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

September 1974: First track

It's already autumn and over the summer we have been working hard on the station. Inside the station building we have cleaned out and set up a small meeting room and also fixed a few problems with the water and electricity. The entire building will have to be renovated at a later date, but for now we can use it.

On the outside we have manged to lay our first track and we have also set up a small and simple workshop out of some old sleepers and containers.

The plan for now is to extend the track and get some more space for indoor work area.

Our first track. It's not ballasted yet however. August 1974

Small workshop and outdoor area. September 1974

March 1974: First few weeks

The heritage group was formed in 1973 and immediately set out to find a location along the old Comen Vally line. Some of our members also started to look for a locomotive and rolling stock.

In the spring of 1974 the site of Langdale station, was put forward by the town's council, and the group accepted.

Here is a few pictures from when we first arrived and the last picture is about 1 month later. In this month we managed to clear the platform from weeds and the first few things to the railway arrived. 

First look at the station from behind. March 1974

The station from the front. It overgrown. March 1974

First few things has arrived. April 1974