Channel Title: Keith Edwards Channel Description: A Caving Channel. Mainly videos of caves and abandoned mines in England and Wales. A cornucopia of material for armchair cavers. What is Caving? Caving is an adventure activity full of physical challenges and an outlet for a real explorer’s spirit, not to mention a great way to keep fit. It is an experience of nature unlike any other - not just close to nature but within nature itself. The experience is incredibly rewarding where magical sights, thousands of years in the making, sculpted rocks and the delicate formations are a joy to behold. For more information about caving and how to start go to https://newtocaving.com. If you don't like caving for any reason then there's always the Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends Garden Railway or the Meccano videos to watch. All photos on this site by Brendan Marris. <video> Meccano Set 10 Beam Bridge Description: #classicmeccano This is Meccano Set 10 model 10.8. The bridge has a span of 24.5 inches. It is raised and lowered by a Meccano E15R electric motor. The approach pier is fitted with traffic barriers that fall into position automatically when the span is lifted. Music: System Corruption by The Soundings, available from the YouTube Audio Library. </video> <video> Amazing Meccano Machine - Hypnotic and Mesmerising Description: I designed and built this machine in December 2024 and January 2025. My inspiration came from a 3D printed 2 Stage Marble Lift by Marc Martin - https://youtu.be/HaKhNbd5HdU?si=7QE3lvSAQd1KT34O The fundamental problem to overcome with any Meccano-based ball roller is creating a smooth track for the balls devoid of any protruding nuts and bolts, and almost everything in Meccano is held together by, nuts and bolts. One is also working from a kit of standardised components and so one has to wrack one’s brains to figure out to achieve each action from the parts that are available, but isn’t this ingenuity the best part of working with Meccano? I know that it is for me. For example, the rocking ball catcher in the original model is a single piece of bespoke, 3D printed plastic. To create it in Meccano I used 13 parts. So what does the machine do? A pivoted arm picks up and lifts a marble from the lowest level of the machine - the rocking ball catcher. The marble is then transferred to a second pivoted arm which lifts it to the highest point on the machine - the curved track. The movement of these two arms is carefully synchronised. At the top of the lift, the marble rolls down the curved track and drops onto a pivoted, counter-balanced arm which places it onto a lower track. This returns it to its starting position. The machine was originally designed to circulate a single marble. However, once completed I found it was possible to have two marbles in play. Not being satisfied with this first version, I felt that the machine would have more visual appeal if it had a large flywheel. For this I used a five and a half inch hub disc. It serves purpose, but I like the look of it slowly rotating. At the same time I changed the motor from an E15R to a power drive unit, and completely redesigned the gearbox. The final modification was to add a stop gate to hold the second marble back until the first marble had been picked up by the lower arm. As this gate needed to be lifted once for every cycle of the lifting arms, I took the drive off their main drive shaft utilising a pair of bevel gears. After careful adjustments, I have found the machine to be 100% reliable in operation and I feel it would make an excellent exhibition model. Music: Rinse Repeat by DivKid </video> <video> Meccano 7. 1 Locomotive and Tender Description: From the 1954 - 1961 manual. It has been slightly modified to make use of the parts I have available. Some of my other models can be found in this playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmYRpDxLsvFELRXsITO9AUqbg_TsRy3R6 </video> <video> Thomas and Friends in Diesel Saves the Day - Part One The Landslip Description: Diesel is in disgrace and is banished to carry out shunting duties at the saltworks sidings. A very wet winter causes a landslip, blocking one track of the main line. Thomas is asked to help clear up the mess of mud and rocks. This is third film featuring Devious Diesel's shenanigans. The previous two are: Devious Diesel's Disaster - https://youtu.be/B-mkJ6Ymbho and Paxton and the Runaway Trucks - https://youtu.be/FeMM1m6aG8k Music: Light Expanse by Unicorn Heads Brisket Taco by Cumbia Deli Depth Fuse by French Fuse Motorbike by TrackTribe All tracks are available from the YouTube Audio Library </video> <video> Caving: In Search of the Dragon - COMING SOON Description: #caving #CaverKeith According to ancient legend, a cave in South Wales is home to a very rare breed of cave-dwelling dragon. Can two young cave explorers discover his lair? Can they survive the journey? https://www.youtube.com/@CaverKeith?sub_confirmation=1 Music: Underground Academy - Hanu Dixit </video> <video> Aerial Views of Llandudno - The Queen of Welsh Resorts Description: Llandudno is the largest seaside resort in Wales, and as early as 1861 was being called 'the Queen of the Welsh Watering Places'. These aerial views of the resort were created using Google Earth Studio which is an animation tool for Google Earth's satellite and 3D imagery. 