The long awaited steaming of our two Barclay locomotives in the same shift – SIR THOMAS ROYDEN and 1931 – took place at our March operating day.

Reminiscent of an early morning quarry loco shed scene, the day started with a fantastic sunrise as the two veteran locos gently started to raise steam even before visitors were awake to start their journeys.

As a precursor to the unseasonal weather, we were faced with deteriorating conditions from around ten am with heavy snow falling throughout the middle of the day.

The two locos performed faultlessly with the innovation of a trainload ‘attacking the bank’ at the beginning and end of each shift change.

With two steam locos in operation, we were also able to ring the changes during the day to allow quarry and passenger operation with both locos.

The day was a real treat for enthusiasts and photographers alike as some truly spectacular wintry scenes were experienced.

With some fantastic feedback, we hope to incorporate the innovations into our regular operating days in the future.