There is quite a bit to report from the last week or so, covering some familiar topics.  Meanwhile, the site maintenance team are busy establishing the infrastructure that enables Christmas to operate at the museum, and installing a large quantity of lighting around the museum in support of this.

Gateshead 10

Below: Mention has been made in an earlier posts of the need to re-locate the brake hangers, so as to eliminate dog-legs in the hanger brackets themselves.  This photo shows one bogie before it was dismantled, with the hanger and their dog-legged shape visible lower down in the photograph.

Below: The mountings are being corrected, entailing welding up the holes, then re-drilling (using a magnetic drill-mount) in the correct registration.

Below: A lot of work to achieve two holes!  But these now correspond with the correct alignment of the brake shoes on the wheels, and on straight hangers.

Photos above courtesy of Don Cook.

Below: Another view of the straightened assembly, with the bracket clamped in readiness for drilling of pilot holes using the mag-drill.

Below: The work on the bogies has been greatly assisted through use of the two new A frame cranes, and the ‘raised pit’ – this brings the work to a much more comfortable height for the engineering team.  The further bogie in this view will shortly reach a stage where it can be taken across to the RHEC, where it will be placed onto the shorter of the raised pits, to enable it to be painted.  The second will follow once the brake assembly is completed.

Below: With the roof complete and scaffolding removed, work on Gateshead 10 has returned its focus to applying lots of undercoat, and filling/making small repairs to the body.  The cream is merely an undercoat, the final coats will be a chalk-white colour.  Here John adds another of the red undercoats to build up the depth on the dash and waist panels.

Below: The completed roof, with advertising brackets painted, sealed and fitted, and the traction supply fuse and its case in place.

VK 5401

Below: The ongoing restoration of the Dodge/Robsons bus reached a significant milestone last week, when the body was removed from the chassis (for the first time since…???!!! Probably when the 1927 body was mounted onto the Dodge chassis after removal from the Chevrolet chassis that previously carried it, in 1931).

Below: Matt B had created an internal framework for the body, in order to ensure it remained rigid, as well as building a bespoke cradle upon which it can sit during restoration.

Below: The tele-handler made light work of lifting the body clear of the chassis.

Below: The chassis will now be stripped for shotblasting and repair, before work on the overhaul of the engine and transmission commences.

Photos courtesy of Russell Walker

Waggonway and Rowley

Below:  I’ve commented on this on the blog before, but the steam team is able to be remarkably adaptable, carrying out maintenance work both during the operating season (where it can be part of the engamgenent – how many can resist telling someone painting that they have missed a bit!) and during the closed season for these exhibits.  At the Waggonway, a project is underway to build a new path around the bothy building (loosely based on Simpasture on the S&DR) to give a continues and accessible path, even when the building is closed.  In terms of the building itself, this is being refurbished and it is planned that it will contain a recreated track worker’s bothy, enabling suitable exhibits to be placed on display there.

Below: The team are also refurbishing the area around the Great Shed itself, including work on the doors and door furniture.

Below: Rowley has had a number of redecorations now, as the team work hard to ensure it retains its feel of a functioning station area, even if the trains are not running at the moment.  This work also ensures that it looks at its best, and that work can be completed that would otherwise be on a longer programme of maintenance for completion due to the sheer scale of the museum site.

Photos courtesy of Jorden Sayer

NER 559

Below: The two tubes that form the barrel and firebox flue have arrived in Darlington for NBRES to commence manufacture of the boiler for the K class.  They will now be subject to a range of tests before welding commences (and more testing).  Remember, this is a standard gauge locomotive – these views give a good impression of just how small these locomotives are!

You can also follow the project on North Bay Railway Engineering Services’ Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100053175229824 

Photos courtesy of NBRES