A relatively modest four (incl. new member Ron on his inaugrual Wakefield MAG rideout), met at Redbeck Cafe on Saturday 13th August for our first rideout of the month, to Barrow Hill Roundhouse, Chesterfield. The second rideout of August was the following day, which goes a long way to explain the low turnout (as most folks elected to go on the Sunday rideout instead).
Mick led the rideout and took us through Walton, along Barnsley Road then a cross country route to Penistone and into the Derbyshire Peak District, along narrow and winding country lanes, past the Strines, across fanstastically scenic moorland, through Bamford (and a quick toilet stop), then heading further south, into Chesterfield, and just outside Staveley, and our destination, Barrow Hill Roundhouse.
The former steam roundhouse located at Barrow Hill near Chesterfield, is a unique example of 19th century railway architecture and is the last surviving operational roundhouse engine shed in Great Britain. www.barrowhill.org/.
And, music to a Yorkshireman's ears .... entrance to Barrow Hill is only a pound. The nice man in the shop looked after our lids whilst we had a quick look at the static exhibits in the Roundhouse.
Barrow Hill is also home to the Deltic Preservation Society's maintenance depot and museum, adjacent to the Roundhouse. thedps.co.uk/. The DPS depot and museum is only open on Saturday's, hence the Saturday rideout visit.
Whether you are interested in trains or not, it's hard not to be impressed by the Deltics.
These were the Inter-City Express Locomotives, on the East Coast mainline, replacing steam in the 1960's and running until the early 1980's, along the famous Flying Scotsman route of London Kings Cross to Edinburgh. They also hold the record of being the World's most powerful diesel locomotives (and unlikely to ever be broken now), with a total power output of 3,300 bhp, delivered from 2 x 1,650 bhp Napier Deltic opposed-piston valveless, supercharged 18 cylinder two-stroke Diesel engines.
We were slightly surprised to see so many railway enthusists and photographers at the Roundhouse, and then we found out the reason why .....
...... A1 Class No. 60163 Tornado was visiting for a coal and water replenish, en-route from London Kings Cross. Tornado is another rather special locomotive, being the newest mainline steam locomotive (it was only built in 2008), albeit to a 1940's design by Arthur H Peppercorn, the last Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER). The original 49 Peppercorn Class A1s were ordered by the LNER and built at Doncaster and Darlington for British Railways (BR) in 1948/9, after the nationalisation of the railways. However, the rapid onset of dieselisation in the 1960s meant that all 49 were scrapped, after an average life of only 15 years. The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, a registered charity, built a completely new 'A1' to Peppercorn's original design, for 3 Million Pounds, funded by very generous donations from individuals and outstanding British companies such as William Cook Cast Products, Rolls-Royce, Corus and BAe Systems. And it is a rather popular engine, as judged by the hoardes following it's every move.
Sam, we have since found out, is a bit of a train spotter, so was in seventh heaven.
After some food in the on-site cafe, and a team photo, we made our way home.
It was a cracking rideout and a cracking route, so definately one to repeat when more people can enjoy it.