
Bellerophon is currently on her travels again at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway at Wirksworth and I had a couple of days there this last weekend, one as a paying visitor and one with Bellerophon.
It was an interesting operation as they currently have no way of running round trains at Idridghay, the current limit of passenger operation so trains were propelled by Bellerophon the 3.5 miles from Wirksworth with an ex-LMS inspection saloon leading and alternating was a 2 car Metropolitan Cammell DMU in BR blue. The return from Idridghay was a steady pull all the way back at an average of roughly 1 in 225 which Bellerophon took in her stride, even on the Sunday when the two coach train was strengthened to three using a DMU driving trailer. Meanwhile the newly restored Barclay No.3 was merrily clumping its way up the incline to Ravens
tor every 25 minutes or so propelling a Bubble Car and this was interspersed with the ex-test car IRIS taking over when the Barclay needed water.Belle is going to need a couple of remedial repairs and a boiler inspection when she returns to Foxfield which is going to be tight with the Victorian Weekend in the offing at the end of August but hopefully there will be no new surprises so she should be back in action at Foxfield then.







