Trees On Tour: Wales in October...

 

Real punk steam?

So.  Hornby are celebrating 100 years of selling model railways. And releasing lots of new (and old) stuff in recognition of, basically, longevity.

And although I've gone on about rockets before on this blog (eg here, here, here, here, here, here, here (sort of), here (by extension) and here - and to be fair, other places too).  But Hornby are re-releasing one of my favourite rockets from the sixties.

This one....

All very wonderful, but as a result they may have overshadowed their interesting new 'Steampunk' range.  Labelled as Bassett-Lowke, I suspect to distance them from the main range and pacify the rivet counters.

The new steampunky products  aren't that special at all, but as a move to link together hobbies as diverse as model railways, science fiction and role playing games, this is an interesting development.

So as well as ordering a model of the winner of the Rainhill Trials, I bought a chaotic, steampunky, shabby 0-4-0.

Joy!

O Beamish!

For various reasons we were in the North East late last August, as demonstrated by the bridges.  So on the late Summer Bank Holiday we decided - despite the rain - to go to the open air museum at Beamish.

Beamish celebrates and records the lost industrial and agricultural past of the North East of England.  But it does so by recreating a landscape through which visitors can walk and explore.  Like the confectioners above, which in addition to selling sweets from jars, has a sweet-making workshop in the back, where various flavours of boiled sweets are produced.  This requires large amounts of molten sugar, pulled around like taffy and flavoured as it cools, and then cut in to lozenges for the pleasure of the customers.  Hot, and amazing.

 Elsewhere there are mineworkings, miners cottages, a chapel and school, actors selling things and so forth...

While Beamish occupies a big area, it is still walkable, but most people seem to want to use the trams and buses and carts that travel around the different locations on the site. 

There are indoor bits (where we sheltered when the rain got too bad)...

... as did some other residents...

And of course, as you might expect, there is a little bit of heritage steam railway to have a go on.

Although to be fair, not every heritage steam railway has a replica of Puffing Billy!

Buckfastleigh

While we were on Dartmoor we didn't just climb tors, visit pubs, look at ponies and try archery.  We also visited Buckfastleigh.  Home of butterflies, otters and a preserved steam railway...

The butterfly sheds are hot and humid, with tropical (I guess) plants.  The camera lens steamed over very quickly, and could get very few pictures.

And the butterflies were so quick, they were hard to catch.

The otters were alert, lively and endearing.  The otter sanctuary has several types.  We watched them being fed.

And then there were the trains.  Buckfastleigh is on the South Devon Railway, and of course is ex-GWR.

We stood and looked rather than rode.  And then went to the caff, and I ogled the model railway stuff in the shop (it really is quite comprehensive...).  And then farewell...