So as I mentioned elsewhere earlier in the week when discussing the V2, at last weekends Popoya running session one of the members showed a model haymotor he has built - the Oystermouth tram which comes for the worlds oldest fare paying passenger railway, the Swansea and Mumbles of 1807:
 



He has also made an even smaller model although too snall to motorise - never mind, the other cuddy helped out by giving a push while pulling his own load! (I don't often here the word cuddy used these days although I expect and hope that at least @Bealman and @icairns know, and may even occasionaly use, it):



Anyway got me to thinking it would be nice to see other attempts to model horses at work on the railways - its not that they weren't still in use in the modern era (i.e. after I was born ;-) ) :


Has anyone on the forum attempted to model these wondeful beasts in action? I know John @Train Waiting has a couple in the pastures at Poppingham, however could he be persuaded to put them in harness?

Such larks!

Cheers,

Colin.



 

And this from 1964


And its seem that Charlie was still working at Newmarket until retirement in 1967:

I would like to claim, the Douglas Horse trams are the oldest continuous running service
in the World. They started 1876. Cheers, from a windy Isle of Man.

Thank you very much @cmason - these are absolutely fabulous films. I knew the one in your first post but the films in your second post were new to me. And SuperSpecial thanks for the mention.

What a title for a thread! I saw it and wondered if you were referring to the glamorous Dr Cuddy who appears on the television set from time to time in a programme called 'House'. Apart from the lovely Lisa Edelstein, the main point of interest is an unshaven Bertie Wooster with an American accent.

Then I realised you were referring to horses and, especially, to draught horses. These are a shared enthusiasm of Mrs Poppingham and me.

Yes, indeed, the noun is common in Scots as well the version of English used in Northumberland and Durham. Some aspects of Middle English have lasted much longer in these parts than in the douce Southern counties. Indeed, many of the commonly-used pronunciations are those from before the Great Vowel Shift. As an example, "The dog is sitting on the floor" in Surrey would often be "The dug's sittin oan the flare" in, say, Midlothian.

Anent cuddies on Poppingham, there are several. Thatch, Lord Poppingham's grey hunter gelding, and Hardknott the Thoroughbred stallion aren't cuddies.

Which leaves Chesnut the Suffolk Punch (my favourite breed of horse) mare and Mr Myatt's piebald pony - cuddies.

And, of course, Prince and Captain, Mr Brewer's pair of shire geldings. They have just about the most important job on Poppingham - taking the fine, foaming ale to the Crown and the Railway Inn, always called Mable's. These two, and Mr Myatt's pony, are cuddies in harness.

Time for a picturingham of Prince and Captain:-





The coarse photograph was taken last summer and features my Brough Superior 'SS100' motor-bicycle. And, of course, Bertie Poppingham's 'SS' motor car parked outside the Crown.

Thanks again and all good wishes.

John