Boxing Day Blues

Christmas is done and we are in to that strange period up to New Year, the Boxing Day Blues sink in. Hope everyone had good Christmas’s. Looking online many seem to have got plenty of modelling in. Having been away, there hasn’t been any modelling done sadly. However…

One advantage of being away this year has been that my Boxing Day Blues were a little different. As I spent Boxing Day driving Talyllyn Railway No 1.

The day was cold but we had some stunning sunshine. The majority of the Santa Train decorations,  had been removed. No tinsel remained here! Just the festive wreaths on the smoke box doors and the occasional bauble discretely tucked away. There were some hanging underneath for my to find on the inspection that made me chuckle!

Despite the Baltic conditions, one of our passengers arrived bare footed in his open topped MG, now that is one way to make an entrance!

The trains were all well loaded with people enjoying the sunshine. There’s been some high winds overnight, but we made it through to Nant Gwernol with just the one stop to remove a small branch from the track. Since my last visit in October, the Forestry Commission (or Natural Resources Wales as I believe they’re now called) have started clearing the pine forest above Abergynolwyn. Some of the footpaths are currently closed around Nant Gwernol and the landscape is undergoing its biggest change for the last fifty years. There’s still plenty to be harvested and it will be interesting to see the changes over the coming months.

With Talyllyn safely pit away back on shed, a Christmas steam fix has been good. Back to work for a short work break before having New Year’s Eve off.

Then it will be into the new year and I should be able to return to the modelling desk.