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I have previously reported finding the Lady Angela on the rails in south Devon.

I have just been back to Devon and revisited the South Devon Railway at Buckfastleigh. Sad to report that the lady is not in the best of condition.

Lady Angela in October 2006

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Lady Angela in June 2009

20090621Buckfastleigh23.jpg

20090621Buckfastleigh22.jpg

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Now's the time then to bring back Lady Angela to where she belongs, she should be at Ruddington and steaming down to Rushcliffe Halt by the Gypsum Works, not stuck in Devon.

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I rode on the footplate of the 'Angela' in the fifties...the driver was Ernie. Go through Kingston on Soar from Gotham...under the bridge and turn left for Kegworth.A hundred yards on your left is a conker tree. The railway line from Angelas shed to the main line was just before the tree.

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On the satellite pic I've shown the route...the arrow is the tree...the cross is the spot where Angelas shed was...the iron bridge built for her across the stream is still there.

Her route was over the road,under the main line to the side of Kingston and Lord Belpers estate to East Leake.On the return trip she would bypass her overnight shed...by the conker tree and link up with the main line at Kegworth Station.

mmmkko.jpg

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If you look on the site Old-Maps.co.uk, put in Kingston on Soar, ignore the first map and go onto the map of 1901, it clearly shows the mineral railway, the shed and the connection with the main line.

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I think my map was prettier Firbeck

Agreed, nice memories, it must have been Ernie that I used to see polishing the brasswork on a sunday morning when we stopped off at the shed during our tandem rides.

Incidentally Fynger, I think that this may be the ghostly head, its the steam pressure gauge always postioned prominently in the cab so the driver and fireman didn't allow the boiler to detonate:-

pressureguage.jpg

This one I obtained from one of the NCB Mapperley Colliery shunting engines, don't worry, it was being dismantled at the time.

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By the way ..my brother and his mates spent hours at the top of that conker tree train spotting.It wasn't my hobby, but I remember he was chuffed that he had all the garratts and quite a few streaks ticked off in his Ian Allen book.

I remember from Nottingham to Kegworth kids fare was tenpence halfpenny single...return was tenpence...we never could work that one out.

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Superb Garratt picture...many thanks...

I'd suggest more likely taken at De Aar, Northern Cape, South Africa than Toton yard....

Cheers

Robt P.

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The Lady Angela is named after:

Angela Mariota Tollemache, born on 10th June 1900 in London, England. She is the daughter of Hon. Alfred Douglas Tollemache and Alice Mary Head.

She married, firstly, Algernon Henry Strutt, 3rd Baron Belper of Kingston on Soar, son of Henry Strutt, 2nd Baron Belper and Lady Margaret Coke, on 12 July 1923.

She married, secondly, Reverend Harry Norman Tollemache, son of Joseph Henry Wrigley, on 2 October 1958.

As a result of her marriage, Angela Mariota Tollemache was styled as Baroness Belper on 12 July 1923. From 12 July 1923, her married name became Strutt.

In 2003 she lived at Bentley House, Ipswich, Suffolk, England.

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Angela Mariota Tollemache daughter of Alfred Douglas Tollemache....She married Reverend Harry Norman Tollemache in '58 ???? Is that a second cousin or something??

same unusual surname.

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Didn't the Tollemaches used to be listed in the Guiness Book of records as having the longest surname in the world:- Tollemache-Tollemache-Tolle........... you know what I mean.

They came from Ipswich and founded the Tolly Cobbold Brewery, recently shut down, but occasionally appearing, though look at the label and it has the kiss of death apon it, manufactured by Greene King at Bury St Edmunds.

Don't buy it, we'll see these scum up against the wall yet.

Any excuse for a dig at Greene King.

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Leo Quintus Tollemache-Tollemache de Orellana Plantagenet Tollemache-Tollemache

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Probably cost more for the plate than it would the train ........LOL

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  • 2 years later...

Hi all came across this dont no if you are still on this topic..

This was my grandads train i remember as a child going to the railway with my grand parents and uncle to raise money as she needed a new boiler. All are family and freinds help rebuild her

saidly both my grandad and uncle past away before we finished. It was a amazing day when she was up and running.

the train is still in are family but Lady A had some problems again with the boiler toooooo costly to fix again so I belive the plan is to give a new paint job and a big polish and she will be sitting at the entrance for all to see

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Interesting because I'd never been aware of this line before, even though I know the area pretty well.

Many years ago I used to drive along the Gotham- Kingston road every day and never realised there had been a railway around there.

The line which I did know about was the Great Central branch which went to the Gypsum Works at Gotham, and crossed the Gotham-East Leake road on a level crossing just south of Gotham. You can still see that if you know where to look.

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