Signs of age yesterday – forgot that Clan Line was passing through Reigate and Redhill.  But naturally, Brian got there.  What a lovely locomotive!

Steam Locomotive 35028 Clan Line at Reigate on a loaded test run on the Surrey Hills circular, with Belmond British Pullman rake of coaches, from London Victoria and back again. Taking it at a leisurely pace through Reigate station and right on time. Just avoided being bowled by a Class 165 on its way to Reading.

Two from the BBC.

There’s some debate as to whether the new Kato model will include the prototypical cracks.  They’ve captured everything else perfectly.  I keep telling myself – I don’t need one, I don’t need one!

High-speed rail services cancelled after cracks found in trains

This is a good BBC report – good to see the hobby being taken seriously – and an excellent picture of the old Great Central.

‘My model railway is my little dream world’

A man who has painstakingly recreated a lost railway line says he has been surprised by the positive reaction on social media.

Keith Pell spent 1,500 hours rebuilding a model version of part of the Leicester section of the Great Central Railway in the garage of his home.

He posted a film of his tribute to the railway, which closed as part of the 1960s Beeching cuts, on Facebook, where it has had thousands of views.

Mr Pell, who used to go trainspotting with his dad in the 1960s, said his line was about “recreat[ing] that kind of atmosphere of watching trains go by”.

Switching over to ITV, at the end of this program (go to the last advert break) is an interesting report on DJB models.  Again, taken seriously (apart from the Thomas quotes) and an excellent ‘O’ gauge model featured as well. 

Made in Britain

RMweb noted it:

The ‘Made in Britain’ series shows a selection of British manufacturers across all industries and this week they showed DJH building 0 Gauge locos.  All done quite seriously without any hint of ‘playing trains’ – even when they showed Neil Corner’s lovely 0 gauge layout. Worth a look as and when it is repeated.

And Swathling station in LSWR days.  Truly a different world!