T&I News Update Week 27 2015...

T&I News Update Week 27 2015…

We’ve had a fairly intensive period of working on the Remaking Beamish project, so things on here may seem a little quiet, but this isn’t the case behind the scenes.  However, there is a fair bit in the offing very shortly and you will read about this over the coming week or so.  Meanwhile, here is an update on T&I themes for the last couple of weeks…

Another Cub!

Below: In our quest to hoover up as many 1930s Leyland Cub spares as possible, in order to utilise on or ensure the longevity of our two Leyland Cub busses (ex Crosville 716 being under restoration at present), we have purchased this 1934 Leyland Cub KG3 lorry and the remains of a dismantled KP2 bus (also ex Crosville).  The haul includes numerous spare parts as well, so it should prove possible to restore the lorry as well as substantially add to our stocks of spares (which includes a working and complete petrol engine – Leyland using Chrysler derived six cylinder side valve engines on the Cubs for many years).  This particular Cub, seen below, was used for collecting animal remains for rendering/reprocessing/leather making until 1966, and features a coachbuilt cab by York, Ward & Rowlatt of Wellingborough (rather than a Leyland example).  More on these vehicles in due course…

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Travels

Below: Last weekend Sarah and I were at a wedding in Northampton, giving me a few hour to walk the dog alongside the Northampton & Lamport Railway, approximately 1.75 miles of former LNWR line, which is paralleled by a major cycle/walking route.  Here is an overview of the main station area and yard.

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Below: The line is very well signalled and with three signal boxes, probably offers scope for a lot of enjoyment in operation terms. These are Pitsford Sidings.  One of the present limits of operation.  It did strike me that this is a heritage railway with a good deal of empty siding space – something, surely, of a novelty in heritage circles!  Nice to have.

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Below: The railway is extending southwards and appears to have very nearly completed this work, again with full signalling (and track circuiting) in evidence. It would probably make for a very interesting training exercise in operation.

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Below: On our way home we called in at the National Tramway Museum, who have, over the winter, refreshed a number of exhibits and added to the interpretive displays, as seen here in the main exhibition hall.

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Below: In the workshop, Glasgow 22 is receiving mechanical attention – its truck being seen here, just like 264’s many miles to the north!

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Below: The workshop’s present big project is the total restoration of London Transport No.1 (later used in Leeds) which is being both explored at an archaeological level and restored for future operation at Crich.

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Below: The museum has decorated Chesterfield 7 as a WW1 recruitment tram, very effectively, as seen here.

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Below: In service were Leeds 399 (below) and Glasgow 1068, with Sheffield 510 on driver training operations.

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Filming at Beamish

Below: Today a large film crew arrived in the morning and various varied operating practices were invoked to set the stage for shooting scenes for a forthcoming episode of an ITV drama. A great deal of work was very quickly accomplished to set the scene for filming – in this case a July day was turned into the winter with snow and well wrapped extras!  Filming was concentrated in the garage showroom, with visiting Alvis, Model T and Austin car, taxi and van in evidence.  Here are a few scenes from the day, which where interspersed with public access and viewing throughout – hopefully giving visitors something extra to enjoy!

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Below: The shooting continued this evening, and Les Brunton captured his stead for the duration, 114, dressed as a York tram for the scenes (fairly close in appearance, if not livery – note the crest).  All was tidied up and restored to normal by the close of the day and tomorrow it will be like none of it ever happened!

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RHEC

Below: Just one restoration photograph this week – progress on the Duke of Sutherland saloon 58A is accelerating towards completion this autumn.  Phil and Sarah are working on the exterior paintwork, whilst Tony and Matt B have progressed the interior repairs – the panels seen here having been removed, repaired and restored.  They await re-varnishing and polishing. The guards compartment ceiling has also been re-panelled.  Otherwise we hope to keep the interior in its original condition and not over-restored.  The carpet and furniture has been removed and we are looking at any adaptations necessary for the conveyance of wheelchairs and pushchairs.  The toilet will be locked off, but to show what it looks like the panelled door has been modified to include, rather incongruously (!), a window!  The drawgear and brakegear still require work, but the project is now beginning its approach to the home straight…

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And finally…

At long last you can access the latest stocklist here: http://46.32.240.35/beamishtransportonline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Beamish-Transport-Online-Stocklist-2015.pdf

It is up to date as of last week and remains the best source of information on the transport collections.  In due course there will be a second edition of the tramway book and also a new book on the transport collections at Beamish – it is just a matter of finding time to write these!