Sir Tom ....

... no, not Sir Tom Jones, but Sir Tom the locomotive to be found here at Threlkeld Quarry and Mining Museum situated opposite the village of Threlkeld in the Lake District. 

As many of you will probably know, this is the place to come on a wet day in the Lake District and, as you can see, it was a very wet, windy, cloudy day - you can just about see the fells in the background! It rained constantly throughout the day so we took shelter in the sheds which were filled with tools and bits of old, rusting machinery - perfect for photographers! Outside were a collection of vintage excavators, old quarry machinery and the 2ft gauge mineral railway. 

Sir Tom was manufactured by Bagnall of Stafford in 1926 and was named after Sir Tom Callender of British Insulated Callender Cables. This 0-4-0 saddle tank narrow gauge locomotive worked at BICC in Kent until 1968. After laying neglected for over thirty years in was brought to Threlkeld in 2001 where is underwent a complete restoration. Today, Sir Tom pulls the passenger train from the middle quarry into the inner quarry.  

On the way back to the hotel we stopped off at Pillar's in Keswick for a decadent piece of chocolate cake and hot chocolate, with cream of course! 
Then it was back to shower and a quick drink in the bar before heading down to Middle Ruddings for dinner where it just had to be their amazing steak and ale pie and a glass or two of red!