Below: Shaun has reunited the living van with its forecarriage, having replaced the cross members under the turntable. He has also re-floored the coal box and carried out a number of other detail jobs. Completion looms…

Below: The Friends have restored the Carterway Heads AA box, which languished in very derelict condition for many years. The result is striking!

Below: Dave Knapton, a lead consultant from the University of Sunderland, called in yesterday. He has been working on a scanning process by which reverse engineering can be carried out. The objective is to produce new injectors for Lewin and Dave will contribute a fuller explanation to the blog soon…

Below: An original Peckett injector in the foreground and a printed model behind (yes – printed in 3D!). The scan is made of the original, then converted and improved in a CAD (Computer Aided Design) programme before a full size model is created using a printing and layering process. Dave will no doubt reveal more so watch this space!

Below: Six lengths of Ri60 rail have arrived for the track renewal programme at Foulbridge. New pointwork can be seen in the distance.

Below: The area of track for renewal, including pointwork. This work will commence very shortly.

Below: On the Steam Mule front, David Young is progressing apace and has made this very stylish crank guard out of phosphor bronze.

Below: Meanwhile the rest of the engine is being painted and assembled, with the crankshaft nearly complete only the flywheel is the major outstanding component.

Below: On Sunday we took the MArshall and Fowler rollers out – the view below shows Mary Margaret climbing Pockerley Bank, being overtaken by Oporto 196. I include this view as it was the last day of the old road surface! This has now, after many years delay, had the top coating applied in a major effort over two days and we now have a billiard table run all the way from the entrance to the town via Pockerley as well as the run to Foulbridge. This leaves the Foulbridge to Town section conspicuously rough – to be attended to in due course!

Below: The engines at lunch…

Coffee Pot should also have its boiler in place as I write and is due back in the next fortnight, along with the snowplough and steam mule trolley. I am also awaiting the Model Ts which should be with us very soon…