To continue the weekend, not too far away, 20 members met up at the delightful village of Shardlow, Derbyshire (an 18th century Brindley inland port on the Trent & Mersey Canal and originally the Rivers Trent and Derwent). Here John Cooke, owner of the complex 7¼" gauge Millfield Railway and his helpers made the group very welcome treating us to a most enjoyable comprehensive tour using steam and battery electric power. The railway runs along the (private) bank of the canal in lovely well cared for gardens (including a couple of neighbours') which were open to the public later in the day; also the railway's annual public running day. An outer circuit runs around the house and canal side garden, through the coal store (and loco shed) with a canal side loop by the house. This has a road off to a turntable (that also leads to the loco shed). An inner cut off runs round the lawn in front of the house. At the far end of the garden is a triangular junction, leading to a long reversing siding at 'Basin East'. Unsurprisingly this is alongside an original canal basin, amazingly dug out and brought back into use by the residents round it. After reversal there, a branch continues round this basin with a carriage shed branch (full of spiders and cobwebs but luckily there were no carriages or arachnophobes present). There is an engine and stock loading line. The railway ends at a turntable the far side of the canal basin where our GS moved the dustbins off a siding that the party was later able to explore on an open wagon (people power again!). In summary, every inch was covered efficiently, effortlessly and enjoyably (except the engine shed traverser as its track link to the turntable is of a temporary nature so the organiser had not realised it was there until afterwards!).

Lines going off in all directions at Shardlow; the Trent & Mersey Canal is (right) off picture.
[© Jörg Haensel 2015]

Everyone was refreshed with a generous supply of hot drinks, cakes and savouries; £180 was raised for The Shardlow Heritage Centre supported by local historian, John's wife!