Colne Valley Railway News

All available diesels in our fleet should be in action at our Diesel Gala on Sunday 17th March. We hope to have running  class 121 Bubble car W55033, Class 141 Pacer 141108 - which has now had its engine problems fixed and hopefully will be seen in action more this year. 03s D2041 and D2184 will be topping and tailing on the passenger coaches whilst 31255 and 08683 will top and tail on the freight train where you can ride in the brake van or the tube wagon. Gates open at 10:30, first train 11:30 with a proposed 10 minute service.  

Pullman carriage Aquila went into the shed after Christmas to undergo replacement of carriage end.  The other end was done in 2010 with the help of a grant, this time round we have no funding help.  The work is expected to take around 8 months, but it all depends on what is uncovered. The end has been removed, it now waits to have measurements taken for all the new wood.

Over the closed season volunteers have been busy all over the site.  The Permanent Way team have been replacing sleepers and working on points.  The loco engineering boys have taken delivery of another lathe which has kindly been donated, they then had to get another container to house it!!  By the time they've got it all installed they will have a better workshop area with more space.  They have also been helping with work on a Ruston diesel and one of the team has undertaken the job of getting the diesel crane working. elsewhere the site is being tidied up ready for opening on 9th March and already bookings are coming in for Days out with Thomas, Peppa Pig and even the Victorian schools event in October, we have also got six school visits booked in a 10-day period in March - no time to sit and do nothing.

The miniature railway has taken delivery of a new petrol hydraulic loco.  No.7 'Badger' is a replacement for 'Tom' who has gone elsewhere. Over the closed period the volunteers have been working on extending the line so that it will have a second loop running through a larger tunnel (when they run out room for extending will they be going underground one wonders!)