The Statfold Barn Railway is situated on a farm a few miles from Tamworth and is open to visitors on only three days each year, so it was that three Derby Rangers, Peter Ford, Nick Potter and I travelled there on Saturday 31st of March, taking our bikes by train to Tamworth.
For a private narow gauge railway it is a spectacular sight with about a dozen steam engines fired up and taking passengers on a two mile journey around the farm. They have extensive workshops, all open for viewing, where they re-furbish, repair, maintain and even construct, steam engines and rolling stock. Many of the engines have been imported from Indonesia where they were used on sugar plantations, and others have been rescued from industrial sites in this country. They are all in immaculate condition as are the surroundings, and it is obvious that a large team of enthusiasts, must spend thousands of man hours each year in keeping the whole place in this condition.
Well worth a second visit and the other two dates this year are on June 2nd and September 15th.
Advance booking is required and the cost is £8, which entitled you to as many train rides as you can manage.
Also recommended for a meal nearby is the Pretty Pigs PH where we enjoyed an excellent carvery followed by "Bottomless Pit" ice cream which was a serve youself machine. A good thing that we did not have to cycle far after that!
2 comments:
I totally agree with Les that it is worth a second visit. One of the better characteristics of this event is that there is a complete absence of the dreaded H&S Gestapo and everyone was allowed to get up "close and personal", even among moving steam locos. We were trusted not to fall in a pit, fall out of a carriage, trip over a rail or stand in front of a moving train.
Glad the Pretty pigs PH was up to its usual high standards. It featured in our Conkers-Tamworth Castle ride which is still available in pdf form for anyone that wants it
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