The new season at the Crich Tramway Village is creeping up on us (reopens Saturday 11th March) and in preparation for the reopening to the public there has been some shunting undertaken. This has seen John Bull return back to its home in the Great Exhibition Hall with a shunt for this to happen taking place on Saturday 25th February.
Most of you will probably remember that John Bull – the New South Wales steam tram loco – was originally extracted from the Great Exhibition Hall last May for a visit to the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway where it was to be displayed as part of the “Beyer Bash” (the loco was built by Beyer, Peacock in 1885 and after a brief spell in Australia returned to their Gorton Works where it was used a shunter). This event took place from 20th to 22nd May but when it came for the John Bull to head back to Crich it wasn’t possible for it to return to the museum and so it was temporarily placed in offsite storage.
It finally returned to Crich on 16th November 2022 but didn’t immediately return to the Great Exhibition Hall and was instead placed in the depot.
But with the museum opening again in a few days it has been returned to its rightful place where it is reunited with Dundee 21 – a steam tram trailer.
- Crich reopens on Saturday 11th March and will be open Saturdays to Thursdays (plus Bank Holidays and School Holidays) until Thursday 13th The summer season then sees daily opening.
Dundee 21 on the Traverser as its moved out the way to allow John Bull to go into the Great Exhibition Hall.
John Bull peeking out from behind the depot before it returns home. (Both Photographs by Andy Bailey, 25th February 2023)