A bit of fun to test the grey matter after the festive break.   Can you identify what you are looking at? To see the answer visit A True Rivet Counter and study the pictures.            

South of Edinburgh during the festive period the sight, sound & smell of a steam locomotive making its way around a track could be detected.  Member Charlie took out the recently repaired ‘Maxi Lucky 7’ on the 27th December for an ‘out & back’ run as the final event for 2020.  Weight restrictions on the Read more about Another Festive Steam Up…..[…]

27th December is usually a day for meeting at Almondell for a post Xmas steam up.  This year Government restrictions prevented us from meeting up. Oh well, it’s a tradition & the weather was fine, dry if a bit blustery.  Thus I decided to have my own steam up in isolation in the back garden. Read more about A December 27th Steam Up…..[…]

It was a wet Sunday and our Roving Reporter having finished all the household chores decided to visit Almondell.  Two local members had braved the weather for a socially distanced test run of the recently refurbished 5″ gauge ‘Capercaillie’ which our RR caught on camera. Not sure that Robert Riddles would approve of the chimney, Read more about ‘Capercaillie’ Back On The Tracks……[…]

Track activity since the easing of the lockdown rules has been limited to boiler testing (by appointment only), test running of rolling stock after brake modifications & the endurance testing of battery electric locomotives.  Hopefully the situation will have improved for 2021 & we can get back to club running.  Meanwhile, here are some photos Read more about Limited Track Activity……[…]

Another boiler test undertaken, this time a lovely Great Eastern liveried 2-4-2T built by Maurice P.  This is based on the LBSC 3½” gauge ‘Petrolea’, but unusually finished as a tank locomotive. Unfortunately Maurice (on the left) didn’t bring along his driving truck which meant that he didn’t take her for a canter around the Read more about A Great Eastern ‘Glasshouse’…….?[…]

Daniel has demonstrated that Hands Free is not just the reserve of car development…… ‘It’s controlled through an RC transmitter that you might use for model air craft, picture heads this article of the one I have.  This means its using all the correct channels and something like a phone call or notification wont affect Read more about Hands Free Locomotive……[…]

With the last easing of lock down the committee authorised the recommencement of limited running at Almondell for members only.  For a number of steam locomotive owners ‘running again’ meant getting the boiler tested as the first priority.  At this moment in the relaxing of lock down route, boiler inspections are by appointment only & Read more about Testing Times…..[…]

Member Andy Milner recently visited the National Museum of Scotland and whilst admiring the locomotive ‘Ellesmere’ spotted the following on an information board: ‘Ellesmere continued to work at Howe Bridge until 1957, by which time it was, at 96, the oldest working steam locomotive in Britain.  At the end of its working life the locomotive Read more about Did You Know…?[…]

The weather forecast for the 2nd January got worse as the day drew nearer and sure enough, on the day it rained heavily from mid morning.  As a consequence only a few hardy individuals braved the wet & the mud around the temporary unloading facilities to run a locomotive.  The locomotives came from the extensive Read more about New Year At Almondell…..[…]