Here are a few of the highlights of our Festival of steam held on 29/30 August 2009.
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1 “Berkshire” class machine 2-8-4 constructed by Bernard Ritter
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in 7¼″ gauge, complete with a blower attached to the chimney to draw the fire prior to steam being available.
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2 A Canadian “Mikado” in 7¼″ gauge also by Bernard Ritter
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used as a basis to develop the SNCF 141R machines
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3 Locomotives awaiting visitors
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The two previous machines now under pressure and ready to start hauling passengers
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4 Not all on the network were steam
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Our Belgian friends from the society PTVF brought a fleet of American diesels
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5 The clock tower “Florentine” of Sequedin
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on the 1/32 scale network
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6 The station on the 45mm gauge model
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There's still no passengers at the station.
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7 A member of the club at Hazebrouck
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exhibiting some of his collection of full size rail memorabilia
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8 Indoor Live steam
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Gérard Lahaeye and some visitors preparing their 45mm gauge locomotives
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9 The “Berkshire” awaits
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“Berkshire” machine complete with passengers awaiting the driver
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10 Steaming bays around the turntable
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Preparation in the steaming bays
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11 Luc Meurisse with his series 300 “Green Tram”
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in 1/5 scale which ran on the urban network of Charleroi, Belgium
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12 Locomotives “Berkshire”, “Decauville” and an American GP
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with passengers aboard awaiting the off.
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13 A crowded station
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The three roads in the station occupied by three Belgian visitors
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14 Amandine and her new husband Dimitri
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Celebrate their wedding during the festival
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15 Amandine and Dimitri in the first class carriage
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16 Romance on rails
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Driver Bruce Ritter seems to be enjoying the day as well.
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17 Amandine and Dimitri commented:
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"Thankyou for your welcome and for having given us a wondeful time with so many memories"
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18 A visit to the postal carriages
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19 At the end of the day...
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Bruce Ritter and Robert Delcourt push the “Berkshire” into the shed for the night.
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20 The mine locomotive
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running around to take another set of visitors to the mining school
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21 The “Baldwin” A1A-A1A freshly repainted
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22 The Rail/route vehicle is positioned
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to help with movements of the “Pacific”
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23 Sunday morning
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The “Pacific” awaits the road/rail tug to pull it from the workshop.
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24 Our visitors await also
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25 The lifting sling is prepared
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26 But there is something holding the boiler down
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Searching for the problem....
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27 Found!
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Six large bolts sneakily hidden under a welded plate.
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28 The boiler is separated from the frames
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29 “Pacific” Boiler
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Placed on temporary bogies ready to roll into the workshop. Click to see more of the “Pacific”