Steam action at Agricultural Power from the Past – Day 1…
The first day of this years new format Agricultural Power from the Past draws to a close after a busy session of preparation and shunting. Star attractions include the ex Port of Par locomotives ‘Alfred’ and ‘Judy’ which have been at work in the Colliery all day. The shift started yesterday with preparations and fitness to run examinations, plus the re-wheeling of the ever-so-useful chaldron waggon with RCH height buffer beam. A number of the chaldrons will be re-wheeled over coming months, to ensure the tyre profiles are of an acceptable standard for continued operation.
As ever with these posts, here are some related views, taken around the colliery over the last two days. There is a public photo session on Friday evening (see main website for details) and we will probably pose the two visiting locos around the screens then one of them in the loco shed after dusk.
Are the teething troubles with number 18 sorted? if so is it likely to run this year?
many thanks
Matt
Hi Matthew. Sadly the problems persist. We have steamed the loco on test numerous times, gradualy whittling the issues down (and there have been quite a few – bearing in mind how much of the loco is new) but there is still something significantly wrong mechanically that we are still troubleshooting. With the summer season occupying everyone’s time, there has been little opportunity to progress No.18 at this point – I am accutely aware of the need to complete and launch it though! As for when it will be considered ‘finished’ – I can only say ‘watch this space’ and we’ll see what the slightly less hectic later summer enables us to do. Hope this is of interes, Kind regards, Paul
Thanks for a really good day yesterday, always enjoy my visits to beamish. Paul any idea when final plans for the new collierly layout will be published and do you know if any visiting traction engines for the Agricultural weekend.
Hi Nigel – glad you enjoyed it, we were happy with how it went and I can assure you there are huge plans for the Great North Festival of Transport next year! No firm plans will be published as much of the development is evolutionary and will fit in with other jobs (which, for instance, will liberate track materials that we require). I’ll cover it all on here and we hope to make a start on the first phases of this soon, as well as expanding the narrow gauge system in time for next April’s event. Never a dull moment and much more in hand to reveal in the future! Paul