15th April 2010

Below: Coffee Pot basks in real sunshine!

Below: Roy Wakefield’s Mann steam tractor at rest.

Below: Almost a new vantage point – Michael Davison’s Marshall being coaled alongside the narrow gauge engine shed. Note the dirty wheels!!!!

Below: Both Wrens together on a wholly new railway!

Below: Coffee Pot plus chaldrons, the sound of this engine perfectly compliments that of traction engines around the site! I counted 19 steam engines working today (including road, rail and stationary) – not bad for a Thursday in April!

Below: Mike and Michael stone crushing with the big Marshall and the newly restored Winget stone crusher.

Below: The Wren comes to collect crushed stone, whilst a discussion ensues about how to adjust the crusher…

Below: Meanwhile, up at the farm Dave Antell and Dave Young were cutting wood with the former’s Robey Portable and the museum’s newly restored saw bench – Dave Sheen take a bow as this was the first time both stone crusher and saw were in action, both restored by him at the museum.

Below: Anthony Lister’s Clayton was driving the corn crusher – the corn coming from last September’s threshing sessions.

Below: Tonight there was a David William’s organised photo charter. Thanks to him, the engine owners, crews and tram volunteers (from Beamish and Crich) who stayed late to make this possible – here are a selection of views featuring all three works cars plus three steam rollers, taken from the evening – when maintenance and road repairs might typically be carried out.

This is a flavour of all of the activities and over the next three days I will try and cover the whole range of what was going on, including steam at Rowley station, the road sweep, steam on the road, the waggonway, tug of war (!) and miniature railway, not to mention the Friends’ displays and vintage and veteran traffic. The Sentinel S6 should also be in action tomorrow and Saturday.