CHARLES FIRTH'S RAILWAY

I was fortunate to be invited to a private Open Day at Charles Firth's line in Congleton. The line's only been down 10 years, but Charles has an eye for industrial dereliction.

 

His quarry area has gone to rack and ruin..........

..................though there is some work still going on...................

 

........... but everything looks terribly run down.........

............... including the wagons............

............. and the coach!

All in all, a superb scene.

 

There's a railway scrap line at the end of one of the station sidings, too.

 

The water mill is a delight............

.................complete with working mill wheel, slice and control paddle.

A few trains were run......... and they were BIG ones!

Running towards one end of the main line circuit...........

 

............... where there's a station...........

 

.......... serving a delightful little village...........

......... with a nice selection of buildings.

A goodly collection of locos "on shed"

 

Another view of the shed area.

A contrast in size...........

 

A Peckett "Gamecock" and a Kitten on the slate train - watch the video!

There is a depot area off the main circuit, which was the MDLR operating base for the afternoon.

 

This kit-built "Wren" ran beautifully!

 

A Roundhouse "Katy" took a rake of mineral wagons round the "Mineral Line" - an additional circuit inside the main one which was the main one before it got extended (if you understand me).

 

Only marshalled in relief trains........