Twenty five members gathered at Somersham station on the late Sir William McAlpine's private standard gauge railway for 11am and received a warm welcome with hot drinks, biscuits and even cakes. This was a nice surprise as the details warned that no refreshments would be available! After receiving a safety briefing and being asked if there were any special requests - "Cover as much track as possible, please" (!!) - we boarded coach 'Judy' (named after Lady Judy McAlpine). It was to be propelled and pulled by D2120, an ex-British Rail Class 03 loco (03120 from Mar 1974), which spent all its working career in South Wales. The cab had been 'cut down' by 4½" - you would hardly notice - to work the former Burry Port & Gwendraeth Valley Railway branch to Cwmmawr; partly built on a canal, it had restricted loading gauge.

The junction at Somersham has an electrically powered point motor and is fully signalled by what looks like an ex-London Underground two-aspect signal with four white lights acting as a route indicator 'feather'. A green light and lit feather meant our first trip would be down the 1:13 gradient to Bourne Again Junction - the steepest friction-worked gradient on a standard gauge line in the UK (even steeper than the famous Hopton Incline of the Cromford & High Peak Railway). Here, we passed the platform and proceeded all the way to the buffer stop at Earley / Star Lane. The train reversed back through the platform all the way to the buffer stops at Inverernie via the run round loop there, passing many deer and fawns which roam the grounds keeping the grass down, while seemingly being completely unconcerned about passing trains. Some lie on the sleepers (with soft fallen dry leaves in place of ballast), only moving at the last moment if a train approaches.

We were unable to take the line to the shed there (bottom left on plan) due to the condition of the track and so a reversal through the platform line took us all the way back to Earley and almost to the buffer stops again. After a cry of '(point) locks in, out' (and shake it all about?), our train returned to Somersham via the little used run round loop at Bourne Again Junction. The loco ran into the tunnel, as far as it could before meeting some wagons stored within, which meant that 'Judy' almost ran into the tunnel.

Back at the platform, this time, a green light without 'feather' meant that we were going into the yard past 'Shobnall Maltings' signal box. This was built by the Midland Railway in 1905, originally for 'Swadlincote East'. When this box was replaced by a ground frame on 23 Jan 1955, it was moved to the Bass Brewery railway system around 1956-58, becoming 'Shobnall Maltings' at Burton-on-Trent; it was in place at Fawley Hill by 1971. Now on rare track (as on open days visitors would be milling around on the concrete the track is set in), we ran into the left-most siding in the direction of travel (upper right on the plan), where a 'Shark' brakevan prevented further progress. A reversal took us to the left-most siding in the direction of travel at the entrance to the workshop shed. Further reversals took us firstly to the middle siding of the three-yard sidings, then the right workshop shed door in the direction of travel, followed by to Shobnall Maltings box and back into the platform at Somersham at exactly 12 noon. This was perfect timing for us all to observe two minutes silence to mark the 80th Anniversary of VE Day.

Next, 'Judy' was shunted back to the yard and exchanged for the Shark brakevan. A further round trip, (each over two miles) to Inverernie via Bourne Again / Earley included stops for participants to alight and take photos on the relatively flat but curved section from Bourne Again to Inverernie. There was a slight delay waiting for the sun to come out, one photographer was convinced it would, and it did. We returned to Somersham for a lunch break of half an hour or so (tea / coffee available). The peacocks put on a good display - our members seemed more interested than the peahens who had seen it before.






After lunch, we were back on the 'Shark' for a third trip to Inverernie with photo stops at 'Fawley Signal Box' that came from Upwell Street Wharf in Sheffield, not the Fawley in Hampshire or Herefordshire. This box is at Bourne Again Jn (fully signalled with fine semaphore signals, ground discs, interlocking and unique 'homemade' facing point locks which automatically set the ground signals via connected wires).


















Following this, it was back up the hill to Somersham for the last time and a reversal into the yard (by request) as slightly further progress was possible into the left siding with the 'Shark' on our train and 'Judy' in the middle siding. Unfortunately, the track in the yard is subsiding so further track coverage, beyond what was achieved on the day, will be impossible unless the yard is relaid. Return to Somersham was followed by a couple of trips into the tunnel and this concluded proceedings at around 3pm.









Rides in the spacious loco cab for two participants at a time were also available throughout the day, with people swapping over after each stage of a trip. Your General Secretary and Editor were noted cab riding when the cab was at the extremity! The Museum, which has thousands of railway artefacts collected by the late Sir William was open for viewing, with visitors who went in saying that they would need hours to do it justice and see everything in there. The volunteer Museum guides were very keen and knowledgeable. The Railway has about 200 active volunteers, mostly local; they have two regular days each week for them to work on the railway. Quite a few groups have visited recently (but none like us!) - they no longer do public open days. The volunteers did express concern over the future of the Railway and Museum as there is no continuity plan. Lady Judy McAlpine (Sir William's widow), now aged 81, is happy to maintain the status quo but neither of their children is interested in the Railway and Museum.

Many thanks to the enthusiastic Fawley Hill Museum volunteers for a most interesting and enjoyable day. They were delighted with our donation of £800. Thanks to our extraordinary member Adam Turner for the meticulous arrangements, particularly the extra track he negotiated not done on past visits.