There has been lots happening in the T&I (Transport & Industry) department at Beamish – here is a brief summary of some of the highlights…

Below: Puffing Billy spent last weekend on the road, visiting community festivals in Wylam and Newburn, the two extremes of the route worked by the original locomotive.  A false, lightweight, chimney was made (as the real one has to be removed to reduce the height) so as to be managable for fitting without mechanical aid.  The festivals were a great success and numerous activities were centred around these visits, organised by the Community Outreach team.

Below: With a session with students studying engineering looming, the Lister D was completed and fitted to its trolley in time for its use on Wednesday.  Various experiments using our portable pump were set up, the aim being to extrapolate data for later use in the classroom.

Below: The roller restoration team have now applied a coat of undercoat to R025, as well as having fitted much of the underpinnings (including the very railway-like hornguides!).  It will soon sport a coat of RAF blue, giving us a chance to see something of its finished guise for the first time.

Below: Under complete reconstruction by the volunteer team is this RAC call box – a rarer companion to the already restored AA box.  It will house a period telephone for use by staff, though the final position on the site has yet to be determined.  As can be seen, little of the original remained to incorporate into the rebuild!

Below: Finally, a couple of views showing preparation for the extension of the narrow gauge line – initially to enable a new turnout to be installed and longer headshunt created.  The route also allows for the curve westwards, which will take the narrow gauge onto the standard gauge formation and enable a reversal along what will be the northerly side of the triangle that will form the ‘main line’ on this system.  See earlier posts for a map and further description of the plans.  Seen below is the route punching through undergrowth, tipped material and trees to create a shallow cutting, which will be deepened to enable a graduation in height for the route to be created.