Well, here we go – the Great North Steam Fair has begun…

Build up

Below: In the weeks before the event, a huge amount of planning and preparation begins to manifest itself.  Here Edward Sholto is seen testing the new narrow gauge water tower in the Colliery whilst engaged in shunting ahead of the arrival of the visiting locomotives.

Below: The more or less completed Joicey waggon was moved to the narrow gauge line for testing with the Quarry Hunslet.  There is still some work to carry out, but it looks the part now!

Below: The exhibits, of course, don’t know a big event is coming and will insist on needing attention as usual!  Dave G and Matt had to replace a stud on the regulator of the Colliery winding engine – the stud breaking and the original needing removing, done with a mixture of drilling, heating and use of a stud extractor.  Here Dave applies WD40 to the warmed stud stump in order that it might better penetrate the thread.  It did eventually come away cleanly.

Below: 31 cruises into Pockerley with a dramatic sky above Pockerley Old Hall on the hill behind it.

Below: Exhibits have been arriving over the last two weeks – this D4 Barford & Perkins motor roller being one of 11 motor rollers on display as part of the road-making demonstration.

Below: Wednesday was busily spent shunting exhibits, including Neil Thompson’s Marshall, into position.

Below: On Tuesday, Hugh Napier and Jennie arrived – the former being reunited with fellow Penrhyn ‘Large’ class Quarry Hunslet Edward Sholto for the first time since they worked in Wales together.

Below: Our B&P D4 seen in position for display and showing restoration progress in daylight for the first time.

Below: Bill Dickins D3 roller, the oldest motor roller known to survive in the World.

Below: Shunting our GB roller (which awaits commissioning and repainting) into position using Mary Margaret.

The event – day 1

Below: Graham Lee’s Steam Navvy is seen working in the cutting where it is loading narrow gauge waggons with crushed tarmac for use around the Colliery.  Quite a machine!

Below: Kerr Stuart ‘Wren’ (built at Statfold Barn, where the Navvy was restored, an owned by the Gully family, based on the Amerton Railway), is seen shunting skip waggons.

Below: We close with a miscellany of vehicles seen before the camera battery went flat!  The weather was gorgeous today which no doubt helped and led to the large attendance numbers at the Museum.  More photos will appear over the next few days but as I can’t hope to cover everything, the best way to see things is to come along yourself!