During the past weekend, the Valkenburg narrow gauge museum, now operating under a different name (Katwijk-Leiden Steam Railway) held its annual steam and diesel gala.
I made an hour's film on Sunday which starts with firing up three steam locos in wet weather. The weather improved during the day, and you'll find the following subjects:
00:10 - firing up in wet weather, atmospheric shots just outside the loco shed
11:17 - steam operations, including a footplate trip on 20hp O&K no. 5
29:17 - locomotive parade
50:56 - diesel operations, operating the diesel shed traverser, and re-railing a derailed loco.
An interesting feature in the diesel sequence is Ruston no. 40, a very dilapidated looking loco that hadn't turned a wheel since 1987. After filling the engine with oil and the tank with diesel, they cranked the engine, and it started!
Have fun - photos following soon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUdIkYQictc (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUdIkYQictc)
On Monday I uploaded a photo album of the Valkenburg steam and diesel weekend. It's quite a big album running to 10 pages, and I will comment on some of the photosbelow.
http://www.narrowgauge.nl/albums/201506valkenburg/index.htm (http://www.narrowgauge.nl/albums/201506valkenburg/index.htm)
Yesterday I spent an 'interesting' evening sorting out the captions of the photo album. I hope I got all the diesel loco types right from the online database, but I think I identified them all.
We have dozens of diesel locomotives, and due to their simplicity, many are still running even though quite a few are running in the state we got them from industry, even from scrapyards. The exercise with Ruston 48DL no. 40, which had been lying at the back of the shed for 27 years, is typical. They filled the crankcase and the tank, and it ran after a few tries.
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Starting the Whitcomb 'Marshall Plan' diesel using the petrol starter motor proved to be a different thing. You have to lift the valves to get rid of the compression, then the petrol engine is revved till it seems to burst. Let in the clutch and the diesel should start cranking round. Enough fuel and drop the valves as the crankshaft makes enough revs, then theoretically it should fire up. But on Saturday they had quite a job to get it going.
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An interesting industrial ensemble is this Simplex 20hp and two peat wagons - both side dumpers. The dumpers have been restored, but the Simplex is almost in its original state.
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This O&K H2/P4 32hp diesel (which for some reason acquired its nickname 'the submarine') makes a nice contrast with its older O&K 50hp steam sister no. 4.
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The market garden / nursery complex is doing quite well - it illustrates the use of light narrow gauge track in this industry. Apart from the flat truck carrying flowers, carrots and onions, there are more interesting details to be seen here, such as the flat plate wagon turntable in the lower photo.
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Patrick Braak loves to drive this ancient Jung MSZ130:
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Another ugly creature is this Whitcomb 5DM19B crane locomotive fitted with a Deutz 40hp engine. The loco was rebuilt before it came to the museum collection and still puts in excellent utility service along the line.
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Pride of the diesel fleet is undoubtedly this Deutz A4L514F, no.76, fitted with a 55hp engine. This loco was recently restored.
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To end the diesel overview, here is what happens if you don't look properly when you drive a loco off the traverser. It gave an almighty bang. I have a photo of the driver sitting on the derailed engine, but I'll save his feelings by not publishing it!
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Fortunately, 10 minutes' work with jacks and timber put it back on the track.
A funny little vehicle is this little draisine, many of which were exported to the former Dutch East Indies for plantation work. They were made by the Simplex motorcycle works in Amsterdam (not connected to Motor Rail), and we have two of them. This one is re-motored with what I think is a 1950s Austin engine.
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It is difficult to make a choice from the steam loco views in the album, but I'll try to pick what I think are the best of them.
First, this view along the Henschel, no.8, as it waits for the platform road to clear so it can run round its train waiting on the other track. The big O&K no. 4 at the other end was about to depart up the line.
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This view, taken somewhat later on Saturday, is from the other end, looking along the station towards the diesel loco shed in the distance.
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As the Henschel departs, one of the draisines is making ready to follow in its wake.
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Next, the big O&K no. 4 runs round its train. It has to wait for the little 20hp no. 5 which is propelling its ex-estate railway carriage into the loop which runs behind the carriage shed. Here it will wait for the Henschel and the draisine to return, before going out for a spin on the main line.
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At the end of the day, O&K no. 4 slows for the level crossing as the guard makes ready to secure the road. Note the former Ooster Stoomtram Maatschappij mail van behind the engine. This has been put on narrowed bogies - it used to be Cape gauge.
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I rather like this shot of O&K no.4 accelerating away on to the main line.
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Here is the scene that greeted me on a very wet Sunday morning around 9am.
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The difference in size between the two operational O&Ks is striking.
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Here no. 4 is making ready to join its train on the other track as the Henschel is waiting for the road.
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And next, the Henschel is off, breathing great swathes of vapour into the moist air.
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Superb video and stills Ted. Really shows the line to advantage. I wish I could get back there!