Happy New Year

Wishing everyone a very happy New Year. A few photos to remind of the progress at Apedale during 2015. The first couple of months saw a couple of major infrastructure projects - a flat crossing to complete the first phase of the Field Railway, and the Traverser Pit (aka 50 Shades of Clay) was hand-dug in scenes reminescent of the Somme. We welcomed three new locos to the fleet this year - a Keef ex Woodhead Tunnel, a Hudson Mini-Loco (to complete the 100% set of these) and a Lister Blackstone. May saw the successful Locos from Leeds, helped by a couple of Statfold visitors - a HC steamer and the mis-named Hudson GoGo tractor. The driver will be observed thumbing through a copy of War and Peace on a Kindle, and wondering if he will get it finished before the loco arrives back at Silverdale. The summer saw the entire steam fleet dispersed through the Uk - to Threlkeld and the Golden Valley Light Railway. We also re-built the pit to provide proper steam loco disposal facilities. September saw the completion of the HLF-funded insutrial railway trail, and the September steam-up. Sadly, the Saturday was extremely wet, but the visiting Jung loco from Toddington enjoyed the whole thing. November brought the Military Memories weekend, which provided a welcome year-end boost to visitor numbers - not forgetting the Halloween mayhem. Finally, Santa came early with probably the most significant event of the year - our first enclosed passenger coach, courtesy of the Ffestiniog. 2016 will see Tracks to the Trenches 2016 - May 13-15 - and doubtless lots of other exciting stuff. See you the other side of midnight.....