The CASTAGNOLA Circuit

** Updated in September 2008 as the 'old' route barely exists **

An Errand

Today's journey is simply to deliver a parcel to Chris the elderly Stationmaster at Quarry Halt. The halt is usually quiet, but during the summer it is used by walkers who take the train there and walk back to Castagnola. We are delivering some map leaflets with local area information to make sure no one gets lost. Chris is walking encyclopedia with knowledge in most subjects - beware of delays in any schedule you might have if you engage him in conversation! Fortunately, the leaflets are a speciality from the Fleetwood Press and contain a local quiz which should keep Chris busy for an hour or so.

 The trip to the halt is quite short but as we're on Railway Business we are allowed a full return pass, taking us on a full tour of the line.

It's a cool morning when we get to Castagnola Station, Platform One. Our train is already there, but we're a little surprised to see that its quite a bit longer than usual. There are four blue and cream coaches behind a green engine with a tender. Pete in the ticket office explained: "You're in luck today, we're testing the new stock for the cross country service to Southdown. There aren't too many other passengers.", he continues, "We were expecting a Garratt from the other railway to pull the train but its all in pieces and not quite ready yet".

Under Pete's watchful eye, we walk up to the engine at the front of the train. Driver Rod is busy oiling round whilst in the cab, Brian is tending to the fire. There is a wonderful smell of hot oil and smoke, Brian invites us onto the footplate. The cab is quite spacious but heat is tremendous and quite overpowering. Rod climbs up on the far side and after wiping his hands clean he shakes each of ours. "Should be a good run today" he says, "Has Brian being telling you about Engineer?". Before we can reply, he continues; "A 2-8-0, usually a goods engine wheel arrangement, and no compounding.....". Brian grins at us and suggests it's time to go. We climb down from the cab and return up the platform as Rod and Pete begin some banter about the benefits of articulation and the workshop turnaround times....

Some of the coaches have open balconies but the leading one is a Pullman, very opulent with tables and lamps but of course most of those seats are taken. Eventually we choose the last coach as there is most space to drop our parcels and settle for the trip.

There's a bustle on the platform as a large bull is encouraged into a bogie wagon, not helped by a toot from our engine in response to David the Guard's green flag and whistle. A slight jerk, a hiss of steam and the train begins to move. Slowly we ease out of the station and over a bridge. Out over the rear balcony we see that Farmer Bill and Marguerite (his little helper - she's almost French, you know) have succeeded in persuading the prize animal into its transport before the coach sways over a pair of points onto a down grade.

Coasting almost silently the track becomes single and we are rolling along a narrow ledge cut into the rock face. A sharp left and a squeal of brakes - David appears at the front of the coach: "Quarry Halt" he announces, "A special stop today for you". The train is a lot longer than the halt allows so the engine and other coaches are way past the halt itself. We offload the parcels of leaflets to Chris, who appeared by the trackside from his shelter. David makes sure we quickly reboard, as time is of the essence.

With a check on both sides of the train, David leans out over the rear balcony - "Right Away" he waves his green flag to Driver Rod on the engine. Rod answers with his whistle and we hear a deep bark from the loco as it easily starts the train on the curves. Almost immediately the sound is subdued as the engine enters a tunnel but the train continues to gather speed. Plunged into darkness as our coach is pulled into the tunnel, ears popping with the pressure, and a smokey assault on our noses despite the closed door, we just as quickly burst into the sunshine again.

The train clatters over a tidy blue bridge and the grade eases flat. We can tell the regulator is opened now as the noise of the engine increases, becoming a steady beat over the coaches own rythmns. From the left hand windows we see the engine up ahead, shovelling steam over coaches and away over the fields. The tracks ahead curve the other way so we dive across the coach as we clear a rock cutting, to see a lake that the rails are running around the edge of. Gazing into the still waters we can see some enormous fish basking just below the surface.

Now travelling at a good speed we round some sweeping curves and leave the lakeside for a raised causeway across a barren plain. From the vantage point of the rear balcony the curve lets us just make out Brian the Fireman adding coal to the fire in cab in response to Rods call for more steam.

The route straightens and we dive into a heavily wooded region. Up ahead we hear the note of the loco exhaust strengthen and we see an incline in our path. The track climbs and the woods clear giving us more views over the lake but its further away now, the sun glints off the ripples made by some of the fish going about their business.

The engine and crew have the train up to a good speed and the lake fades into the distance as we round a curve by a pretty church nestling in the hillside below the tracks. The forest returns, now forming a leafy tunnel through which we steam. The track climbs again and exhaust blast blows the branches apart above the train. With the weight of all the coaches on the grade the pace slows and we can hear each beat quite distinctly, sharp and strong. Then, quite abruptly the note quietens as the locomotive crests the rise, preparing for the descent on the far side. The noise of the exhaust is replaced by the coach wheels, firstly their usual trick-trock over the rail joints then a metallic ring as we coast over a steel arch bridge.

The line begins to fall steeply and we can feel the brakes are holding us back.

Another track rises beside us on the right until we are running level, a gentle turn and we rumble over some points - the station is ahead but the loco swings to the left and we of course follow into a long curve that turns the whole train around. One more rattle over a point and we ease to a stop at Platform One, precisely where we boarded earlier this morning.

A smaller loco has marshalled the bulls wagon into a train with more goods trucks and is waiting to leave. As we jump down from the carriage, the train leaves in the opposite direction with much mooing from the once more disturbed bull.