MRT SILVER JUBILEE

As part of the celebrations to mark 25 years of passenger train operation at the Midland Railway - Butterley, the passenger service on the main line used 25 different locos over the August Bank Holiday weekend of 2006. Not to be outdone, the garden railway put on a special display.........

............. with at least 25 engines on display at any one time.

There were things running to please the children................

There were variations on the lollypop railcar theme (the second one is an unpowered van)................

.......... and SOMEBODY let Dennis the Menace out!

There were more serious trains, though, although I didn't realise the VoR had Pullmans...............

A number of 16mm notables were in attendance - Ian Shield, who edits the 16mm Exchange...............

.............. seen here in a fairly crowded steam-up area..............

......... and fellow Director Nigel Town, seen here raising steam with his coal-fired Garratt............

.................... complete with hi-tech "cab roof holder-upper" - VERY Rolls-Royce, this!

Once it got going, it was very impressive!

As was this Edrig on the upper circuit.

All of the MDLR's steam locos put in an appearance on Bank Holiday Monday...........

Here's Lady Sybil.......... (photo Ian Shields)

.... and here's Havelock Vetinari. (photo Ian Shields)

....... though they were but a few of all the operating locos.

Us Roundhouse Jack (and Elsa) owners had time to compare notes and produce this line-up.............

............... but the locos everybody had come to see..............

........... were the 2 Caprotti engines - Duke of Gloucester................

............. working in tandem with the Centre's Caprotti Standard 5.