It is a shorter post today I’m afraid – largely as the run-down to the end of the year is seldom quiet!  There will also be a review of 2016 post in due course, with the usual look ahead to 2017 and a contrast with the predictions from last year’s similar post (i.e. I can tell you how accurate the forecasts actually were!).  You will have read of the recent narrow gauge rolling stock developments, which have had a recent burst of activity largely opportunistic, but will hopefully put us in a good position by next summer, when we should also have Glyder back in steam.

RHEC

Below: Tony and Matt B are forging along with the construction of the new Kitching-style coach for the Waggonway.  The first photo shows the middle section side panel, whilst the second shows assembled panels awaiting final detailing.  The panels are being formed from the Pitch Pine recovered from the church pews that we saw a few weeks back, these being part of a large (but now dwindling) haul of pews that we purchased from a local church being demolished a couple of years ago.  A precious resource and one that has repaid that initial investment many times over now.

Below: The manufacture of the beading has begun, which will give the distinctive shape to the middle saloon of the coach.

Below: The painters continue to fit in work on the Leyland Cub tipper, concentrating on the tedious blacking of the chassis and all associated components.  These areas are cleaned, primed then painted chassis black – but what a difference it makes overall!

Below: Chris is nearing the end of his battle with the Fordson pick-up with huge amounts of complicated shaping and welding being required to insert decent metal into the cab structure and attach this to the chassis.  More and more bodges from its life before Beamish have been uncovered and had to be attended to.  Work on this aspect should be completed by the end of the year and in January it will be reassembled and trimmed ready for a  trip to the painter who will spray it into a new livery…

Below: Chris Lee and the volunteers are making good progress on R025 and the completely new fabrication of the canopy, to original Barford & Perkins drawings.  The more one looks at these machines, the more ad-hoc they appear – you really wouldn’t design one like this from scratch surely?!  The end is now in sight for this project, perhaps next spring…

That completes this short post, which takes us to over 70 this year I think, and we are now just 45,000 visits to the site shy of a million – so I shall carry on in the new year!

Santa has been early and delivered Hornby’s latest 4mm scale model to my tree – this being the exquisite Peckett W5 0-4-0ST – not so dissimilar to No.1370 that we have on hire at Rowley.  Rather nice isn’t it (the other liveried versions are in the post…).  Also, by way of a contrast, it is seen on the 7/8 to the inch brakevan featured in the BINGE post.

Best wishes to everyone for the festive season and for a prosperous 2017 from all of us here in the Transport & Industry/Site Support team.