Colne Valley Railway News

A very successful evening of fun and games was held on Saturday 29th October 2011. The Wizard Wanderer diesel train (manned by a skeleton crew) and the miniature and garden railways carried witches and wizards and all their friends. Ghostly story telling proved very popular as did the drawing competition being run as part of the Big Draw Campaign.

Late August saw the arrival of 1919 built Hawthorne Leslie 0-6-0ST Isabel. This engine is on loan to the Colne Valley Railway from the Epping Ongar Railway. Our volunteers are now working hard to get her into a working condition, having been delivered minus several essential components. It is hoped Isabel might be ready to work our Santa Specials. In the meantime, lots of cleaning and some painting has been done and she is beginning to look happier.

The Essex Tourism Awards were held at the Radisson Blu, Stansted on 12th October. The CVR was one of the three contenders for Best Small Visitor Attraction. After winning the title in 2010 we were runners up this year to Bridge End Garden, Saffron Walden - Congratulations to them.