Peter Pan, Pixie and Perrygrove

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4 September 2004

Talking Point - Peter Pan and TaffyClick the thumbnail to view the full sized images, which measure 600 pixels on the longest side, and are around 50k in size. Please read my copyright notes if you want to use them in any way

Puffing BillyIt hardly seemed a year since the last visit - nevertheless, once again the day of the annual open day at Alan Keef's works near Ross-on-Wye dawned bright and sunny. The Perrygrove railway would be open too - a special opening primarily for enthusiasts.

The BaldwinFirst, the trip to Keef's. Although the "Steam Debut of New Privately Owned Vertical Boiler Locomotive" was listed on the web site, there was no sign of this locomotive - however the much-travelled Peter Pan posing on the passengerKerr Stuart "Wrens" Pixie (4260 of 1922) and Peter Pan (4256 of 1922) were in residence and in action alongside regular vertical-boilered "Taffy", providing ample food for the cameras.

There was more interest in the works - in particular, the project to build a "Puffing Billy" replica, complete with heavy wooden frames, plus boiler and various castings for cylinders etc. Nearby were the frames of Baldwin 4-6-0T no. 778 of 1917, described as a "DIY locomotive kit"...


"Shelagh" runs roundOn to the Perrygrove Railway, near Coleford, which also provided an interesting surprise. "Spirit of Adventure" had been joined by a replica of Heywood's "Shelagh", "Shelagh" arrives back at Perrygrove stationbuilt at Duffield Bank works 100 years ago. Strangely, the very similar "Ursula", normally resident at Perrygrove, was nowhere to be seen...

We took a ride, once again, in the superb Duffield Bank dining car replica, before getting on with some serious"Shelagh" at Perrygrove - the archetypal estate railway? snapping and video recording (not to mention blackberry-scoffing in-between trains)

Once again, an excellent day. If you're interested in the smaller gauges, put them in your diary for next year.

Video clips:
all 360 x 288, Windows Media using WM9 codecs
Taffy works the passenger train at Keef's Taffy

"Taffy" works the passenger train at Keef's

484k; 21s

Pixie on the passenger

Pixie

"Pixie" reverses around the the curve, then hurries back again, slipping briefly on the gradient

1031k; 47s

"Spirit of Adventure" arrives at the top station, Perrygrove Spirit of Adventure

... climbs steadily to arrive at the top station, Perrygrove

877k; 54s

"Shelagh" traverses the north loop Shelagh

...traverses the north loop - the camera (and the train) panning nearly 180˚ in the process.

Top: the full traverse, low bit rate
(1091k; 1m 10s)

Bottom: just the last bit, passing the station, lower compression / higher quality
(550k; 18s)

"Shelagh" traverses the north loop

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