Below: The restoration of the water cart by the Friends volunteers has taken a great step forwards after they rapidly dismantled it and dispatched the tank, which had areas of heavy corrosion and perforation (not conducive to water retention!) evident. The repairs were carried out by a local contractor and are superb, as the photo below shows. The patches are almost invisible from the outside and are amazingly neat inside.

Below:The area around the lid was also removed and new metal welded in to create a new edge and firm base for the casting and lid to be secured to.

Below: Elsewhere in the workshop a jig has been made to trial the brackets repairs for the Duke of Sutherland’s coach, No.58A. As may be recalled, the step brackets were rather brutally modified in 1950 so as to ensure the coach ran ‘in gauge’ from the Scottish to the Southern region when Dunrobin and 58A moved to New Romney. The upper brackets survived and will be repaired to include the lower leg and fork to support the bottom footboard. This will be replicated once the brackets are all overhauled, repaired and replaced upon the coach.

Below: The Friends team working on the Hodbarrow side tipper have made good progress on the chassis and it is seen here complete with the axle pedestal castings fitted in place – this is now a very heavy lump! The pedestals include a block of resilient rubber to act as a crude damper/spring (something widely used on Robert Hudson built wagons after the First World War). In February I hope to order the final bits of metalwork needed for the tipper body, which will enable its completion and hopefully its appearance at our showcase event, the GNSF in April.