Baldwin

We have been taking advantage of the relative tranquillity between Xmas and New Year by giving a little attention to the Baldwin Tractor - not a loco seen on here very often. This loco was imported from Switzerland in 2016, but other projects have taken priority. Other projects will continue to take priority - this is very much a back-burner job. The current strategic objective is to dismantle the loco and remove the wheelsets. New wheel castings will be required, but it is hoped to be able to re-use the axles and hence the axleboxes. The flycranks are original. The loco needs to be lightened in order for our crane to lift it. As part of this, the superfluous standard gauge fittings are all coming off. A major step forward has been to remove the standard gauge buffers and their mountings (along with assorted birds nests). Consequently, we now have four Continental-pattern buffers available, all sensible offers considered. Removal of the buffers has allowed the loco to look a lot more narrow-gauge, and it's possible to imagine what the finished product will look like. The "after" photo, for comparision, is a similar Baldwin in the museum at Froissy.

Finally, a very happy New Year to all our members and supporters - and anyone else reading this!

Santa Specials

Well, folks, that's it for the Santa Specials for 2017. The calendar allowed us to run for five days rather than the more usual four, and it was wonderful to see so many children bringing their adults along. We know that these trains are becoming a family tradition for many of you, and this is how childhood memories are made.
The five days have seen a remarkable spread of weather. The first weekend saw the Big Snow - the worst weather we've seen since the very first Santas in 2010. In weather which defeated even the mighty Severn Valley Railway, our volunteers battled on and nobody was disappointed. The second weekend was just wet and cold, and today has been almost spring-like. Today has also seen the last steaming, for the immediate future, of the loco Stanhope - we marked this loco's centenary back in May.
2018 promises to be an exciting year. Hopefully, we will be able to announce progress on the railway extension before long, and July will see the third Tracks to the Trenches event.
All that remains is to wish everyone reading this a happy Christmas.

The legendary Xmas quiz

Yes, folks, it's the legendary Xmas quiz. There are three parts to this.

 Part One:- We have been fortunate enough to have hosted many different visiting locos at Apedale. All of these are clues which lead to the name of a visiting loco. In all cases, the locos were unloaded onto the railway and spent at least one night on site. Bonus marks for extra details on the locos. 

You are sitting in a rectangular tent. It has four sides. Each side faces south. What Bagnall runs past?

 One imagines he likes Guinness.

 Mrs Fawlty and someone looking for a maternity unit at this time of year.
 Captain Beaky’s nemesis.

 Mel Gibson’s road warrior, but not insane.

 As Manuel would put it whilst looking at the church tower “No, Mr Fawlty, isno a hooter, ………..”

 Monarch in search of the Holy Grail (well, I never voted for him…..)

 French General in World War One

 Home of Rimmer and The Cat

 According to Michael Jackson, this loco was dirty.

Part Two:- Logic and maths puzzles. Some of these come from the weekly school newsletter from my daughter's school. She is 12, so you should be able to solve these in the blink of an eye.
In all cases, you must show your working. Professional mathematicians are excluded from the 2nd question.

 You have to cross a rickety bridge. Crossing the bridge is your only option. It is pitch dark, and you have one torch. Crossing without a torch is certain death. The bridge is weak, and can only carry two people at a time. Your group has four in it; one person will take ten minutes to cross, another will take five minutes, another two minutes and the last member of the party takes only one minute.
What is the minimum time to get all four members of the party across the bridge?

 At the school concert there were mince pies for everyone.  One huge tray I saw if the pies were divided into 2 equal piles there would have been one left over.  But if the same pies were put into 3 equal piles, there would have been one left over.  To my surprise, 4 equal piles gave a remainder of 1, five piles had one left over, and the pies when shared into six piles also had one mince pie left over. What was the smallest number of mince pies there could have been on the tray? 

I have just moved to Chesterton, and need to get my hair cut. There are just two barbers in the village. Barber A is always smart and neat with neatly trimmed and cut hair. Barber B, by comparison, always looks dishevelled with a very poor hair cut. Which barber should I use?

 At a party, there are eight children. Each child has brought a toy car with them. The cars get mixed up. At hometime, a parent randomely gives a car to each child. What is the likelihood that exactly seven children (no more, no less) get the correct car?

 My watch has broken, so I take it to be mended. But the mender is a fool. When I get it back, it shows 6.15 instead of 3.30, and when it’s really 4.45 it shows 9.20. What did the mender do wrong?

Part Three:- A few nice, easy, transport related questions.

 In which city is Flinders Street station?

The only station name common to the London Underground and the Paris Metro?

What links John Lennon, Lech Walesa, George Best, Charles de Gaulle and Bob Hope?

I’m at West Street and want to go to St Enoch. I can travel in two directions and never change trains. What track gauge is the railway?

I used to be split, but not now. Some of me is large, some of me is small, but all of me is yellow. What am I?

As ever, there are no prizes other than a smug afterglow. Submit your entries to Simon's e-mail address as shown in Moseley Matters.
Finally, and most importantly, a happy Christmas and a peaceful 2018 to one and all.

UPDATE 23/12:- It has just been pointed out that Simon's e-mail address is NOT shown in the latest MM - so please send your entries to the address here (go to Contacts). 

I should report that a team formed of the finest minds the Trust can offer has had a go, and eventually answered all the questions. However, they needed a LOT of help with the bridge question, the toy car question and the final "all of me is yellow" question - so no prizes awarded just yet. Not that are any prizes, you understand.

115 mph

It's been a busy couple of days at Apedale. The main task has been preparing for the Great Man to visit over the next few weekends - no photos of that, as we don't want to spoil the surprise for our visitors. Elsewhere on site, we were priveliged to host a working visit from a mainline railway organisation on Friday - both us and them got a lot from it, with their people able to get hands-on with track maintenance away from the many (and very necessary) safety requirements of the mainline railway system. They gained experience and aching muscles, and our mainline track is probably now in the best shape it's been since it was first laid ("fit for 115mph" said someone). In the workshops, something of a milestone was passed with the last of the radiator tubes for Motor Rail 1320 being assembled, a mere 44,000 radiator fins later. "Stanhope" was steamed on Saturday; this loco will work all the Santa Special trains. This will be last time Stanhope will work for a while, as it is due a major overhaul which will see it out of traffic for most of 2018. We'll miss this loco very much, as it's undoubtedly the railway flagship and the firm favourite of the crews. We are heavily booked for the Santas, but we may be able to accomodate a few wanting a last ride behind the centenarian - next Sarturday 9th December is currently lightest on bookings. The headboards we use are fairly inoffensive, so if photography is your interest, it shouldn't cause too much upset!