Foxfield Diesel Gala and Beer Festival

Foxfield Railway are very pleased to announce that in conjunction with East Lancashire Railway and Sanctuary Ale House we will be launching our Diesel and Beer Festival on 5th and 6th May 2018.

We have reached an agreement with our friends at East Lancashire Railway and Bury Hydraulic Group (Whom our thanks go out to) which will see Class 14 D9531 'Ernest' operate passenger and demonstration freight trains at Foxfield for one weekend only- Including Foxfield Colliery.

Wolstanton 3, Leys, Thomas Hill 111 and supporting steam in the shape of Wimblebury. (Subject to availability).

Additionally, Our good team Sanctuary are helping to organise one of the best beer festivals around...Beer, Trains and Live music- What's not to like? We'll see up to 12 guest ales and 4 guest ciders available throughout the weekend both onboard the trains and at Caverswall Road Station.

All updates and timetables will be available at : https://www.facebook.com/events/155377761779438/

Yes...A Class 14 on Foxfield Bank with its 1in19 gradient

 

'Ernest' arrived yesterday ready for this weekends Gala. Looking really good in the evening sun.

Here is the passenger timetable for the day.

Loco's are:-
A = D9531
B = Wolstanton 3
C = Wimblebury
D = Thomas Hill 111C
E = Leys

 

A good day at Foxfield yesterday but most visitors sampled haulage behind d9531 rather than sampling the experience of the colliery workings. 2 views from the day for those who wondered if the effort was worth it :

 

Great day today .
Great engines , great beers and a fantastic hot sunny day

 

I notice that the 11.00 and 13.00 departures from Caverswall Road were pilotted by locos which do not have vacuum brakes. Can something similar be done at the steam gala so that the Dubs Crane Tank can work a passenger train?

 

I think the dumb buffers on Dubs probably are the problem - never say never however!

 

Our film from the gala

 

51218 has dumb buffers and that has visited Foxfield and worked passenger trains.

 

Pretty sure it's never visited Foxfield, although it did go to Workington steelworks back in 2001 along with 3 Foxfield locos for a charter,

Jon

 

Definitely never visited Foxfield. The issues surrounding Dubs working passenger trains are as much to do with the big gangly bit on top as the dumb buffers.

 

Sorry, I thought 51218 had visited Foxfield, but it has definitely worked passenger trains on other railways, so dumb buffers don't seem to be an issue. With regard to the "big gangly bit", hasn't the Dubs pilottted other locos on freight trains? If it were to work a passenger train, it would have to pilot another loco (to provide the vacuum brake), so wouldn't that overcome the problem?

 

Perhaps the owner doesn’t want it to work passenger trains? AFAIK the only time it’s hauled passengers was when it was doing brakevan rides at Welland steam rally a couple of years ago.