gonna attempt another North East RV...

[NorthernRaider]

The group that originated in South Shhields does its wilderness surv training at Causy Arch, cant remember who runs it now??

[RoadWarrior]

ALSO.....Northumbriman....I don't think anyone will mind too much if you bring your "eating-shitting machine" (dog) or your "jam-eaters"(kids)

[Little Lou]

DURHAM!! Thank you, NR, I knew I'd have missed something. It's a far better station, though even on Sundays I'd only get in at 13.11. (I'm coming from St Albans).

The snag is still going to come down to money. I was up for the £122 cost of a return if I could nick a third of it back by making it tax deductible, but that's not going to happen now. NRM and the Tanfield Railway (open on Sundays, I see!) look great, but my research is into stationery engines with rope haulage, and the only one in the country (possibly the world) offering demos of this is Bowes - which isn't open on Sundays!!! I could still do it with an overnight stay, but unless there's a very cheap camping place nearby I don't think my budget can cope.

I do wish swearing was allowed on this board!

Sorry to be so floppy and negative, but I do think it's better for me to admit defeat now rather than be one of those people who are all gung-ho and up for it, then back out at the last minute.

There'll be other chances. Maybe I can find a work excuse to go west to the Scythe Fair...

But again thank you to everyone. You couldn't have been more helpful.

Louise

[NorthernRaider]

oooh stationary engines, rope hauled railways and wagon ways, funiculars are a hobby of mine , but primarily North Eastern Railways, I just blagged a copy of The NER by Cecil j Allen and lots of it is about the rope hauled lines in this area.

---

BTW its only about £10 on the Megabus

[Little Lou]

(19 May 2013, 11:54)NorthernRaider Wrote: oooh stationary engines, rope hauled railways and wagon ways, funiculars are a hobby of mine

Ooooooh. Then you're my man. My next novel focusses on the 'Grand Central Crimean Railway' that could be fairly said to have won the Crimean war. The brainchild of James Morton Peto, it was built by navvies who came specially from England - and who got the thing running within six weeks of landing. Mostly horse-drawn, of course, but they had a stationery engine at Kadikoi (which Highlander will tell you was where the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders made the stand that's gone down in history as 'The Thin Red Line') which hauled the carriages of shells straight up the Balaklava gorge to feed the guns. It's an unparalleled achievement in railway history - they built seven miles in seven weeks, and also formed the world's first hospital train.

But I've never seen one. I have whole scenes revolving round it, but I can't describe it properly until I've seen one actually work. If you know about these things, would it be totally out of order for me to PM you for a little brain-picking when the time comes?

But I'm already out of order for derailing the thread.

Many apologies, everyone, and I'm backing discreetly away....

Louise

PS £10 isn't much, but it's the £122 on top of it that bothers me!

[RoadWarrior]

"DE-RAILING" ........geddit !

[Mooski88]

I'm trying to get time off work so I can come. So will let you guys know.

[Northumbriman]

I will bring along some samples of the knives I've made for folk to have a look at and try out.

[RoadWarrior]

where you travelling from Mooski88 ??? and what exactly does "try out" mean.??

[Mooski88]

Place called Guisborough. It's near Middlesbrough. I don't drive so I will have to get the train? Or bus. I will work out how to get there somehow.