Farm line overcomes hurdles

New railway with restored historic locos and stock set to receive the go-ahead from local authority after initial concerns.

A NEW 10¼in gauge railway has been waiting approval for a while, at Glebe Farm, Astbury near Congleton, Cheshire. The first planning application for the railway at this family visitor attraction was withdrawn when rejection appeared inevitable. This was due to the number of objectors, including a councillor. A fresh application has been made with a decision due at the end of September.

Most objections have been withdrawn, leaving just two which are more concerned about the tourist development of the farm rather than the railway. Meanwhile, the railway has been permitted to run on 52 occasions this year on a 70m temporary track using 2-4-2T Pendragon (Exmoor 297 of 1994).

Three items of Astbury motive power owned by

Adam Jeffrey attended the

Bickington Steam Railway’s (BSR) successful gala at Trago Mills, Devon on August 20/21 (RM August p76). These were No. 9 Pendragon, The Wasp rail trolley built at the long-closed Shillingstone Light Railway in 1961, and 2-6-0 No. 4 Norfolk Pioneer.

PETER NICHOLSON Many trains were double or triple headed at the Trago Mills steam gala. Destined for use at the Astbury Light Railway once approval for operations has been granted, No. 4 Norfolk Pioneer works with BSR resident 2-6-2 No. 24 (Coleby Simkins & Vere 1991). No. 4 was built by Tony Martin of the Wells & Walsingham Light Railway, Norfolk in 2011, but never part of the official fleet. Therefore, ‘WWLR’ could not be used so it became ‘WWER’ = ‘Wibbly Wobbly Engineers Railway’ after the builder’s former motorcycle racing team! It is hoped Trago Mills will hold another steam gala next April.