All set up and ready to go although a few distractions with Sir Nigel Gresley & Tornado arriving on platform 1.
Please come along and say hello, why not have a go at driving some of our trains
On our very special Thomas layout!!!
Ian H
(Haymarket Cross)
I should be at Pickering for 0945-ish with my granddad but will almost be straight off up to Grosmont - someone wants to try the Grosmont cafe breakfast I keep blabbering on about - gonna do a few trips behind Gresley or Tornado to try and get a good photo op of the two together before hopefully heading back behind the B1 or S160 to Pickering mid afternoon.... that's the plan anyway
The LNERCA's Gresley BTK 3669 and ECJS 189 should be available to view in Pickering station in between trains, along with Thompsom TK 1623 in the Atkins building accessed from the car park.
Tornado doing her usual of drawing Avro Vulcan-like crowds and Gresley running beautifully. If you can, catch the B1 and S160 top and tailing too. 45428 and little 29 were sat doing nothing but 75029 was running Whitby - Battersby services.
Don't forget to visit Haymarket Cross either Some of you today may have seen my mucky little A3 60043 running round in the afternoon - I wish I could be there again tomorrow to do it all again!
Many thanks for positive comments Joe, a good day for all with everything going well after a few early morning gremlins (no not down to dodgy breakfast) mostly on North of England line post Barrow Hill. I had a couple of decoders playing up but got them running ok in the end, good attendance from general public even with those noisy Kylchaps on the two Pacific's going past our windows about six foot away!
Nice to meet up with Graham and his Thompson A1/2 conversions, very nice Graham I would love them on my 'Haymarket Cross'.
There Sunday all day should you want to come and see us.
Ian H
Haymarket Cross
We saw not a trace of any loco but the Pacifics at Pickering between 10.30am and 3.30pm Saturday, so it was pure Thompson-free pleasure. What top-and-tail service was in operation?
I was perfectly happy for once to forego the business of chasing up and down the line trying to "bag" particular locos or trains. A leisurely bacon butty and coffee on arrival at Pickering, a good natter with Ian H at the model show, a look around the carriage restoration work (nice graining going on to the late pattern ahem Thompson coach by the way and some SERIOUS work needed to rescue the sagging clerestory roof and fit out the interior of the ECJS diner, once it is on a practical underfame), "light lunch" across the road at the baker's shop, a good walk on paths bordering the line for a couple of miles beyond Newbridge (with return past pig-odour farm.....) Then a drive a few miles over to the West to visit a pub that used to be a firm favourite of mine, since 1988 in fact. Sadly it isn't a favourite any more, new management not holding true to that which made it great in the first place. Most of the pub's classic range of beers have been renamed, altered or discontinued unless you only want the bottled or electro-fizz-pump versions, flies hung around the inadequately wiped tables and chairs, and two or three distinctly portly and well-watered "bar flies" wallowed around on the bar stools resting their capacious abdomens on the bar. We just had a coffee (again) and moved on, my favourite "proper" draught ale and a couple of substitutues for which I would have settled being but a fond memory. A further quick call in Pickering was made just in case something interesting had appeared in the station, then off we went homewards. Almost a perfect relaxing day, but for the pub fiasco, rounded off by delicious haddock and chips at Wetwang, but be warned: Don't have the large haddock and chips all to yourself unless you want to rapidly rival those aforementioned bar-flies for size!
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Pickering for a wander round the carriage shed, drive up to Goathland and walk down the incline to Beck Hole. Pint of Beckwatter in the Birch Hall Inn listening to locos on the ledge above.
Carry on to Grosmont, wander round the shed area then a packed train back up the hill.
Fish and Chips at Kirbymoorside.
Great day out. Dogs loved the walk and the dips in the river.