Here is a summary of projects upon which the Friends are currently making great progress:

Below: The Tyne-Tees Shipping coal box (used for bunkering coal etc.) is nearly complete and will join the Fairground when it moves to the Waggonway in November. It will be used, appropriately, for fuel storage for the Gallopers.

Below: The team are reassembling the Baker street sweeper, which has involved a lot of refurbishment as well as some quite major replacement of badly corroded framework. I am not sure they are convinced of the April 2011 target for completion – but the sweep (and water cart, also to be finished by the group) should be running for next September’s Power from the Past…

Below: A quantity of bicycles is also in the workshop, new to the museum and separated into specimen items for the collection (still to be working exhibits however) and a selection of cycles for day to day use by the staff – an alternative to walking or the dreaded replica van!

Below: The Hodbarrow side tipper chassis was dismantled on Saturday. The Friends will attend to the chassis while I will attend to the rather worn wheelsets – some of the flanges are sharper than knife edge…

Below: The rest of the waggon frame! Seen inside the coal box.

Below: On the left are the inverted castings that form the main structure of the side tipper. To the right are the corroded channels from a car lift, currently under restoration and waiting for new channel to the unusual section to be manufactured. Once complete this will be displayed in the Town Garage.