AMBERLEY RAILWAY GALA WEEKEND - July 2007
A
regular event in the Amberley calendar - this year Southdown was invited to
attend. Housed as we had been before in the Betchworth Hall - an engine shed
behind the railway station, gave us a prime location for disembarking passengers
to view the layout. As the trains rolled in seemingly ever increasing frequency,
waves of people filed in to see out trains......
We were advertised in the best possible manner, by Amberley's superbly turned out equipment.
Some of the Amberley exhibits on the day : steam, diesel and electric power were in use (although some diesels seemed to be trying to prove they used other methods of combustion).
An
early start on Southdown, a still day and a mixed goods was in order on the 32mm
line. The 45mm began with a local passenger train.
We soon got into the swing of things however, and a full day's service was provided.
The crowds were watching goings on in all directions, as was befitting a venue beside a narrow gauge railway station there was constant distraction outside.
The
usual suspects showed up......
.
...and
some refreshing new steam appeared too,
some
proving more helpful to others in times of need.
The local bus service however, was having problems of its own : lets hope that guy sweeping up doesn't find too many 'spares'....
