Rapido Fireless Andrew Barclay 0-4-0

 

Tap to blow up big 

Today we’re back again at Whimsy Pit and wharf. 

A fireless Andrew Barclay No.2 has managed to covertly make the journey all the way overnight from Brew Street (see yesterday’s post) to collect a few tatty old wagons containing illicit goods, some of which is believed to have come by the old steam freighter in the background from the tax free island of Flat Holm (formerly known as High Holm until the great moonshine explosion of 1893). 

Due to the limited range of a fireless locomotive and lack of facilities to recharge the reservoir, you’ll note that it appears to have been fitted with a mast (and hopefully sail) allowing it to continue on its journey, wind direction and strength permitting, whilst finding a route without tunnels and bridges. 

Rumour has it electric car manufacturers are looking at this range extending option too. But of course low bridges and overhead motorway signage will have to be avoided. 

Meanwhile Blue Maggie (estranged half twin sister of Red Rachel) is chatting about smashing the equine unions with the Hubert the conversational Latin speaking horse who today is in charge of mine tubs. This could potentially end in a strike with all railway and mining horses walking out. 

And finally, today Rufus Hound is covering for Bob Geeza Cat in adding compositional interest and balance to photographs. 

~~~👀~~~

Thank you those who occasionally 👉 www.buymeacoffee.com/Nevardmedi3

Lost False Teeth

It’s a lovely sunny summery Front End Friday at Whimsy Pit and wharf, and shunter Colin is looking for his false teeth that fell out whilst shouting out instructions to the engine crew who are retrieving some ancient side tipping wagons used for spoil removal. 

Bob Geeza Cat is having a day off, but despite this, never turns down the offer to pose in photographs like this one to balance or add interest. 

Meanwhile Beryl’s Austin 7 is about to be carefully moved out of the way by the Ruston Bucyrus front shovel after she abandoned it hastily rushing for the boat to Flat Holm in the middle of the Bristol Channel well over a week ago. 

She’s not been seen since, so she’s probably still on the island helping the younger more strapping moonshiners, for she loves a ‘young strapping man who can’. 

~~~👀~~~

Thank you those who occasionally 👉 www.buymeacoffee.com/Nevardmedi3

The Man Cave

Tab to blow up 

Part of my railway room, and 3 of my smaller layouts. I have a similar set up on the other side of the room with Catcott and Polbrook Gurney Collery. 

The ones here, from left to right are; Whimsy Pit, Fountain Colliery, a mini product photography booth and Brew Street. 

They’re all removable, fully operational and can be attached to fiddle/staging yards should I ever take them to an exhibition. Fountain Colliery and Brew Street can be joined together end to end to make a bigger layout. 

They all have built in photography grade lighting. For some reason my iPhone has made the skies appear far more blue than they actually are. 

When they’re all lit up like this, I’m sure the neighbours think I’m growing something dodgy or have a strange tropical fish tank collection.

The Border

Tap to blow up 

The railway siding next to the Kettle Inn marks the boundary between the tax free county of Somerset and the rest of Little England. 

Much illicit trading of goods happens at this point, moonshine being traded for cheese being quite high in the list of produce, along with potted Mendip snails and of course proper farmhouse cider in exchange for beer from Burton. 

Though quite why you’d want beer from Burton I’ve no idea, because Somerset have some great breweries. Though a lot of folks from the Midlands retire and holiday in Somerset, so there must be a market for beer that smells of stale eggs, aka, ‘Burton Snatch’ (Google it). 

Until recently this spot has very much been under the radar due to the impossible task of trying to police the activity. But it looks like Red Rachel from the Ministry of U Turns has found out. 

However rumour has it that she’ll soon leave the ministry and is looking for a nice pub to run, so her appearance here might not be quite we’re thinking, for if she takes over The Kettle Inn, she’ll be looking for booze and other produce to sell like bare knuckle scratchings and deep fried spicy wasps. 

