It was Thomas
the Tank Engine day again on the Churnet Valley Railway and I
went to Froghall to join the other children for a ride along
the valley. Sadly it was not to be as all trains had been cancelled
due to operational problems. It gave me the opportunity to see
the tremendous progress being made with the construction of the
new station.
Returning to
Cheddleton I found that the staff had provided brake van trips
down the yard starring Thomas himself. Here he is being coy behind
a cloud of steam.
Thomas left
for the South end of Cheddleton yard.
Returning past
the smiling diesels, there was plenty of steam on this bitterly
cold February day.
Past the signal
box.........
.....and back
into the bay to wait for another load of mesmerised children
(and me). Thomas was happy to be so popular.
Even the brake
van was happy and smiling.
Tamworth Castle
was smiling but he told me he felt a bit silly but he didn't
mind too much because it was all in a good cause.
This is a shot
of the recently cleared line from Leekbrook Junction to Stoke. More shots of this line HERE.
