Railway Research Trip; The Middleton Railway

Considering I'm a railway enthusiast, a railway modeller, and a regular contributor to various railway magazines, I've not managed to make much of the Railway 200 celebrations this year. In fact, the only specific event I managed to get to was the Middleton's end of summer Gala. A bit of a case of FOMO with it all, but then real life and a busy job as a med-tech took priority. Stupid having to earn a living.

Anyway, enough moaning. I love the Middleton, even in its present, rather truncated, form. The atmospheric Balm Road Branch is closed for the foreseeable future (the ungated level crossing being somewhat lethal to the volunteers having to walk out into the local traffic with flags), so the Gala featured just an intensive service with a mixed train up and down the main line. Now, I have a potential project on the boil for which the Middleton is a perfect inspiration, so I thought a morning pottering about with the camera was in order.

Blimey, all the most scenic spots for my photoshoots. Some photographers are busy taking pics of fashion models on yachts out in Monaco. 

Hell... yes, glad it was 9.30am. I don't think I'd go down here after midday without Kevlar and a pet lion on a long-leash.

The old Dartmouth branchline, or what's left of it.

First train trundling past.

See, this is what I like about the Middleton; not much in the way of lineside fences (though mainly because the scrap-metal fairies wander off with them in the night, I'm told).

Finally, a bit of sunshine. Our normal trips to the Middleton coincide with superb weather; this was my first overcast visit, ever, so clearly Amy is the good luck charm for the Sun God.

There was one steam loco in operation during my visit. The nicer-looking machine was out on the Sunday, but I wasn't free, sadly.

Opportunities for linesiding were a bit limited though, as there were a couple of shady-looking characters who'd clocked me and were paying me a bit of attention, because, you know, Broken Britain and all that (even at 10am on a Saturday morning. At least it shows a certain work-ethic amongst the e-bike riding drug peddlers of the modern youth I suppose). I stayed around Park Halt for a bit, where there were enough witnesses, normal people with families, who could at least identify my remains if things went wrong.

There were some nice people aboard the train, so I got chatting to some of them, re-assuring my faith in humanity somewhat. 

Sadly, the open-ended carriage was also out of use, but I made do with poking the phone out of the window.

Back again to the other end of the line, for the sort of splendid viewpoint the Middleton offers.

And, because I was up to my elbows in work at that moment, it was time to head home and crack-on with some model-making. Plenty of shots as research for the project. Shame about the local atmospherics, I take my hat-off to the Middleton for running a suburban preserved railway without armoured trains. It's a lovely line, the vols are cheerful, and the trains eccentric, so all in all a nice, if rushed, morning for me.