GB0HLR will be active from Cornhill on Tweed, England, 22 - 23 September 2018.
QRV on HF Bands.
QSL via M3INO.
Ads for direct QSL:
Gareth L. Patterson, 28 Highcliffe, Spittal, Berwick Upon Tweed, TD15 2JH, England.
The Northumberland Special Event Group will be active from Heatherslaw Light Railway.
Over the weekend of 22nd-23rd September as part of ROTA ( Railways On The Air)
The Heatherslaw Light Railway is a 15' gauge passenger carrying railway in Northumberland, England, near the border with Scotland.
Founded by Neville Smith, the railway opened in 1989 on the Ford and Etal estate. It operates over a route from Heatherslaw to Etal Village, it is 6.4 kilometres in length. The railway normally operates from March to October inclusive, with an hourly (half-hourly during busy days) train service, but closes for the winter season. The passenger coaches include facilities for transporting wheel chairs, and a typical summer season eight-coach train can convey up to 150 passengers.
Motive Power
The railway's principal locomotive from its opening has been an 0-4-2 steam engine named "The Lady Augusta", built by the Kirklees Light Railway in Yorkshire.
The second locomotive is a diesel hydraulic locomotive named "Clive". This was built on site at Heatherslaw.
The third locomotive partially built by Neville Smith has been completed by Alan Keef. The loco has been named "Bunty", Neville's affectionate name for his wife.
Stations
The station at Heatherslaw features an overall roof covering two hard-surfaced platforms; a third line serves as a locomotive release road for engines to run round trains; there are also storage sidings and sheds, as well as a ticket office and shop. The smaller station at Etal has a simple terminal passing loop (with central platform) and a turntable.
The Heatherslaw Light Railway was the brainchild of Mr. Neville Smith. He was an engineer who had built locomotives in both 5 and 7 1/4 inch gauge, but harboured the ambition of building a passenger carrying railway in 15 inch narrow gauge. It was obviously meant to be, as the late Lord Joicey was looking for a project to enhance tourism on Ford and Etal Estates. Plans were submitted and a route was chosen. The locomotive “Lady Augusta” (0-4-2 Tender Engine) was commissioned from the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, while the diesel locomotive” Clive” and the six original coaches were manufactured on site by Mr. Neville Smith and his business partner Mr. Sid Ford.
The station at Heatherslaw is built on the site of the old Ford and Etal sawmill which suffered a fire in the mid 1980’s, before it was moved to a new site at Letham Hill. The site was cleared and new buildings, a turntable and station track work was laid. The track bed was dug and levelled by a contractor, but the ballast and track was laid using a track gang made up of local labour who worked every weekend for six months to enable the railway to start running in the summer of 1989. The original track was 1 1/4 miles long and cut directly across the Letham Haugh to Etal village. The track was later lengthened to its present length of 2 miles in the winter of 2003-2004, and now follows the course of the river Till around the outside of the Letham Haugh. The original stock of six coaches has been expanded to thirteen coaches, although some are out of service at the present time while they are being re-furbished.
In 2005, Neville Smith began to plan the building of a new steam locomotive. He started on the production of various components and over the next few years, as finances would allow, he built up many of the major parts necessary for the project. Sadly he was unable to complete his dream as having suffered from ill health for many years, his condition worsened and he passed away in February 2009, aged 69. Neville’s younger son, Paul Smith, took over in a temporary management position in late August 2008. On the first of September 2008, the railway was struck with the biggest flood on record. After a week of continuous torrential rain, the river Till burst its banks and water swept through the yard to a depth of over a metre at its shallowest point. The only part of the railway not submerged was the turntable at Etal Station. When the water subsided, we were left with devastation.
The diesel locomotive had been totally immersed in water, the “ Lady Augusta” was left covered in silt, and two of the coaches had been washed off the track. The rest of the coaches were in a sorry state, covered in mud, to say nothing of the flooded ticket office and buildings. The railway had reached the lowest point in its history and the business would not have survived without the tireless efforts of the management, staff and friends who pitched in to help. When the river level had dropped sufficiently, the track was examined only to reveal that a large chunk of the bank had been washed away, leaving the track dangling six feet in the air. A new section of track needed to be laid a further ten metres away from the river bank at that point. However after only a month out of service, the railway resumed a full service.
After the passing of his father in February 2009, Paul Smith took over as managing director on a full time basis. With much work to repair the flood damage still to do, he set about completely restructuring the business. The need to refurbish the existing stock was evident as much of the bodywork of the old coaches had become shoddy, accelerated by the flood damage. The new management team realised how important it was to complete the new steam engine and add two new coaches to the existing stock. Alan Keef Ltd was invited to tender a design that could incorporate many of the existing components started by Neville Smith. The design of a 2-6-0 tender tank was approved by the H.L.R board, and “Bunty” was manufactured and introduced into service in July 2010, along with two new coaches in matching smart blue livery.
Two new coaches were built on site in the HLR’S own workshops and were to set the standard for any further coach refurbishment. Over the next few years, the railway has improved the rolling stock with a further three coaches completely refurbished in blue livery to match the new ones. Over the next five year period it is planned to complete the whole stock of thirteen coaches up to the same high standard. “Lady Augusta” was out of service for the 2012 season, undergoing essential boiler repairs, but returned to service in 2013. The new diesel locomotive “Binky” was launched at Easter 2015 and is in service on wet weather days when it is quiet or if the steam engines are undertaking repairs.
