Evening all. Today saw me and Jenny pay a visit to the Amerton Railway, a small 2ft narrow gauge railway situated at Amerton Farm in Staffordshire. The railway was built in 1990 in a field next to Amerton Working Farm and opened in 1992. The railway now has a full circuit of track with two passing loops which were in use during our visit to their ever popular "Summer Steam Gala" event.
The day started at 6am with me waking up to my alarm, having breakfast and getting dressed making sure my camera kit and tripod were all packed and ready to go, before setting off in the car with my dad to meet my girlfriend Jenny at Uttoxeter just after 8am before driving to Amerton Farm.
We arrived at Amerton farm just after half 8. After parking up, we collected the camera kit and tripod before proceeding to the Amerton Railway entrance. Our first task would be to plaster ourselves with sun cream as the forecast was bright sunshine.... Not something you want if our driving a steam locomotive though....Sun Scream applied it was time to walk to the sheds and start filming.
The loco yard / sheds were a hive of activity 5 steam locomotives being prepared for service, 4 resident and 1 visiting engine. One of them by pure coincident also shares its name with Jenny, although its spelt as "Jennie" rather than "Jenny".... just to be confusing.Another engine and a childhood favourite of Jenny's dad Phil is a Bagnall 0-4-0 tank called "Isabel" which briefly displayed on a plinth outside Stafford Railway Station....Although now seeing out her retirement hauling passenger Trains at Amerton Railway.
After taking several video clips and photographs of the engines being prepared for service we decided to leave the shed area and find our first filming position for the first passenger service of the day before walking the length of the line filming...With the sun now getting hotter and hotter, this wasn't our smartest idea.
The first passenger service of the day would be double headed by resident loco"Lorna Doone" and visiting locomotive "Rishra"...both 0-4-0 tank engines. The first train departed Amerton Platform at 11.00am for a run round the 1 mile circuit of track, stopping briefly at the top end of the line at "Chartley Road", a small platform Halt with a picnic area.
After filming the double header and walking the in the field to "Chartley Road", where we decided to film the freight train and the double headed passenger train, it was time for lunch...
We waited for the double headed passenger train to arrive at "Chartley Road" before catching the train down to "Amerton"... Possibly not our smartest move due to how busy the trains were all day during our visit.
Arriving back at Amerton Station, we disembarked and walked over to the Amerton Farm cafe which is separately owned from the Narrow Gauge Railway. Lunch finished, we decided to head back out and carry on filming again.
Back outside at the railway, we found "Isabel" had moved and was sat in the loop at Amerton Station coupled to a demonstration freight train... awaiting the return of the passenger train before tackling the short but steep gradients on the railway.
Our second discovery was that other resident locomotive "Diana" had swapped with "Lorna Doone" and "Rishra" and was now at the head of the passenger train. We decided to catch the train back up to Chartley Road Halt and carry on filming the various train workings... proberly not our wisest move with the sun now at its highest... let alone...hottest too..
Following a change of passengers at Amerton Station, we boarded the train bound for Chartley Road Halt and after a toot on the whistle from "Diana" we were soon trundling along slowing for sheep on the line.
Arrival at Chartley Road Halt saw us pass the freight train with Rishra at the helm, after disembarking and quick toot on the whistle from the guard with a reply from the crew on "Diana" the passenger train left one way with Rishra heading the other leaving the halt pretty silent apart from the noise from the near by main road and slight bird song.
After a while the sound of an engine approaching could be heard as Rishra approached with the demonstration freight, it wasn't long before the sound of two double headed engines could be heard with "Jennie" & "Lorna Doone" this time doing the honours on the passenger train.
As the passenger train approached Jenny decided that she needed the toilet and boarded the train back to Amerton. As both trains left I was left in opposite directions leaving the halt almost empty apart from myself and a few other people on the platform.
The peace between trains allowed me to flick through video footage filmed and photographs that I had taken during the course of the day....In the distance the sound of "Diana" could be heard as she attacked the climb up to Chartley Road Halt from Amerton bunker first with the second of the two freight trains.... And wasn't long before she arrived into the loop at the halt and stopped, waiting for the passenger service.
Having had enough of the extreme heat with the sun now at its hottest and highest, I decided to call it a day and caught the passenger train back down to Amerton to meet Jenny who was looking in the museum. Having arrived back at Amerton, I was caught out when the locomotives were changed and Isabel was then coupled to the passenger train....Typical.
I was lucky to get a quick photo of Isabel, Jennie & Lorna Donne (Both still coupled together) before Jennie left for the circuit with the passenger train leaving Jennie, Lorna Doone and Rishra in the passing loop.
With all operational locomotives now photographed and caught on video, we decided to call it a day. Having retrieved my fleece from Jenny's car and bought nice cold drinks, it was time to was time to part company and head our separate ways...
With Jenny driving back to Hilderstone, I caught the vintage bus back to Stafford Station before catching the train back home to Burton, Another great if not hot day out!! Cheers all, Jake...
