Foxfield - a flying visit

Colliery steam remembered

Geoff’s Rail Diaries

15 July 2017

We’ve been to a Foxfield gala most years recently, and the weather has usually been very kind. Today, only a flying visit was possible - just sufficient time to see the last two trains up the bank from Foxfield colliery, in less-than-perfect weather. The first, a lengthy train of empty wagons, was ‘topped’ by Austerity “Whiston”, ‘tailed’ by classmate “Wimblebury”. Quite a spectacle! Wimblebury returned eventually with the wagons, accompanied by visiting Peckett “Sir Gomer”. There seem to be more wagons and locos in the sidings than can comfortably be managed, but after much shunting, and a quick stop for water, they’re off. It’s a shorter train than envisaged - but there are no fewer than four locos working it - “Bellerophon”

and the crane tank “Dubsy” at the front, Wimblebury and Sir Gomer at the rear. Wonderful stuff! Link: Foxfield Railway

There are four of them somewhere down there...