Dinmore Manor Sets Off With Her Bucket & Spade

Having not been at the GWSR last weekend, I can't bring you much news of what transpired there.  I am aware however that the Dinmore Manor group have made a bit of progress with 3850:

Removing the running plate at the front...

...front running plate removed...

...Dan gives it a pressure wash.

 The reason for the strip down at the front of 3850, of course is to gain better access to the cylinder block.  The cylinder block is split top to bottom, in much the same way that the country is over the EU debate

No need for ultra-sonic testing to find this crack

Work was not restricted to 3850, the Collett, 3,500 gallon tender is coming along well.

Mark Y attaches the tender plate

Mark H fills it with water for the first time in preservation...

...and checks the newly fitted float gauge.

Many thanks to Mike Solloway for kindly providing all the photos used up to this point.

Although I wasn't around, I have spies everywhere.  Andy posted through a few photos of the activities on Sunday.  35006 has dropped off of the roster until July, 4270 and 2807 taking over the mantle for last weekend.

Andy has done an excellent job of hiding behind the camera and only showing photos of his crew on 4270 on Sunday. 

4270 being prepped for service (photo courtesy of Andy Beale)

Taking on water
(photo courtesy of Andy Beale)

 The day was a fireman training turn for Graham, under the tuition of Tina.  Tom was the cleaner.

Left to right, Graham, Tom & Tina. (photo courtesy of Andy Beale)

Tina (photo courtesy of Andy Beale)

So where was I last weekend?  Well, I joined in the Dinmore Manor Loco LTD's day out on the Dartmouth Steam Railway & Riverboat Company (DSR), as Dinmore Manor was launched into traffic there for the summer season. Dinmore Manor has once again packed her bucket and spade and set off for the seaside. Don't worry, she'll be back again later in the year.  Last year, Dinmore Manor was restricted in the number of carriages that she could haul, as a stipulation of the hire agreement of the tender that she was using at the time.  Now she is using 3850's tender, that restriction is lifted, so she can be used on the longer trains that the DSR runs at the weekend.  Unfortunately, the timetable on Saturday has just a single loco in steam, so hopes of seeing her working with the Planet's Favourite Prairie (5542) were dashed.

Heading off in observation carriage, reserved for DMLL

No sooner than we had arrived at Kingswear, than most of us headed back up the line to Churston, to see how well Dinmore Manor coped with the 1 in 60 climb out of Kingswear up to Churston, with 9 carriages.

Not only did she look good, she sounded good too.

Heading off to Paignton

 When Dinmore Manor returned, we caught the train back down to Kingswear and took the ferry across to Dartmouth.  Various groups scattered in different directions to scavenge for food in the local eateries.  The station building at Dartmouth was built when the Dartmouth & Torbay Railway harboured the desire to extend across the river Dart into Dartmouth itself, but the railway never got any further than Kingswear.  I believe that it is the only railway station in the country never to have been served by trains.

The railway equivalent of the pub with no beer

 Like last year, a highlight of the day was a trip along the river Dart on the paddle steamer, Kingswear Castle.

Kingswear Castle

 Once again, like last year, after a little persuasion by Mark, we went down to the engine room in small groups to inspect the works

Full steam ahead

The stoker's tea appeared through that little port hole at one point (galley on the other side)

Two cylinder condensing power plant... note that rope...

...it drives the cylinder lubricator

You also got a good view of the engine, by looking down through that hatch in front of the bridge

Martin & David, enjoying the view from the pointy end of Kingswear Castle

 Whilst we swanned around on the water, Dinmore Manor set off from Kingswear on another round trip.

Steel, Steam and Stars Masts

 The tour of the river over, it was soon time to make our way back to Kingswear to catch Dinmore Manor's last train of the day back to Paignton.

Entering Greenway Tunnel

 I had planned to try and get everybody lined up with Dinmore Manor for a group photo at Paignton, but it was like herding cats.

Well, Mark at least got the idea, but nobody else was to be seen

 Much later, some of the cats were eventually herded into roughly the right position:

Dinmore Manor supporters club

The question of the day, was where will DInmore Manor be hired out to next summer so that we can enjoy a day out with her again?  I quite like the idea of the Orient Express myself.

And finally, some video footage has emerged on Youtube of Dinmore Manor running on Saturday.  Click here to view it.