Good evening.
This weekend, GWR 0-6-2 No.5643 will open the EVR Spring steam gala at Wirksworth and will be operating the 8.5 mile line to the Midland Main Line at Duffield, north of Derby.
5643 completed a test run with our full rake of coaches today. The whole train left Wirksworth around 11:25 this morning and, with several breaks to check stopping positions etc. returned to Wirksworth a couple of hours later.
Please excuse the quality of the video below; it was done with a small hand-held camera because I wanted to get some images of 5643 in action before the weekend.
http://youtu.be/iAOrd9JDSMg
To get this to happen, it involved:
1.Repainting one carriage, the SK;
2.Restoring two others, namely the BSK and CK (recently arrived from Kineton);
3.Providing a two-coach timber extension to the platform at Duffield;
4.Provision of a decent water supply at Wirksworth.
5643 will be in service all this weekend and on selected weekends and most weekends until 19th May. Remember, you can get to our railway by taking the EMT Matlock service to Duffield and you can even buy through tickets.
Full details can be found here:
http://www.e-v-r.com/may13/
The railway will be extra steamy with both our Barclays in service on the Ravenstor line and around Wirksworth Station.
Kind regards,
Neil Ferguson-Lee
Ecclesbourne Valley Railway