Fundenhall Gala Day

[Lordraglan274]

After a year or two of cancellations and suspended services, this August saw the return of the gala running day at Fundenhall.
Owned by a staunch non-computer owner he is not therefore a GSC forum member, and is also very reluctant to have visitors!
Originally billed as steam only, it has slowly turned into a 'run-anything' affair.
Here are a few photos from the day, attended by myself, James and George from GSC and a few local friends, some of which run the superb (but G Scale free ) Great Eastern model shop in Norwich.

Here is the live steam section
William was in use regularly during the day

The other 'Pakefield' engine visiting was Earl

George brought two engines from his Sprowston and Norwich railway.

 

[Lordraglan274]

Malcolm ( Fundenhall's owner) is a superb scratchbuilder of engines and wagons.
Here are a few of his home fleet to run during the day

A couple of electrically powered steamers also put in turns

The class 218 looks quite at home hauling dramatically incorrect stock! Ancient USA stock in the Fundenhall livery.

Of course the drawback of having a long bridge over a deep pond is that you be be assured the only de-railment of the day will happen half way across it!
George was volunteered to risk life and limb recovering the incident.

All in all a very enjoyable day.
Good weather with a decent barbecue also helped, the latter supplied by Annie from Great Eastern...and there wasnt even a sales stand!!

Syd

 

[Lordraglan274]

......another couple of photos I missed

This is another of Malcolm's scratchbuilds.

Our newly aquired railbus made it's first ever visit from 'Pakefield' and ran very well once we had cleaned up the track!

Last one, another electric steamer.

 

[CoggesRailway]

looks like a great railway, i think that blue us outline loco is a LGB with new paint rather than a scratch? Is it as longer run as it looks?

 

[Gizzy]

Good to see the Fundenhall is still operating....

 

[Lordraglan274]

looks like a great railway, i think that blue us outline loco is a LGB with new paint rather than a scratch? Is it as longer run as it looks?

I can assure you it is one hundred per cent scratchbuild, the only non-home built part is the Playmobile power bogie.
Here is another photo of the loco running on George's Sprowston and Norwich line in 2007, plus another of Malcolm's creations...based on an Indian design I believe.

The trackwork at Fundenhall is a very simple single main line, with a station and sidings at the town end, and is every bit of the long run it looks in the photos! It goes off across the bridge over a natural pond, through grassland and a woodland area before returning and a circuit takes about 4 minutes. It is quite usual to have three trains going round at once as live steam operation intersperses with the electrically powered traction. It is an old railway, dating back many years into the past, and our locos have been visiting regularly now for over 10 years. Until just over a week ago it was the main operational base for my stock despite living 30 miles away!

 

[Lordraglan274]

The 'Indian' loco has the power unit visible inside and a basic diesel sound fitted as well.

The scratchbuilt fleet is quite extensive, and includes a few gems like this London transport Metropolitan loco.