January Newsletter 1976: End year report, wagons and yard plans

It's the end of the year. Actually we are almost a month in the new year, so it's time to take a quick look back at last year. We managed to acquire our first locomotive in the spring, together with a brake van. We have continued laying track and we have also ballasted some of the track. We have also continued collecting railway artefacts and other things that we might need in the future. 

In December arrived 3 (new) wagons to the railway. A brake van, a plank wagon and a cornflat. They where put on the track right away and hopefully they will be a big help in the future, when we are going to lay more track.

New brake van and plank wagon. December 1975

The cornflat at the end of the line. December 1975

Yard Plans

We have been busy working on some plans for the yard and we are finally ready to show them to the public.

This is so far still a rough sketch and the dimensions are not right. We have plans for a small shed and workshop, a loop along the platform and a few sidings with a head shunt. This should give us enough room for now, but we might ad extra sidings if space is available. The plan is to make the yard in a few steps. The point work being the first part followed by the shed. Then the headshunt and loop and last the two long sidings. This is only a track plan and don't have any buildings we might also wan't.

October Newsletter 1975: Trains on the track

During August and September we have continued ballasting the track and the point has now been ballasted. We won't be laying any more track until we have a track plan for the yard. The plan is in the making, but there is still things to be decided.

We spend the rest of September and October putting our rolling stock onto the rails. We haven't started 9509 up yet, but once a bit more track has been laid, we should be able to use it to shunt future rolling stock around.

Talking of future rolling stock, we have managed to buy some not far from here, to a reasonable price and this should hopefully arrive during November.

Point ballasted. September 1975

From another angel. September 1975

Our rolling stock so far on the track. October 1975

July Newsletter 1975: Ballast

It's summer and we have all been busy mainly with ballasting the track along the platform. This takes a long time as we don't have any machines to load or move around the ballast. We have also installed a point for the yard, but this has not yet been ballasted.

The plan is to put the class 14 and the wagons on the rails before winter, but there is still a bit of work to do before this can happen. A small group of members has continued looking for future wagons and have found a few nearby that we might try to acquirer.

Plans for the yard a taking shape and we hope to have a sketch in one of the next newsletters.

Ballasted track along the platform. July 1975

Track and point not yet ballasted. July 1975

May Extra Newsletter 1975: Locomotive and Brake Van

This month we have a extra newsletter to tell you the great news that our first locomotive has arrived safely to Langdale Station. The transportation when smoothly, with no major problems. As stated in an earlier newsletter we also bought a brake van and this was transported at the same time as 9509.

They where first transported to Leeds via rail and then put onto flatbeds for the last stretch to Langdale. Both 9509 and the brake van was put on the ground at arrival as the track has not yet been ballasted.

Here is a few pictures taken of the transport.

9509 ready to depart Leeds. May 1975

9509 on the road. May 1975

The Brake van on the road. May 1975

9509 and brake van at Langdale station. May 1975

March Newsletter 1975: Track and locomotive

Over the winter month progress has been a bit slow, with the cold weather, but a few things has happened during the winter. A small canopy has been build next to the blue containers to make a bigger area to work under.

Track laying has continued and we now have track along the entire platform. Next up is ballasting. We have also acquired 3 sets of points to make a start on are future yard. At the moment we don't have any plans for the yard but a few ideas are already in the air. 

On the locomotive front the donations have been amazing and we already got enough money to buy 9509 and transport it to the railway (if you can call it that at the moment). We actually have enough money that we also have bought a brake van that will be transport along side 9509.

The new canopy along the containers. February 1975

Tracks along the the platform and future point. March 1975

January Extra Newsletter 1975: Locomotive

Here is a little extra newsletter with a very good reason. We have managed to find an engine for the railway. We have found a class 14 Diesel-hydraulic number 9509. It was bought by a private owner in 1970 and put into storage at Cardiff. He had plans on restoring it but never come around to it and now he is willing to sell it to us. It might not be an engine often seen in our region, but compering it to the good condition and the price, we won't get a better engine.

Therefore we would like to start an appeal to raise the funds necessary to buy the locomotive and transport it to Langdale station. Please help by donating.

9509 in Cardiff. January 1975

December 1974: 1974 round-up

It's the end of the year and what an exiting first year it has been. For this update i want to take a look back at the year and see what has happen, and then what has happen sins last time.

During the year we have established our headquarters at the old Langdale station, manged to make a simple workshop and made a start on relaying the track along the platform. We a now around 20 active members in the group.

Sins last update we have borrowed 2 containers, which will be used to make more workshop space. The track is now 2/3 of the way of the platform and our first rolling stock has arrived, but we are still looking for an engine.

Our new containers. December 1974

Our first wagon has arrived. December 1974