Meanwhile Waving Willy has just turned up with his scruffy old engine for his morning break, this being a popular spot with loco crews in search of a refreshment between shunting duties. 

~~~👀~~~

Thank you those who occasionally 👉 www.buymeacoffee.com/Nevardmedi3

Silent Whistle Way

Tap to enlarge 

Its late summer of 1966, six months after closure of Combwich and a Class 22 diesel hydraulic arrives to collect wagons of scrap prior to the lifting of the rails. 

This is now the site of a scruffy housing estate, you know, the type that has pebbledash prefabricated concrete garages, dumped cars, hundreds of random wheelie bins with broken lids and torn refuse sacks that the local fox population have been exploring the contents of. 

Apart from the odd railway named road like ‘Beechings Close’ or ‘Silent Whistle Way’ you’d never know that there had once a railway here. Though the railway has been gone for so long, few will even get the railway connection. 

Toot toot

Flood Preparation

Prod to blow up 

Former pub landlord Shamus O’Shandy and Andrew Barclay pause to enjoy in the lovely late summer morning at Whimsy Pit.

This little known coastal pit and wharf marks the far western extremity of the North Somerset coal field. However the tiny mine is used mostly as a storage facility for illicit goods and other contraband, but a token amount of coal is bought to the surface to justify its existence and just about covers the cost of keeping the water pumps running. 

High water springs and a gusty southwesterly are due, so an old dinghy has been placed near the tracks just in case there’s a little flooding. Though climbing up on to the engine is probably a better option, for if it does flood it will only be a foot or two deep. And anyway the dinghy has no oars or anchor, so will float away into the Bristol Channel before it’s of any use. 

Meanwhile having built up a good head of steam, the old coastal steam freighter is about to head off to Flat Holm, a small island in the middle of the Bristol Channel to collect a fresh batch of moonshine. 

Flat Holm used to be called High Holm, but frequent moonshine production explosions over the years have reduced the island’s height, hence it now being called Flat Holm. 

The eagle eyed will spot Bob Geeza Cat standing on the roof of the bridge, he’s off to the island with Beryl for a few days holiday, Bob for the rodents, and Beryl for the strapping young men who produce the moonshine. That’s her Austin Seven by the way. 

And finally, most of my posts are based on a suspect reality, so should not be taken too seriously by scholars seeking total historical accuracy. 

~~~👀~~~

Thank you those who occasionally 👉 www.buymeacoffee.com/Nevardmedi3

After the Storm

Lick to enlarge, sanitise screen after 

3 or 4 times a year during storm conditions and extra high spring tides, the sidings at Whimsy Pit flood for a few hours. 

Luckily the entrance to the mineshaft is sufficiently high not to flood, though it did once when the snows during the winter of 1947 melted and it coincided with the highest spring tide in years. Luckily nobody was injured because they’d bunked off early to the pub. 

After these occasional occurrences, an inspection train travels the line to check that everything is okay. Which is usually is luckily. 

Hiding in the cab out of sight, Tom & Laurie arrive with their small green engine and short train, but because the windows are filthy they can’t see where they’re going. So because of this, Leather Apron Lookout Larry from the fish gutters is hired to stand on the front of the engine as an extra pair of eyes issuing instructions as required. 

When going in reverse, on the brakevan you can just about make out brothers Waving Willy and Waving Woger who perform a similar task, though because they wave 24/7 even when sleeping, things can get confusing, though aggressive seagulls do tend to keep their distance. 

On the track, Freddy Flag keeps an eye on things as Pickaxe Pete has a plan which involves making holes in the track bed and through the baseboard, in the hope that next time things flood the water will drain faster. 

Under the end of the rainbow our favourite moonshiners have struck gold as they successfully trial out their new nimble mobile moonshine production unit which sits on a 3 wheeled Scammell, thus making it ideal for those narrow country lanes as they try to evade the local old Bill. 

And finally, Bob Geeza Cat does his best to balance the composition, for he is such a clever cat 🐾

👀

Thank you those who occasionally 👉 www.buymeacoffee.com/Nevardmedi3

Push & Shove

Tap to blow up big 

It’s Twin Tank Loco Thursday (or ‘two times’ if still at nursery school or from ‘merica). 

Like excited puppies, Peter and his Peckett and Harry and his Hunslet have been playfully pushing and chasing each other around the sidings all morning. Though Harry does have the advantage of the bigger engine. But Peter’s engine is more nimble. Ah, the innocent joys of inch high Little England where nothing really matters. 

But now it’s time for a quick break before getting on with some actual work seeing that Freddy Flag and Harry the Hammer have appeared to coordinate and fix things. 

Bob Geeza Cat is of course is enjoying the warmth of the engine, he’s always good at seeking such spots, for he’s such a clever cat 🐾

👀

Thank you those who occasionally 👉 www.buymeacoffee.com/Nevardmedi3