Here is a miscellany of bits and pieces that I haven’t fitted into some of the other recent posts here…

RHEC

Below: We haven’t mentioned Sunderland Tram 16 for a while, but work steadily continues on the quite extensive re-engineering and remedial work to restore the truck to fully functioning operation – something it perhaps hasn’t enjoyed previously in the heritage era and probably not for a large part of its working life too!  Here work on the suspension is taking place, with corrugations being milled off the bottom keep in which the primary spring pack resides.  Holes have also been drilled in order to enable a more positive location of the leaf spring buckle.

Below: Over the other side of the shop, Chris continues the rebuild of the Savage Organ Engine – the crosshead, seen here, having had extensive work, both weld up some old cracks and build up worn surfaces.  The bearing brasses are not shown here, but are also being replaced to a slightly more substantial design than originally fitted, in acknowledgement of the much more intensive use this engine now has compared to when it was travelling (and would therefore not been in daily use for most of the year).

Below: N&G 49 (the horse tram) continues to make progress, with attention focused on the body, as shown here.  Note the restored platform framing, complete with new crown board (the long curved piece) – seen in an earlier post being laminated on a purpose made jig. A considerable amount of work is also being carried out to prepare the timber body for eventual painting – though the livery research is still waiting for me to find some time to progress this!  A dark crimson and ivory is the basis for the N&G colours, though much detailing is also required on top of this.

Below: The wheelsets have been extracted and are being cleaned and inspected.  The tyre profile (as seen in an earlier post) is good, and the overall running gear is sound.  The wheels will be primed and painted and can then be re-fitted to the tram to enable the brake gear to be manufactured and fitted.  Though simple in its design, it helps to have everything in place that does exist in order to aid this process.

Below: The horses and Blaydon Races charabanc return to the stable yard at lunchtime for a break.  Such rides are always popular when the sun shines, as it has done today!

Outside Works

Below: Though not strictly T&I in nature, the following image may be of interest.  It shows work to widen the pavement at the east end of the Town, work which entails building a retaining wall upon which cast columns and railings will be mounted.  This enables a continous route to the Bakery to be maintained once fencing and scaffolding is erected to allow the imminent start of the new Chemist/Photographers.  After its removal it will give a much wider pavement in this area and open up this end of the street.  It is also planned to restore the gas lighting in this area, allowance for which is being made in this work.

Below: A close up of the completed signal box repairs at Rowley.  The concrete box is required to shore up the front of the building, with gaps left for point rodding and tubes for signal wires should these ever be reinstated (any volunteers for a S&T dept?!).  Note also the wall plates, re-set arch over the left hand window and extensive re-pointing of cracks across the front of the building.  Next winter it is earmarked for re-decoration plus new nameboards, probably ‘Rowley’ rather than ‘Beamish’ to give the station area a more consistent appearance.  The adjacent footbridge will also be penciled in for a re-fresh, which we shall look at planning in the autumn.

Vulcan

Below: On a glorious sunny Saturday (May 17th 2014), Vulcan is seen out and about on the Rowley Station demonstration line. Double click on each image to open as a full screen view.