As ever the Friends have been busy carrying out a wide variety of restoration and conservation works on Beamish’s behalf. Here is a quick rundown of them, which is by no means the complete list!

Below: The SOS bus is now receiving the detailing to its paintwork and it looks (and smells) terrific in these final coats of paint. Hopefully we’ll see it out on the road at the Great North Steam Fair, though it has an alarming appetite for fuel (petrol)! In the foreground is a wheel from the ‘Happy Days’ charabanc (horse drawn) which is currently being repainted with a hoped for return to service later this year.

Below: Inside the workshop various projects can be seen in progress. Dominating the scene is the road sweep, now with shafts in place and a new toolbox being fitted. In the foreground is the reverse of the running in board for Rowley Station, which will now read Rowley rather than Beamish as it did previously, and before it blew down in January. The Friends are also refreshing the station furniture as part of the same work.

Below: Setting up lathes for various jobs, the provision of a new machine (following a generous donation of the equipment) having enhanced the facilities available.

Below: The Case tractor at work, here providing the support for the Rowley works…

Below: … and these works in progress as a new post for the running in board (or nameboard to some) is fitted and levelled up.

Add to these the construction of new benches for the top of the bank by the offices and the chip shop environs, completion of rebuilding the flat trucks for the Engine Works, continued overhauling of bicycles and the preparation of chip choppers (say that fast!) for the chip shop.

Busy times indeed!