Churnet Valley Railway 'Anything Goes' weekend

What a great weekend at the Churnet Valley Railway! I was there as rostered signalman in Consall 'box, and visiting from the Foxfield Railway was 1874 Haydock Foundry 0-6-0 well tank 'Bellerophon', with two 4-wheel Knotty coaches, the ones we rode in at Foxfield Gala last year (see here).

It was my third session using the 'new' electric token system. Here's the token machine in Consall 'box.

Bellerophan with the Knotty train seen from Consall 'box steps 

Unusually for the CVR, Bellerophon was unloaded from the road trailer facing south. Here she approaches Consall from Froghall.

Bellerophan had a rest in the middle of the day while the green TKH tank took over the vintage train. In view of the age of the 4-wheel coaches, a 15 mph speed limit was imposed on the vintage train (it's usually 25 mph on heritage lines), which meant we ran a slightly more relaxed timetable than usual.

Belleropon waits for the road at Consall. She's held at my down starter signal awaiting the opposite direction train from Cheddleton. Once that's in the loop at Consall alongside Bellerophon, I can use the token that train is carrying to clear-down the section (prove to the signal box interlocking that the single track between Consall and Cheddleton is no longer occupied), change the road for the vintage train, and signal Bellerophon off on her way to Cheddleton.

The brake van also came from Foxfield and matches the vintage coaches well

Here's a video I took from the signalbox steps:

Bellerophon gets away from Consall this morning

Some trains ran until quite late. Here's a superb picture by Dave Gibson at Cheddleton as the 'right away' is given to one of the last trains of the day, comprising the vintage Knotty 4-wheel stock.

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