Mrs. Woody and I went for a drive the other day with no planned route and no idea of what we might come across and these can often be the best journeys. This one proved to be one of those. Taking a turn down a dead end road called Fen Road just outside the village of Rippendale for no other reason then to see what was at the end of it! Just a bit down the road I saw this.
It looked like an old railway station building and further back was what looked like an old goods shed. The driveway gate also looked a bit like a level crossing gate. Just a bit further on all was revealed!
Another level crossing gate and what is that in the background? Platform? Locomotives?
Whilst not being able to get close to the loco as it is in a private residency, a bit of internet searching brought up some details with a potential connection to the Rocks By Rail Museum! There is conflicting information but it does appear that this loco is Elizabeth an Avonside 0-4-0ST Works No. 1865 and built in 1922.
In the background there is what appears to be a Janus. Obviously there is some interesting history to the former station and the locomotives which I will be looking at. However, in the meantime, it was just a great journey even if we never got to the end of the no through road!
