The 27 July 2022 was a very significant day for new FEDECRAIL UK member Leighton Buzzard Railway. As the first destination for a cohort of members from Spain/catalunya, our greeting of “bienvenidos amigos” (welcome friends) was a very appropriate red carpet welcome.
The friends from Mora la Nova were starting a 10-day tour of major heritage railways in the UK– postponed for two years due to the Covid pandemic. With the airline flying direct from Barcelona to London Luton, the chance to catch up with seeing the highly regarded O&K locomotive “P C Allen” which spent all its working life at the Torrelavaga site of the Solvay y Compania alkali works, was not to be missed.
Plus, a whole line trip including the recent diversion works and extension of the line to Mundays Hill. Their stop at our Stonehenge Works enabled a little of the history of the site to be given as well as a review of many of the Motor Rail ‘Simplex’ locos – some dating back to 1916.
Barclay No.1641 locomotive ’Doll’ – itself dating back to 1919 – was proudly displaying the special headboard – created by an LBR member – and featuring the FEDECRAIL insignia. A copy of this was presented to our guests on their departure.
‘Doll’ was also flying the two flags of FEDECRAIL and England – a timely reminder of a UK-wide event, when most of the railways flew the FEDECRAIL flag together with the national flag of the country that had built the locomotive.
Tony Tomkins – VP
Leighton Buzzard Railway
