Any excuse to take the bike for a ride!
This ride was a challenge, to see if I could keep up with a train
I am not a trainspotter, but the engineering machine that I went to see today needs a mention
First clue, it is steam related and this is NOT the engine:
Second clue, it is north Exmoor:
A nice ford:
On the other side of the ford, , whilst having lunch, we noticed these ponies with hoods on their heads:
At first we thought that it was cruel, but on closer looking, the ponies can actually see through the material and it is a kind way of keeping flies away from their eyes.
Now back on topic..
Parked the bike at Minehead station:
Watched a train being steamed up:
Here is what we were waiting for:
Can you guess what it is yet?
For any steam enthusiasts, this is a Peppercorn Class A1 Steam Locomotive named Tornado
What is remarkable is that Tornado is the first steam locomotive, to be built in Britain for almost 50 years at a cost of £3M
The A1’s were designed by Arthur Pepercorn, the last LNER Chief Mechanical Engineer and were to be the most reliable locomotives of that time, using roller bearings. Furthermore they were able to use lesser quality coal.
Most of the engine was built in Darlington, but the boiler was built in Meiningen, East Germany, which still has equipment to build a boiler of this size:
We followed its route as far as we could. Here we waited at Blue Anchor:
Tornado approaches Blue Anchor with Dunster in the background
The steam flushes a raptor:
Entering Watchett:
We rode as far as Stogumber and then lost the Tornado
Two more stops and we would have made Bishops Lydeard
Tornado is at the West Somerset Railway until 15th June 2009
This ride was a challenge, to see if I could keep up with a train
I am not a trainspotter, but the engineering machine that I went to see today needs a mention
First clue, it is steam related and this is NOT the engine:
Second clue, it is north Exmoor:
A nice ford:
On the other side of the ford, , whilst having lunch, we noticed these ponies with hoods on their heads:
At first we thought that it was cruel, but on closer looking, the ponies can actually see through the material and it is a kind way of keeping flies away from their eyes.
Now back on topic..
Parked the bike at Minehead station:
Watched a train being steamed up:
Here is what we were waiting for:
Can you guess what it is yet?
For any steam enthusiasts, this is a Peppercorn Class A1 Steam Locomotive named Tornado
What is remarkable is that Tornado is the first steam locomotive, to be built in Britain for almost 50 years at a cost of £3M
The A1’s were designed by Arthur Pepercorn, the last LNER Chief Mechanical Engineer and were to be the most reliable locomotives of that time, using roller bearings. Furthermore they were able to use lesser quality coal.
Most of the engine was built in Darlington, but the boiler was built in Meiningen, East Germany, which still has equipment to build a boiler of this size:
We followed its route as far as we could. Here we waited at Blue Anchor:
Tornado approaches Blue Anchor with Dunster in the background
The steam flushes a raptor:
Entering Watchett:
We rode as far as Stogumber and then lost the Tornado
Two more stops and we would have made Bishops Lydeard
Tornado is at the West Somerset Railway until 15th June 2009
