Tuesday 5 March 2019

On Track

Last week I heard the noise of big machinery across the field and guessed it was things to do with the Heritage Railway Track Extension and as the weather on Saturday was better than the forecast  I took my new walking shoes to have a look.


Sure enough here is the new  end of the Middy Railway. Its just quarter of a mile from home. They wanted to put a big turntable in here to turn the trains round to run back to the station. But with this new ending to the railway being just  50 metres from houses and as the railway didn't own the land they needed, they couldn't get permission, which I'm quite pleased about for the sake of the people who live there. Because it would have meant lots of people getting off the train to watch the turntable going round and probably wandering about the lane by their houses which would be quite a change from how their lane is at present.



This "new destination" 1km from the museum is to be called Aspal Halt. Heavens knows why as the village of Aspal is several miles away! The railway museum has an open day on the 21st April then their Middy in the War Years weekend on 5th and 6th May. I expect they are hoping to have the sleepers and  rails laid by then - depends on the weather I guess.

  This is where we picked loads of blackberries in 2017, now all cleared for the railway extension
Here's what was making all the noise


 I don't know how I feel about this, it was a lovely path (although not an official footpath)down the old track-bed, now its stones ready for sleepers and rails
There is a footpath crossing the railway here not sure how that will be sorted out
This is where the railway used to end

And the other way shows where it will be going - up hill a little, so I expect to hear the little trains huffing and puffing up the slope every Sunday through the summer.



Other machinery I might have been hearing was this, it's a willow cutter
 And here are the bundles ready to be collected

 I'm glad they haven't removed the cherry-plum tree -  blossom just beginning to appear.


 Heading home...........this is the footpath where  boots get caked in mud after rain, and that cream house is my cottage at the end of a lane.


Lovely lot of primroses this year on my meadow, among the new trees.

Thank you for all the comments about the random odd blog yesterday.

Back Tomorrow
Sue


24 comments:

  1. Don't you just scratch your head sometimes at progress and wonder what in the world were they thinking? Beautiful field and such a lovely walk. Take care.
    Carla

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    1. It's interesting to see this railway museum growing and recreating something last used just after the war

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  2. Such lovely and interesting photos. I hope the noise isn't too intrusive.
    xx

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    1. Most of the summer they are only open on Sundays so won't hear the trains very much and the lady here before us was one of a group of people who objected to the train whistle tooting all the time so they don't do that now. But I won't mind hearing it - better than a motorway!

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    2. Our street dead ends at a railroad track. When we moved here I was worried about the noise, since they have to blow their horns at all the thru crossings. We don't even notice it now, it's much quieter than the jets that scream over from LAX. Every once in a while we get a yahoo engineer who lets the horn go long and loud at night. That's the exception, not the rule.

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  3. There are loads of primroses round our way too, along all the verges. I love to see them. My husband would be so happy to live within walking (and hearing) distance of a heritage railway.

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    1. Seems a good year for primroses.
      Yes Colin would have been there helping I think

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  4. Hello Sue I hope this railway work won't interfere too much in your life and environment.I admire how you always take an interest in things and keep yourself well informed.Its beautiful where you live long may you enjoy it. My daughter lives in Suffolk it's very lovely. I am further inspired by your car boot finds and have promised myself a trip round town today where I shall have a good look in the many charity shops we have.Will let you know what I find.

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    1. Hopefully there won't be crowds getting off the train at the new halt and wandering the field footpaths.
      Your daughter lives in the best county!
      Enjoy your charity shop tour.

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  5. Ps Sue my dear late husband would have spent his every waking moment at that railway! He loved trains and trainspotting as a young lad.

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    1. Colin would have loved it too his Grandfather was a signalman on the railways back in the 1960s so he was always interested in trains

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  6. Beautiful photos. The blossom and primroses make me smile.

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  7. Interesting photos Sue. We have a lovely miniature railway where I used to lived I remember especially at Christmas they had people dressed up with lots of mince pies and hot toddy drinks it was great fun. Your grandchildren will enjoy it. I loved to see the Willow and blossom.
    Hazel c uk

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  8. I love trains any kind of trains. I was born in the inner city in 1948 very close to the shunting yards, what a wonderful sound on a cold winters night when you are tucked up in bed. I still love trains and being a non driver travel everywhere by train with no complaints. I now have the good fortune for me that is, to have a rail line at the bottom of my garden which links one big city to another.
    What a misery Sue, someone complaining about a train whistle, some strange folk around.

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  9. Gerard would love to live so near to the railway and the Grandsons would be the first ones in the queue to ride it. What a beautiful area you live in. It was such a joy to see the old tradition of willow cutting still going on.

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  10. I sometimes think I might have been the only young American girl (9-10 yrs old) who was a trainspotter. There used to be an old footbridge across the rails near my home (at the time) where I would sit with all the young British boys to capture info for our books. Wish I still had my little trainspotting book. My family traveled by train a great deal in UK and Europe...many times in old steam trains like The Flying Scotsman before the modernization of the rails took hold. Lovely to see some of the old railways preserved.

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  11. Not sure whether to feel sad or happy about the changes. I hate seeing things torn up. A place I like to walk has torn up several areas. It's sad to see as I've seen lovely birds there as well as deer. Now nothing. I'm not sure if they intend trying to return it to a somewhat normal state after they are done messing about but I worry about the wildlife in the mean time. Seems we take up more and more of their space!

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  12. Lovely primroses - if they like you (and it looks as though they do) then they should spread quickly an give you more and more pleasure.

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  13. I'm torn between love of good walking paths and love of steam trains. Primroses have done exceptionally well here too this year.

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  14. I think the train will be fun and maybe you can ride it? I was most interested in the willow - so will that be used by a basket-maker? Or? ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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    1. Yes I'll probaly visit the museum on their WWII day. I guess the willow is for baskets not sure who the field belongs to

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  15. What will the willow be used for? The primroses are beautiful.

    God bless.

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  16. Lovely photos, well thought out and informative. The Railway is a real asset to the area, very low key and rather special. I sure its far better than the many people who drive in their cars , mostly one in each and then park up getting in each others ways. The average use of a car is only 4% , the rest of the time it just takes up space. You are so lucky to live in such a lovely area and iam quite sure the Railway will enhance it not destroy it.

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