Preparing for winter...

Preparing for winter…

8th November 2011

The last few weeks have been occupied with the transition of Beamish from its summer season role into a winter season – including preparation for the big Christmas theme. The gallopers are moving to the Waggonway (via some electrical maintenance), Locomotion has moved from the Waggonway to the Colliery for the winter (it will be back at the Waggonway in time for next season), Alan Milburn has started the flat waggon and also has the first repair in, L328, in the works to dry out prior to receiving some remedial work to the body and a full repaint.
Below: To carry out the shunting of Locomotion and chaldrons, Coffee Pot was steamed for the last time on the current boiler ticket. It will stripped for inspection next week and hopefully will be back in service before Christmas. There are a number of jobs to carry out, not least fitting of a damper in the chimney – the engine has become notorious regarding control of the fire – the boiler steams very freely and the engine blows off a lot! It was never originally fitted with an ashpan (it now has an ash tray for the sake of the track!) so the usual form of control is not available to us. It is seen here shunting Locomotion, complete with No.17 acting as a barrier waggon. Thanks to Andy Martin for the photos with me in them – the black and white shot is particularly evocative of working industrial steam.



Below: Locomotion No.1 ensconced inside the Colliery Engine Works, with chaldron L328 ahead of it.

Below: Progress on L1833 – it is all but complete. Beyond are the wheelsets for the flat waggon, which will have dumb buffers but large enough to suit RCH and chaldron pattern waggons/locomotives. Beyond that is L328.

Below: With Tram 196 anticipated this week, Sheffield 264 is to be moved off the tracks and onto a storage road not connected to the running line. In order to ease the move, these two skates are being made to enable 264 to traverse sideways within the depot…