QRV on HF Bands.
QSL via M3INO.
Ads for direct QSL:
Gareth L. Patterson, 28 Highcliffe, Spittal, Berwick Upon Tweed, TD15 2JH, England.
The Northumberland Special Event Group will be active from Heatherslaw Light Railway.
Over the weekend of 22nd-23rd September as part of ROTA ( Railways On The Air)
The Heatherslaw Light Railway is a 15' gauge passenger carrying railway in Northumberland, England, near the border with Scotland.
Founded by Neville Smith, the railway opened in 1989 on the Ford and Etal estate. It operates over a route from Heatherslaw to Etal Village, it is 6.4 kilometres in length. The railway normally operates from March to October inclusive, with an hourly (half-hourly during busy days) train service, but closes for the winter season. The passenger coaches include facilities for transporting wheel chairs, and a typical summer season eight-coach train can convey up to 150 passengers.
Motive Power
The railway's principal locomotive from its opening has been an 0-4-2 steam engine named "The Lady Augusta", built by the Kirklees Light Railway in Yorkshire.
The second locomotive is a diesel hydraulic locomotive named "Clive". This was built on site at Heatherslaw.
The third locomotive partially built by Neville Smith has been completed by Alan Keef. The loco has been named "Bunty", Neville's affectionate name for his wife.
Stations
The station at Heatherslaw features an overall roof covering two hard-surfaced platforms; a third line serves as a locomotive release road for engines to run round trains; there are also storage sidings and sheds, as well as a ticket office and shop. The smaller station at Etal has a simple terminal passing loop (with central platform) and a turntable.
The Heatherslaw Light Railway was the brainchild of Mr. Neville Smith. He was an engineer who had built locomotives in both 5 and 7 1/4 inch gauge, but harboured the ambition of building a passenger carrying railway in 15 inch narrow gauge. It was obviously meant to be, as the late Lord Joicey was looking for a project to enhance tourism on Ford and Etal Estates. Plans were submitted and a route was chosen. The locomotive “Lady Augusta” (0-4-2 Tender Engine) was commissioned from the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, while the diesel locomotive” Clive” and the six original coaches were manufactured on site by Mr. Neville Smith and his business partner Mr. Sid Ford.
The station at Heatherslaw is built on the site of the old Ford and Etal sawmill which suffered a fire in the mid 1980’s, before it was moved to a new site at Letham Hill. The site was cleared and new buildings, a turntable and station track work was laid. The track bed was dug and levelled by a contractor, but the ballast and track was laid using a track gang made up of local labour who worked every weekend for six months to enable the railway to start running in the summer of 1989. The original track was 1 1/4 miles long and cut directly across the Letham Haugh to Etal village. The track was later lengthened to its present length of 2 miles in the winter of 2003-2004, and now follows the course of the river Till around the outside of the Letham Haugh. The original stock of six coaches has been expanded to thirteen coaches, although some are out of service at the present time while they are being re-furbished.
In 2005, Neville Smith began to plan the building of a new steam locomotive. He started on the production of various components and over the next few years, as finances would allow, he built up many of the major parts necessary for the project. Sadly he was unable to complete his dream as having suffered from ill health for many years, his condition worsened and he passed away in February 2009, aged 69. Neville’s younger son, Paul Smith, took over in a temporary management position in late August 2008. On the first of September 2008, the railway was struck with the biggest flood on record. After a week of continuous torrential rain, the river Till burst its banks and water swept through the yard to a depth of over a metre at its shallowest point. The only part of the railway not submerged was the turntable at Etal Station. When the water subsided, we were left with devastation.
The diesel locomotive had been totally immersed in water, the “ Lady Augusta” was left covered in silt, and two of the coaches had been washed off the track. The rest of the coaches were in a sorry state, covered in mud, to say nothing of the flooded ticket office and buildings. The railway had reached the lowest point in its history and the business would not have survived without the tireless efforts of the management, staff and friends who pitched in to help. When the river level had dropped sufficiently, the track was examined only to reveal that a large chunk of the bank had been washed away, leaving the track dangling six feet in the air. A new section of track needed to be laid a further ten metres away from the river bank at that point. However after only a month out of service, the railway resumed a full service.
After the passing of his father in February 2009, Paul Smith took over as managing director on a full time basis. With much work to repair the flood damage still to do, he set about completely restructuring the business. The need to refurbish the existing stock was evident as much of the bodywork of the old coaches had become shoddy, accelerated by the flood damage. The new management team realised how important it was to complete the new steam engine and add two new coaches to the existing stock. Alan Keef Ltd was invited to tender a design that could incorporate many of the existing components started by Neville Smith. The design of a 2-6-0 tender tank was approved by the H.L.R board, and “Bunty” was manufactured and introduced into service in July 2010, along with two new coaches in matching smart blue livery.
Two new coaches were built on site in the HLR’S own workshops and were to set the standard for any further coach refurbishment. Over the next few years, the railway has improved the rolling stock with a further three coaches completely refurbished in blue livery to match the new ones. Over the next five year period it is planned to complete the whole stock of thirteen coaches up to the same high standard. “Lady Augusta” was out of service for the 2012 season, undergoing essential boiler repairs, but returned to service in 2013. The new diesel locomotive “Binky” was launched at Easter 2015 and is in service on wet weather days when it is quiet or if the steam engines are undertaking repairs.