The Bescot Open Day era :: Fotopic.Net

The Bescot Open Day era

20th April 2005

02003 stands by the coal yard. I believe this loco (formerly D2853) was one of only three class 02s to carry their TOPS number, the others being 02001 and 02004. None of this trio received BR blue. Thanks to BR shunt engine expert Bob Kendrick for this snippet of info.	A view of the "BR" side of 02003 in her fresh coat of paint. The VTG ferrywagons in the distance conveyed imported chipboard into Pensnett	Most of the people responsible for the cosmetic restoration of 02003. Myself, John Kendrick, Robin Coles, Steve Howard, Martin Davis and Bob Kendrick	Myself (L) and Ken Broome are photgraphed holding the commemorative brass Sister Dora plaque which was cast by Tony Bill for 31430. TCS Terry Dugard is in the BOP to the left of the picture.
On the eve of the first Bescot Open Day I was busy shifting convoys of locos and rolling stock in and out of the Upside yard. Graham Wilkes took this monochrome photo of me climbing onto a class 56 which we used as a shunt loco.	Peter and Sam stand in the sun outside their home at Pensnett	Scruffy Sam and Perfect Peter pose for the camera !!!

A group of railway-minded people from Bescot set up the Bescot Open Day Committee to arrange an Open Day for 1988, followed by others in 1990 and 1992.

I volunteered for the Publicity Officer for the first Open Day, but felt I was more suited to the practical side of setting up the exhibits. I had an immense amount of fun at this time keepng people awake all night while shunting the yard and the exhibits.

For those of you who have been to Bescot you will realise that the site is very long and a requirement was to provide a "wall" of wagons stretching from the South end of the yard complex all the way along the Up Goods Line to the station - a distance of nearly a mile. The idea was to draw out rafts of wagons road by road, and push them up the Goods Line. When the yard was clear of wagons the exhibits could be layed out for display.

37298 admirably performed this task on the first Open Day, with a member of class 27, then class 26 on the subsequent years.

One of the attractions for the first open day was to exhibit a class 02. Messrs Lunt, Comley and Pitt of Pensnett industrial estate kindly agreed to the loan of 02003 provided we place their logo on one cabside, with 02003 and BR arrow on the other.

I organised several working parties to Pensnett to clean and paint "Peter" and colleagues robbed parts from "Sam" to provide a complete working loco.

The lads who were involved in this project were John and Bob Kendrick, Martin Davies, Steve Howard, Dave Burley, Robin Coles and myself

I hope to include a few images of this short period of time.

At the last open day a group of lads headed (I believe) by Bob Kendrick painted 20160 into a unique colour scheme to be known as "BoBo" for charity fundraising. I don't have a photo myself but this link will take you to Paul Bettany's view of this loco on the Down Local being painted for the event - http://locostabling.fotopic.net/p9556202.html