It is hard to believe it is 50 years since the Caldon Canal was restored, though Uttoxeter is still out of reach.
I wandered over to our local marina and boat club for an event to mark the reopening. Nothing spectacular, but well attended, and an excuse for a long walk and a diversion on the way back to a reasonable pub.
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| The remains of the Stoke-Leek line |
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| There was a swing bridge here, for a private siding |
An ongoing saga in the miniature railway world has been Adam Jeffrey's attempts to get planning permission for a new line. The good news is that instead, he has taken over ownership of the Rudyard Lake Railway, which is even closer to my doorstep than Apedale.
It has been a long time since I last visited, so long ago that my VHS camera was a novelty. I'm not sure if any footage survives. All Summer I'd been planning to visit, but family events largely got in the way.
So, I made a special effort for the steam gala weekend. What a day it was! There were lots of trains and lots of people keen to make it a success. I also ran into several people I'd only met online before The highlights for me were the Climax and the two Curwen locos. A day ticket let me travel on several trains, with a half hourly service, but I still managed to walk miles getting photos.
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