A full party of 46 members enjoyed a breakfast roll and cuppa in 'The Train Shed' at Page's Park station before joining our track bash (sorry, all available track tour) of the Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway. This was an 'after' railtour (after the realignment and extension had opened); see BLN 1388.2994 for our 2 Oct 2021 'before' tour.

Bodily needs satisfied and all safely aboard, the train was propelled by 4W DM No51 River Sark from P1 to the buffer stops, reversing to the station throat and propelled again to the same buffer stops, but this time via P2. Re-reversing, the connecting line to Page's Park Yard was reached and covered to the headshunt buffers before traversing all four Yard roads in turn to the shed doors. It was noted that the station running-in board read Pages' Park, prompting a discussion on correct apostrophe use and whether this public sign overrides other versions. [The actual Park is apostrophe-less and there is only one; as mentioned before in BLN, chronologists use the public timetable name - Page's Park it is then.]

Returning to P2, another reversal took us onto the main line. The journey to Munday's Hill followed, stopping at most level crossings (the rest were covered at walking pace) and included photo stops at Leedon Loop, Vandyke Road and the tunnel bridge* on the new deviation which opened on 13 Mar 2022. The Chamberlain's Barn branch was extremely overgrown and impassable without a machete. Although disconnected from the main line, a 50yd stub of track remains under the greenery, occupied by the vestigial remains of a 20hp Simplex (4W DM MR4805) and three tipper wagons, suitably tipped over by locals... At the new deviation tunnel bridge*, the train was well positioned for photography and provision may have been made for double track. [The size allowed standard pre-cast concrete components to be used and gives better visibility for train drivers in both directions.]

After a brief pause on Stonehenge Works station bypass road line, the bidirectional Main Line (right looking to the end of line) was taken on the Munday's Hill extension (OP 30 Apr 2022), stopping short of the stops for the loco to run round before a photo stop. (This is how public services work with no boarding or alighting there for the foreseeable future. A member was told that when the present sandpits are worked out in about 5-6 years a further extension would be possible). After setting back to the buffer stops, return was via the bidirectional Relief Line (left of the Main looking to Munday's Hill) to Stonehenge Works platform, believed to be the first passenger train to use some of that line.

The train was now split and the remaining vehicle with No34 Red Rum and LOD No758009 Dolly Parton, 'top & tail', set out on a comprehensive tour of the available sidings - one particularly long line was clear to the stops. Otherwise known as slow motion ping pong, this included overlap with the Relief Line at Coulthard Jn. All safely traversed, the train was reassembled in the platform and, after the crew PNB, returned to Page's Park P1 behind River Sark, running wrong road both sides Leedon Loop.

A shunt to Page's Park P2 was next and, after two reversals, the train traversed the No1 road into the shed, then back into the yard where the tour terminated.

Thanks are due to all the very friendly staff at Leighton Buzzard and especially Chris Wright, the Events Manager, and Terry Bendall, Duty Operations Manager, who kept the wheels rolling throughout. Even the weather cooperated, unlike during our previous 2 Oct 2021 'Shifting Sands' railtour. Your Fixtures Secretary would also like to extend his thanks to our member Bill Davis for organising this excellent fixture also thanks to Martyn Brailsford and Peter Scott for the up to date revised track plan.

*The railway has been very careful to classify the new structure as an overbridge and not a tunnel, otherwise all sorts of very complicated Health & Safety rules and regulations would come into force!

Leighton Buzzard Railway
[© David Farron 2022]

Another view of the new deviation tunnel. Oh no it isn't! It's a bridge if anyone asks.
[© Kev Adlam 2022]

Photos stop at Munday's Hill note the special headboard provided by the Leighton Buzzard Railway at the front.
[© Kev Adlam 2022]

Exploration of the longest line (clear to the end) at Stonehenge Yard.
[© Craig Ross 2022]

Approaching the end of the longest line at Stonehenge Yard
[© Craig Ross 2022]

There's still more tack to do on the longest line at Stonehenge Yard, or is there?
[© Craig Ross 2022]

At Stonehenge Yard, one of our junior members, Samarti Smith, a photo submitted by his father.
[© Phillip Smith 2022]

Eight years earlier, the Chamberlain's Barn branch when it wasn't overgrown during our 12 Apr 2014 railtour of the railway. Very unusually the branch was actually in use on Tue 5 Jul 2022 - the Simplex and wagons had to be removed after being set alight by the locals!
[© Angus McDougall 2014]

A photo stop during our 12 Apr 2014 railtour. Afterwards we visited the Fancott Pub Railway the same day.
[© Angus McDougall 2014]

Thanks to our member Rob Fraser for this incredibly detailed move report of our railtour! - Page 1 of 3.
[© Rob Fraser 2022]

Thanks to our member Rob Fraser for this incredibly detailed move report of our railtour! - Page 2 of 3.
[© Rob Frasier 2022]

Thanks to our member Rob Fraser for this incredibly detailed move report of our railtour! - Page 3 of 3.
[© Rob Frasier 2022]