Well, I had hoped that I might report on the pleasant warmth of spring and the progress made on numerous projects out in the fresh air – but instead we are weathering minus zero temperatures and shivering away as the season gathers momentum.  The weather is playing havoc with preparations for the forthcoming event and exhibits booked to attend, but I will report on this later in the week.  Meanwhile, things continue to progress and we start this post with a glance at the Barford & Perkins motor roller…

Below: When R025 was delivered last year, it was moved by skip lorry and placed at a convenient location pending relocation to the new workshop facilities.  This move has now been made but first Ian Bean and Colin Slater braved some brutal conditions on Saturday to remove the drive chain in order for me to be able to tow the roller.  Naturally, the link piece was located behind the framework and so added to the misery.  However, work completed, R025 is seen below ready to make its journey…

Below: By Monday evening the roller was berthed outside the Erecting Shop pending final placement inside.  Towing it without steering proved to be an entertaining experience (?!) but was safely completed.  The project is to be a joint volunteer (Friends)/workshop staff/apprentices project with various sub-components being restored by different groups but with everyone having an overview on the restoration.  I am still digging into the roller’s past and in due course will report on progress made in this regard.

Below: This is one of Oporto Tram No.196’s motor thrust bearings – the casting rotating with the motor shaft, the bolt head being adjusted up to the rear of the wheel boss to take out a tendency for the motor to shove itself sideways along the axle shaft when taking up power.  Whilst Tom was carrying out his routine examinations the other day he put his spanner to the bold to test it was tight and…

Below: … discovered that all was not well.  The casting had three old fractures and the movement of the bolt had flattened the threads too.  Chris reassembled the components after cleaning them up, and by heating everything cherry red, he was able to ensure a weld would both take and hold.  Cooling was slowed down by wrapping the bearing with insulation to reduce the stresses and contraction.  Another ‘everyday’ repair effected and the tram entered service after reassembly and inspection shortly afterwards.  The benefits of creating a welding/fabrication bay and having the appropriate skills within the staff are thus well demonstrated.  We can now assume the other bearing will follow suit and will be monitored accordingly.

Below: David is seen painting another set of box-sash windows (for the Bakery I think) – something that Shaun has become adept at mass producing (to a variety of sizes) and the painters then painting.  On the wall in the background can be seen Michael’s preparations for introducing power to the building (it is lit, but the sockets are unpowered at present) with 110, 240 and 415 supplies to hand.

Below: The Friends team are progressing the rebuild of the hoo-a-duck stand for the fairground as well as repairing the Halls Distemper men (which are located on the railway embankment at Rowley but recently succumbed to the gale force winds).  Moving workshops is also progressing and we now have a large number of storage boxes to tidy up the various shelves and stores in the RHEC with.

Below: In the other corner of the Erecting Shop Phil Anderson has completed the panels for the gallopers (which are running now, sans a small number of these panels which will be fitted shortly).

Below: Phil is also working on some panels for one of our trams – which will be taking on a rather different appearance for the forthcoming Great North Festival of Transport – watch this space for how this develops…

Below: Dave Young is progressing on Samson, with the castings machined for the brake assembly, seen here.  We hope to have the frames shortly and so Dave is working on as many of the later inaccessible components so that these can be fitted and at the start of the frame erection.

Below: Every operator of Coffee Pot No.1 is smitten with its boiler feed pump – so we have bought another one, to be fitted on Coffee Pot No.17 in the future.  There are no immediate plans to restore the loco but it is always worth acquiring the bits when they are available and for a very good price.  A shelf is slowly filling with components for No.17 ready for incorporation into its restoration in the future.