00:00 A fly along the sea-front and then up Happy Valley to the summit. 00:27 An orbit of the Great Orme summit. 01:05 Flying across the town from the pier towards Conwy. 01:24 An orbit of the Little. 01:57 Flying in from Deganwy. 02:14 The Great Orme flying in from the sea. Music: Stark goes Dark by The Whole Other </video> <video> In Search of a Cave-Dwelling Dragon Description: #caving #CaverKeith According to ancient legend a cave in South Wales is home to a very rare breed of cave-dwelling dragon. Can two young cave explorers discover his lair? Can they survive the journey? </video> <video> Isle of Man Steam Railway Description: The island has a long history of heritage transport, and steam railways in particular. The fifteen and a half mile long, three foot gauge Isle of Man Railway runs between Douglas and Port Erin. It is the remainder of what was a 46 mile network that also served the small western town of Peel, the northern town of Ramsey and the small mining village of Foxdale.The line, from Douglas to Peel, opened on 1 July 1873, followed by the Port Erin line on 1 August 1874. A third line was built in 1878–1879 by the Manx Northern Railway, from St John's (on the Douglas to Peel line) to Ramsey. A further short line was constructed from St John's to Foxdale in 1885 to serve the lead mines there. A short branch line was built during the First World War to serve an internment camp. It opened in 1915 and closed in 1920. The Island is also served by a horse tramway and a network of electric tramways. The Douglas Bay Horse Tramway opened in 1876.Construction of the three foot gauge Manx Electric Railway started in 1893 with the short line from a depot at Derby Castle Depôt in Douglas to Groudle Glen. It was extended to Laxey in 1894. The Snaefell Mountain Railway opened on 20 August 1895, joining the village of Laxey with the summit of Snaefell, the highest point on the island. The line is 5 miles (8 km) long and is 3 ft 6 in gauge.The final section of the Manx Electric Railway from Laxey to Ramsey was opened on 24 July 1899. Both the Peel and Ramsey lines shut following the 1968 season, but goods services between Peel and Milntown (just short of Ramsey) continued until mid-1969. The lines were lifted in 1975. The section of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway from The Esplanade to the Sea Terminal is currently closed. </video> <video> Plas Gwynant Outdoor Education Centre in the Heart of Snowdonia Description: Produced using Google Earth Studio which is an animation tool for Google Earth’s satellite and 3D imagery. Plas Gwynant is at the heart of outdoor education and adventure in the Snowdonia National Park, North Wales. Based at the foot of the highest peak in Wales, it combines the power and magic of the natural environment with the challenge of adventurous activities to inspire young people; helping them to recognise what they are capable of achieving. </video> <video> Marbleous Meccano Machine - 2 Stage Marble Lift & Roller Description: Designed and built by Keith Edwards in December 2024. Inspired by 3D printed 2 Stage Marble Lift by Marc Martin https://youtu.be/HaKhNbd5HdU?si=7QE3lvSAQd1KT34O Feel Good Rock by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Artist: http://audionautix.com/ This machine performed with 100% reliability during the making of this video. Happiness is owning a Meccano set. </video> <video> Return to Aquamole - Trailer Description: In 1974 legendary cave diver Geoff Yeadon was the first to pass the 168 metre sump upstream from Rowten Pot. He discovered the impressive 40 metre high Aquamole Aven. Geoff retired from cave diving in 1997. In the winter 2000 Rupe Skorupka and Martin Holroyd scaled Aquamole Aven to a height of 50 metres. It pinched out, but they were able to gain access to a second series of inlet passages, the top of which was radio-located to a point 10 metres below the surface. Rupe was joined by Bob Jacklin and members of the Northern Speleological Group and work started in January 2002 to dig out a surface shaft. Aquamole Aven was finally connected to the surface in June 2002. A trip beginning by descending Aquamole Pot, as it is now named, to exit at Valley Entrance is now a classic through trip for cave divers and is considered to be a somewhat of a right of passage for the new generation of underwater cave explorers. In spite of his underground discoveries in Kingsdale Valley it was a trip that Geoff Yeadon had never done. However, on Sunday the 6th August 2023, Geoff supported by a team of over 20 cavers and cave divers, was persuaded out of retirement to complete for the first time this classic descent and cave dive. Music: Light Expanse by Unicorn Heads </video> <video> Thomas and Friends in The Railroad Comes Through The Middle of the House Description: #Thomas the Tank Engine The trains all come through the middle of the house since the company bought the land. Filmed