General News Roundup

General News Roundup

Below: Harry, our station volunteer, has been making great progress in redecorating the ladies waiting room at Rowley Station.  This work has included installing the NER tile map, purchased with funds made available from the Friends some time ago.  This view shows progress to date…
Below: Darren and Mark have gone into production line overhaul of Jubilee track (this being narrow gauge pre-assembled panels).  As the photo below shows, the rails, once removed from the sleepers, are anything but straight!  A hard life in Ireland being a contributory factor here.

Below: Once the panels are dismantled the rails go onto this special jig, made of piles of sleepers, to which is bolted a rail bender.  By feeding the rail through, the kinks and twists can be removed.  The stack of pallets in the foreground acts as a steady for the lengths as the pass through.

Below: The result – on the left are nice straight rails and on the right are reassembled panels of restored Jubilee track…

Below: Introducing the ‘Scutter’ (for those who are fans of Red Dwarf…!!!).  This portable crane is a powerful and compact device, just purchased for a knock down price and awaiting certification.  It should prove to be invaluable in the workshops, easily able to handle an engine removal or tram motor.
Below: Preparations are underway in the engine shed for the arrival of the two ex USA locomotives.  Meanwhile, following a request from the T&I team, Tony and Dan have made a kiosk for the sale of tickets at the fairground (and to offer some shelter from the weather!).  This still has to have decorative rounding boards added but this shot shows what is to come – needless to say the paintwork will be suitably gaudy for the fairground area!
Below: Coffee Pot was on test today following fitting of new bolts and re-setting of the valves.  Stuart Hines does some shunting, this also being his last day as steam engineer here.  He is moving on to pursue other interests and we wish him well for the future.  Meanwhile, we are advertising, on the website, for a steam engineer, but the deadline is tight so potential applicants should have a look as soon as possible…  Coffee Pot will depart for Shildon on Monday, pending an appearance there before a move on to the Severn Valley Railway for their 150th anniversary gala on 19/20 May.  It will return to Beamish in June.  Hopefully by then to join No.18, Lewin…