Vincent Allen has completed the overhaul of the wheelsets for the Hodbarrow side tipper.

Meanwhile, the ironwork for the chassis has been sent away for shotblasting. Once returned and painted a rolling chassis is something we can look forward to seeing quite soon…

Andy Basnett is making progress on the iron body and completion of this is expected in parallel to the chassis…

Below: The wheelsets showing the wear on the better side (on the right) and the new section on the left. This is a rolled ring, welded then profiled, to the original wheel.

Below: A close up of one of the repaired wheels showing the blending of old and new plus the recreated profile.

Below: The two wheelsets after unloading. The waggon appears to have been stood with one side in a puddle or mud, something which had caused the flange to almost corrode away completely. The other side, whilst worn and thin on the rear, is still considered suitable for occasional use on the Colliery railway sidings. The main role of this waggon will be for ash collection (from Francis Street cottages) and tipping along the line to add to the period ‘blackness’ of a Colliery railway.