Colne Valley Railway News

Another Group Travel Fair this week with Visit Essex, this time at Chatham Royal Dockyard. Busier than last weeks show, again a lot of interest and possible link with a coach tour group so we came away happy. What an amazing place the Dockyard is, we will be down there again at Easter for the Medway Festival of Steam and Transport along with Victory who used to work there. We've had a school group visit, they are going to bring another group in as they were so impressed.

This week saw the return of Castle Donington Power Station No.1 to the Midland Railway Centre. The engine came to us in 2008 and was a popular loco, the Railway seems strange without this little blue engine. Due to WD190 not quite being ready and Epping Ongars Isabel still in a non-operational condition we will be having a visiting loco to start the season off in March. Details to be announced. Sally attended a Group Travel Show at Bletchley Park and there was some good interest, all we need now is the bookings!!

This week has seen the Explosives Search Dog division of the BTP on site every day as part of ongoing training. It has been very interesting seeing how the dogs and handlers work. This one, seen wearing his Kevlar boots, thinks he has found something in the drasin. We are now being used on a regular basis by several Police departments.

It's all change outside the office. The bank has been flattened in readiness for the siting of a new building which will be our new entrance/ticket office/ shop

A warming fire was lit in the boiler of WD190 ready for pressure testing. Looked quite strange - I was waiting for the whistle to go saying the kettle had boiled!!