20th September 2012 was a big day in the short history of the Lea Bailey Light Railway. With our ‘new’ locomotive on site, we had the perfect excuse to ‘fire it up’ as we needed to test drive it before its planned debut performance on 22nd September. However, first it needed a new battery fitted. Rob raced it round the curve keeping the chain taut at a speed of at least 1 mph, after which we assembled virtually all the available stock for a run past requested by the webmaster. There was a short delay however while a miscellany of coupling devices were found — chains, hooks and wires in the best tradition of the Javan sugar cane trains. Finally, we had our trundle past and then after all that excitement it was time to put the little old lady to bed.

Special thanks again go to the Wrights at Clearwell who have entrusted their Motor Rail Simplex with us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuCZr2ul3GY