AVON VALLEY RLY Just another Chocolate Sunday-or was it? 05/10/2025

This was another unitended day at the Avon Valley Railway. My wife wanted a breakfast before going shopping and we decided to go for one at the Avon Valley Railway but after finishing it she wanted a ride on the train which also inclided a ride on the Chocolate Train and a Fry's bar of chocolate. If that wasn't enough she wanted an additional journey ticket but what a fortunate decision that turned out to be. GWR Collett 0-6-2T No.6695 was in charge of the main service trains (featured in the video) whilst Fry's Sentinel Shunter 0-4-0VBT No.7492 was operarting a shuttle formed of two brake vans to just past the end of Platform 1 at Bitton station. However, the last working by the Sentinel was a return trip to Oldland Common. There were a number of passengers gathered in the "Toad" brake van but were we told there would be a 45 minute wait whilst 6695 occupied that section of the line with the final timetabled passenger service of the day. Unfortunately most had left by the time the Chocolate Train had departed although a few AVR volunteers were now onboard. This was quite an unusual working and although the Sentinel does occasionally visit the rest of the line it normally works top and tail with a diesel shunter. Anyway this quaint diminutive locomotive completed this trip single handled and a most enjoyable occasion it turned out to be.