For a change, the one 'free' afternoon that we had, the sun shone and it turned out to be the hottest day of the year to date. So of we trot to Butterley which is about 12 miles north-west of here. It did turn out to be a place that we had visited with the boys some 13 years ago. This time we completed the walk from Butterley to Swanwick Junction. Being the middle of the week and out of school holidays we had the place to ourselves, apart from the enthusiasts at work / play around the site. The one disadvantage of mid week visits is that often a site is not fully open. We were not able to visit the model railway or the Railway Museum and nothing was moving on the line. But it was an interesting visit never-the-less.
At the Butterley end there was a very well presented diesel shunter.
The signal gantry at the Swanwick Junction end was also very impressive.
Railway junk is quite fascinating. Some is just that - junk. But other piles can make pleasing photos such as this collection of wheels.
The Swanwick Junction signal box with the low loader in front makes a good shot.
The red and white building which turned out to be a church was quite fascinating and had an interesting history. It was built at the request of the old railway builders in a village some distance away and was transported in sections to the were it now stands. Although we did not go in we could see that the interior could be used for services. It had a font, pews and an organ. It now stands on many expensive tons of concrete although the original corrugated iron building stood on a few piles of bricks. Apparently, unlike other buildings on the site, it cannot be used for weddings or such like, even though it is now not consecrated building.
Next to the church stands 'Oswald' the engine. I presume that he his a friend of Thomas, who makes special visits to the centre.
We learned about the church from talking to one of the workers painting the cafe where we had our hot drinks. I use the term 'hot drinks' to avoid having to say 'a cup of coffee and a cup of tea'.
After refreshments (another way of saying what I just said) we headed down to the big sheds. Contrary to the booklet information the sign on the transport museum section said closed. Fortunately, a lovely old gentleman inside heard us talking and invited us him. He declared himself to be an owner. He obligingly moved things to let me take photographs. The shed was stacked full of large vehicles of all types. I asked him what he owned and he took me to beautiful blue single decker bus. He even invited me aboard. But, just behind the single decker was pure nostalgia - green Midland General double decker bearing the number 102. Not quite, but not unlike the 101 that we travelled on from Sutton-in-Ashfield to Mansfield Woodhouse. He told me that the lad who owned it lived in Mansfield. He told me that the very good condition of the bus was that it was a colliery bus. (Miners are respectful travellers.) I asked our host how old would the lad who owned the 102 was. I was given the predictable answer. "Just in his 60's".
As we approached the car the garden railway that was deserted when we started was now occupied by a lovely engine driver. He was running two engines. One was live steam and the other battery powered. He was happy to tell us his tale.
The sky on the next to bottom photo is taken from the sky on a photo taken earlier in the afternoon. The background was originally a frayed tarpaulin cloth over rusty carriages. The carriages of the battery powered loco are made of perspex and the sunlight produces a strange glow on them and through them. The picture at the bottom shows the same train in the shaded area and its light can be seen.
Just to finish off we passed a carriage with its bogies freshly painted.
A return visit is a must.
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