Visit to the railway by High Wycombe Model Railway Club in 1981
The pictures were taken by Graham Machin, a member of the above society during the visit. (Thank you Graham) David Grant assembled them into this web page in November 2011. Thus any reference to 'now' in the text below is to 2011.
The loco on the left is Rothesay; built by Tom Snoxell for Joseph and his friend Mr Raymond, the first loco built to the Holmside design.
In the photo Hugh BD is driving and Richard Raymond, the original part owner's son, is the rear passenger. Richard now owns the loco and lives in the north of England.
The location is Dingly. Notice that there is no vegetation behind the platform and Old Oak does not exist. Just visible is the Dingly gantry with only a single arm for a shunt move from the centre Dingly siding.
Joseph driving the Scot emerges from the down tunnel into Spinney station.
The loco is the Scot on the railway now but was then painted red and had no smoke deflectors either side of the smokebox.
Joseph is carrying the large hoop token. At that time, even though a signal protecting the tunnel is present, drivers were required to carry this token before they could enter the tunnel.
The crossover between the up and down lines is now the other way round. The trailing point that the loco is about to meet has been removed and been replaced by a facing point nearer the tunnel that gives the loco the opportunity to cross to the up loop platform.
Myke Baigent on the Scot at BayTree
Notice the 'siding' on the left is accessed from the shed apparently providing two routes from shed to Dingly. Two photos below show access to these sidings from Dingly.
Myke was a major player in developing the railway. A professional electronics engineer and a talented amateur model engineer he provided the original signalling system at BayTree, indeed his father laid the brickwork of BayTree signal box. Myke also provided the loco water system we enjoy at present. When Joseph became ill in the 1990s Myke became pretty well in charge of the railway. Sadly, Myke died in 2019.
Mike Hack on the Electric in Dingly sidings
Not much change here, although both Mike and the loco have aged over the years!
The two vertical white posts are simple red / green colour lights controlling exit from the two Dingly sidings. At that time the point to the two sidings was electric and controlled from Dingly signal box.
Leaving the tunnel
The loco is NOT Kate, a narrow gauge loco to a similar design that is now on the railway. It is a visitor and not a resident loco.
The driver is invisible, crouching into the cab; Joseph is the first passenger and Myke Baigent is at the back of the train.
Notice the substantial moss growth on the side of the cutting even at that early stage.
Roland White driving Emily
Roland White was a director of Cromar White Railways, the firm that built the railway to Joseph's design with Roland in charge of the project. Subsequently Roland joined the team running the railway and was in charge of track maintenance.
The loco is Emily, owned by Joseph and named after Hugh BD's daughter. When the railway was sold to the Ainslies the loco Emily was given to Myke Baigent. Sadly, it quickly developed boiler problems and Myke removed it for repair. As yet these repairs have not been completed and we long to see this early resident back on the railway.
Steamy Entry to Dingly
This last picture is included not for the loco in the centre, which I do not recognise, but for the activity in the background where the Electric and Emily can be seen,
The inbound signals at Dingly were completely changed in 2011 and the picture clearly shows the old arrangements.