on the Wychbold and Stoke Prior Garden Railway in Worcestershire, England. Featuring: Thomas the Tank Engine Percy the Small Engine James the Red Engine Toby the Tram Engine Emily Diesel Paxton Music: In the Middle of the House by Alma Cogan Brisket Taco by Cumbia Deli Depth Fuse by French Fuse </video> <video> Return to Aquamole - A Story of Cave Diving, Exploration and Discovery Description: #caving #cavediving #cavers This is a 10 minute edit of my film Return to Aquamole. This film won the video salon competition at Hidden Earth (the UK's national caving conference) in September 2024. The complete film was premiered in the Underground Session at the Kendal Mountain Festival on Friday 22nd November 2024. In 1974 legendary cave diver Geoff Yeadon was the first to pass the 168 metre sump upstream from Rowten Pot. He discovered the impressive 40 metre high Aquamole Aven. Geoff retired from cave diving in 1997. In the winter 2000 Rupe Skorupka and Martin Holroyd scaled Aquamole Aven to a height of 50 metres. It pinched out, but they were able to gain access to a second series of inlet passages, the top of which was radio-located to a point 10 metres below the surface. Rupe was joined by Bob Jacklin and members of the Northern Speleological Group and work started in January 2002 to dig out a surface shaft. Aquamole Aven was finally connected to the surface in June 2002. A trip beginning by descending Aquamole Pot, as it is now named, to exit at Valley Entrance is now a classic through trip for cave divers and is considered to be a somewhat of a right of passage for the new generation of underwater cave explorers. In spite of his underground discoveries in Kingsdale Valley it was a trip that Geoff Yeadon had never done. However, on Sunday the 6th August 2023, Geoff supported by a team of over 20 cavers and cave divers, was persuaded out of retirement to complete for the first time this classic descent and cave dive. </video> <video> Discovering the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Description: In this film I visit several sections of the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway (L&BR) to see what evidence still exists of the railway almost 90 years after its closure and to witness the miracles that volunteers have achieved on areas of the line. The railway was a 2ft narrow gauge railway which connected the North Devon river-port town of Barnstaple to the coastal town of Lynton. It ran for slightly over 19 miles and passed through some of the most rugged and picturesque landscape in England. It operated for a mere 37 years, opening in May 1898 and closing in September 1935. After closure, the track bed was sold off piecemeal. In 1995, Woody Bay Station was purchased by the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Trust and, after much effort, a short section of railway reopened to passengers in 2004. This was extended to approximately a mile in 2006 with trains now running between Woody Bay station and a new, temporary terminus at Killington Lane. The Lynton and Barnstaple Railway also owns other sections of the original trackbed, and in 2002 Exmoor Associates was set up to purchase and maintain other available parcels of land on the route of the railway. 00:13 A potted history 00:56 The abandoned railway 01:21 The railway re-born 02:00 The route of the railway and current ownership 03:08 Barnstaple Town Station 03:50 Pilton Yard 04:21 Raleigh Weir 04:38 Raleigh Trackbed 05:47 Snapper Halt 08:05 Collard Bridge 09:00 Chelfham 11:57 Bratton Fleming 12:54 Narracott Bridge and Twitchen Lane 14:45 Blackmoor Gate 15:27 Woody Bay 17:35 Killington Lane 17:59 Cricket Field Lane Extension 19:07 Return to Woody Bay 20:37 Lynton and Lynmouth including the Cliff Railway </video> <video> Not Suitable for Cavers of Larger Than Average Build Description: #claustrophobia #claustrophobic In which Dave finds himself in a tight spot. This committing squeeze is one of the reasons why this area in Ogof Ffynnon Ddu is rarely visited. To pass through takes courage and stoic mental attitude. To see what lies beyond watch - https://youtu.be/0OlaxG6qgvQ Music: A Hand in the Dark by Underbelly & Ty Mayer </video>

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Description

A Caving Channel.
Mainly videos of caves and abandoned mines in England and Wales. A cornucopia of material for armchair cavers.

What is Caving?
Caving is an adventure activity full of physical challenges and an outlet for a real explorer’s spirit, not to mention a great way to keep fit.
It is an experience of nature unlike any other - not just close to nature but within nature itself.
The experience is incredibly rewarding where magical sights, thousands of years in the making, sculpted rocks and the delicate formations are a joy to behold.
For more information about caving and how to start go to https://newtocaving.com.

If you don't like caving for any reason then there's always the Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends Garden Railway or the Meccano videos to watch.

All photos on this site by Brendan Marris.

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