Chuff, chuff, chuff....

Bank Holiday Monday is not a day the Archaeologist and I would normally venture forth but we made and exception and went to investigate the Swindon and Cricklade Railway (http://www.swindon-cricklade-railway.org/). There isn't much of it - yet - but it was good to see what was there.

                                          

The main station is Blunsden

The route, as produced in the publicity leaflet.

The first part of the journey goes south for a little way, ending up at Taw Valley Halt, where it runs next to the houses. This is due to be extended a little further round (see the map above). The train stopped for a while and the engine went off to turn and join the other end of the train and return the way it had come....After another stop at the Blunsden station, the line goes a little further north towards Cricklade and the train stops at Hayes Knoll station for a while...

.....where the engine again moves off and comes back to the front of the train to return to the main station.

Back at the Blunsden, there is a cafe, a shop selling a variety of train-y items and also a tiny museum which has a sideline in second-hand railway-associated and other books.

It was, predictably, quite busy, especially as children could be taken free that day. One very popular installation was the little engine....

......and also, there was a waiting room complete with a toy rail track and some 'furry friends'.

However....the highlight of the visit was quite unexpected. We found we had arrived just in time to see a Spitfire flypast...several flypasts, in fact: it was so exciting to watch...

It was terribly difficult to catch the plane as it went over and in the end I just 'pointed and shot' but was quite pleased to get the second picture as it is unmistakably a Spitfire.

It turned out to be a very good way to spend a day out...