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Foxfield Railway
Summer Steam Gala 17th July 2010
My first visit to Foxfield since the early 1980s, prompted by a recommendation
by Steamy Sounds'.
I should have remembered the challenge of Foxfield Bank - I wasn't disappointed.
Weather during the day was mixed - quite windy with a few showers - but the
sound recording was fabulous. There were a surprising number of aircraft
overhead, both prop and jet. These intrude on a number of recordings but not
enough to ruin them.
Most recordings were made on Foxfield Bank itself,
with its ruling gradient of 1 in 21 on the exit from the Foxfield colliery site.
A feature of the climb to Dilhorne Park is the way sounds carry back,
allowing all the climb to be heard. To keep bandwidth sensible,
most recordings have been shortened a bit.
Before the advertised timetable began, a photographic charter was held at the
exit from the colliery featuring 71515 'Mech Navvies Ltd' an 0-6-0ST built by
Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn to the WD design in 1944.
A total of 6 photo run-pasts were held; this is
the last run when 71515
continued a hundred yards or so further up the bank past the snappers.
2:06, 2.4MB
71515 with the 09:50 from Foxfield colliery
yard with 6 hopper wagons plus brake van. Light rain is a falling, making the
climb that bit more tricky. 4:04, 4.7MB
Next up was 'Wimblebury' with the 10:35
working. As with all but one working, the load was 6 + brake van.
4:32, 5.2MB
Wimblebury: 0-6-0ST Hunslet No 3839, 1956.
At the top of the climb, 'Meaford No 2'
slips its way off the steep gradient into Dilhorne Park with the 11:20 freight.
The rain was definitely making life difficult for the crew. The 11:20 from
Caverswall Rd can be heard to the left at the beginning of the track.
3:39, 4.2MB.
Meaford No2: 0-6-0T Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn No 7684, 1951
The next working, at 12:09, featured the pairing of
'Bagnall No 2' and Bellerophon, with
Bagnall No. 2 at the head of the rake and Bellerophon banking. 2;04, 2.4MB
Bagnall No 2: 0-4-0ST Bagnall No 2842, 1946
Bellerophon: 0-6-0WT, Haydock Foundry, 1874
Bagnall No 2 and Bellerophon worked down to Caverswall Rd. They returned with
the 14:30 to Dilhorne Park, recorded as it
passes the footpath crossing below Blakeleybank Wood. After the pass, steam is
shut off the for nearby occupation crossing.
(Thanks for the lift, Linda and Tim). 2:06, 2.4MB.
Back to the colliery yard, to hear
'Meaford No 2' lifting the 15:05 away. Sound echoes from the colliery
buildings. Bagnall No 2 and Bellerophon move around the yard. 4:40, 5.3MB
Bagnall No 2 and Bellerophon were at work again with the
15:50, this time with Bellerophon leading.
2:58, 3.4MB
Florence No 2 had its second run up
Foxfield Bank in charge of the 16:36 from the colliery. By now,
the wind was becoming gusty. 3:48, 4.4MB
Florence No 2: 0-6-0ST Bagnall No 3059, 1953, fitted with a Giesel ejector.
From a position hard against the lineside fence,
Wimblebury rolls down the Bank towards the
occupation crossing on its way back to Foxfield colliery yard. 1:27, 1.7MB
Now the working that everyone had been waiting for.
The 17:20 from Foxfield colliery with 18
wagons. 71515 Mech Navvies Ltd was at the head, with Wimblebury and Whiston
at the rear. After leaving the colliery yard and starting on the climb,
71515 digs in as it approaches the occupation crossing and passes the recording
position in the field to the north of the line. As the wagons pass, Wimblebury
and Whiston come into earshot as the train accelerates up the bank.
Photographers can be heard packing up as the train climbs towards Dilhorne Park.
5:13 (edited down from 6:30), 6.0MB.
Whiston: 0-6-0ST Hunslet No 3694, 1956.
After descending the bank, the 18 wagon rake was split back into three 6 wagon
sets by shunting in the colliery yard.
71515 pulls off the front 6 hopper wagons
to the right, stops, then reverses into the adjacent road at the left.
As it does so, Wimblebury and Whiston propel the remaining 12 wagons towards
the headshunt at the right. 71515 blows off as the recording ends. 3:37, 4.2MB
After forming the rake for the 18:20 departure
71515 (leading), Wimblebury and Whiston (at the rear) whistle then pull out of
the yard. They stop before the recording position then set back to allow the
locos at the rear to take water. 2:47, 3.2MB
The 18:20 working departs from Foxfield
colliery yard. As the train climbs the bank, echoes from the buildings
interplay with the directly-heard exhaust beats.
4:53(edited down from 8:20), 5.6MB
Thanks to all for a wonderful day of recording
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