Nice

We'll be attending a 'Rocket 200' planning meeting tonight in St. Helens. Looking forward to hearing people's ideas on how to celebrate the bi-centenary of our railway.

We took the National Trust into Edge Hill cutting to show them the history that sits 40 feet beneath Edge Hill. Thanks as always to our friends Liverpool Lime St for allowing us access & joining us in an effort to find a permanent purpose for the birthplace of the modern railway.

The Trust would like to wish each and every one of you a rewarding Christmas and a resounding New Year

Lion seen here heading across the electrified Dinting Viaduct in preparation for the L&M Railway's 150th anniversary celebrations in 1980.

Photo copyright Derek Phillips

Our last visit into the Edge Hill cutting, was to escort Rail Engineering author Graeme Bickerdike so he could write an article for the trade magazine RailEngineer. The best part is, you don't need to buy a copy to read it, as it is available online (railengineer.co.uk/edge-hill-engi…)

When people debate which is the most famous locomotive in the world, I say, show me a 1964 Bulgarian stamp of the Flying Scotsman...

Just came across this fantastic image of Rocket. I would love to give credit to the photographer and find out more about it. So if anyone recognises it and can identify its origins, please reply.

Taken delivery of a 1930 livery Rapido Lion loco, So we can do a direct comparison with the 1980 version. The big difference is paintwork, but there is also a pressure gauge atop the boiler and a bulkhead holding the coal back on the tender on the 1980 version.

Good to see the 193 year old Sankey Viaduct or Nine Arches, is undergoing renovation for future protection.

The Grade I listed structure is the World’s Oldest Railway Viaduct, opened in 1830 to carry the Liverpool to Manchester Railway over the Sankey valley.

Despite all the crudeness of stone blocks and small coal ballast, the engineers of the L&MR did have some undertanding of vehicle dnyamics: wheels were coned, rails were canted toward their gauge side, and on curves the outside rail had super elevation.

'A pleasurable wonder takes possession of the mind, as we glide along at a speed equal to the gallop of a racehorse.'

The Liverpool and Manchester Railway opened #OnThisDay in 1830. Read how people reacted to the new train service here:
org.pulse.ly/0tleb49sip

#OTD

Sankey Viaduct, the worlds oldest rail viaduct will get key repairs from Network Rail over the next four months

The viaduct is nearly 200 years old

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#networkrail #sankeyviaduct #rail