Emmet", the curious little locomotive I had met at Statfold a few weeks ago, would be handling services. Perhaps we ought to go and have a look (a bit of fun on a dull October afternoon maybe)...

What's so odd about Emmet? Well, I've no idea where the boiler, motion etc came from - but the loco started life as an O&K diesel, 2160* of 1938, which once worked on the Purbeck clay lines (See Fayles Tramway, on the The Purbeck Mineral & Mining Museum's site). I suppose the builder's plate, suggesting a rather more recent date, is appropriate... Emmet was completed in 2003 by Jim Haylock of the Moors Valley Railway, after about 12 years work (if the IRS build date is anything to go by).

Another new resident at Amerton is "Paddy" - we've met Paddy before, at the Keef's open day in September. Based on the classic De Winton design, but with geared drive to the axles, Paddy is a tender engine and, more-or-less complete but with one or two finishing touches still required, should be able to operate at Amerton when Emmet departs homewards.

Enough said - enjoy the pictures. We've been to Amerton before (the very first "Rail Diaries" entry recorded our first visit - so for more details, have a look at those earlier trips (below).

*I've also seen the builder's number recorded as 21160 and 21159. Can anyone confirm the correct number?

Links:

• The Amerton Railway official website
  On Geoff's Rail Diaries:-
• The Amerton Railway
• Wrens at Amerton
• Irish Mail at Amerton

Like these pages? Tell me! - I might put some more up.

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