© Geoff’s Rail Diaries 2011
This page shouldn't have happened at all! The previous day, I
should have been on a railtour, running from Shropshire
stations to Carlisle, via Manchester and the Cumbrian Coast.
At the last minute, it was cancelled - lack of drivers,
apparently. Hence the need for a little railway entertainment
the following day. I hadn't any very clear ideas, but on
browsing the local railways' web sites, I realised that the
Amerton Railway's "Isabel" was undergoing a boiler overhaul,
and "Emmet", the curious little locomotive I had met at
Statfold a few weeks ago, would be handling services.
Perhaps we ought to go and have a look (a bit of fun on a dull
October afternoon maybe)...
What's so odd about Emmet? Well, I've no idea where the boiler,
motion etc came from - but the loco started life as an O&K
diesel, 21160 of 1938, which once worked on the clay lines (See
Fayles Tramway, on the The Purbeck Mineral & Mining Museum's
site). I suppose the builder's plate, suggesting a rather more
recent date, is appropriate... Emmet was completed in 2003 by
Jim Haylock of the Moors Valley Railway, after about 12 years
work (if the IRS build date is anything to go by).
Another new resident at Amerton is "Paddy" - we've met Paddy
before, at the Keef's open day in September. Based on the classic
De Winton design, but with geared drive to the axles, Paddy is a
tender engine and, more-or-less complete but with one or two
finishing touches still required, should be able to operate at
Amerton when Emmet departs homewards.
Enough said - enjoy the pictures. We've been to Amerton before
(the very first "Rail Diaries" entry recorded our first visit - so for
more details, have a look at those earlier trips (below).
Links:
•
The Amerton Railway
On Geoff's Rail Diaries:-
•
The Amerton Railway
•
Wrens at Amerton
•
Irish Mail at Amerton